Lenten Fasting

Every year for as long as I can remember, I have given something up for Lent. I know that in some families, people are encouraged to do something nice for others during the Lenten fast but I grew up Catholic and in my house it was always meant to be a time of sacrifice.

Last year for Lent I had the bright idea to give up coffee and the forty-six days were an absolute slice of Hell. The thing about my love affair with the legal, addictive stimulant is that I really truly am an addict. If there were a Coffee Anonymous I would likely be there every week, politely standing in front of a circle of peers saying, "Hello, my name is Valerie and I am addicted to coffee," only to leave the meeting and be found later at Starbucks hiding in a corner with a nonfat late.

Seriously, though, I feel the way about coffee that many feel about cigarettes:  I like to hold a cup of coffee, I like the way it feels in my hands. I enjoy the way it smells and the way it tastes. I feel confident when I have a cup of coffee and I feel like it makes me look cooler to others, as if they will respect me more when I am around my very close, personal friend, Mr. Java.

Last year, as I said, was not pleasant. By about the third day of Lent I had nearly set the house on fire.

I had on my stove top at the time those metal covers for each burner. One morning I woke to make my morning cup of tea, which I was trying to use as sad substitute for my morning coffee. I removed one burner cover, filled my kettle with water, turned on the stove and left the room to wash my face and brush my teeth in hopes of waking up a bit.

When, moments later, I still did not hear the sound of the whistling kettle I returned to the kitchen to find that, in my decaffeinated haze, I had turned on the wrong burner. What had been a darling little burner cover was now a serious hazard. 

The painted metal cover was aflame wafting God-only-knows what toxins into the air and shooting flames like a small dragon. It was all I could do to grab a frying pan lid and smother the flames. Had I been more alert at the time I might also have screamed and freaked out like the girl that I am but, as I say, I was in a caffeine-free coma. I will say, however, that putting out a small kitchen fire is the best method I have found yet in order to wake you up in the morning.

I have since discarded the three surviving burner covers and this year I have opted to give up something a little less risky: cheese. While the past few weeks without fromage have not been a picnic, they have also been significantly less eventful.

Even though I can't eat cheese for the next thirteen days, I can still share some of my very-most-favorite cheese recipes. And I think that is exactly what I shall do, starting tomorrow, with my Fried Goat Cheese Salad.

What are your family's traditions surrounding Lent? Do you participate in a Lenten fast? Leave a comment below or send an e-mail to rn6productions@gmail.com.