MARIE'S MUSES

Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest things and the hardest to come by. We have days in life that are shaped by simple pleasures and then we have other days that are redeemed by simple pleasures. A few weeks ago Todd and I noticed that our Saturdays usually pass by in a blur of activity. Because I work all week, and then Sundays are taken up with church activities, our Saturdays were ending up being days that we spent running back and forth and doing all the errands that needed to be done, shopping etc. What should have been a “day off” or a day of rest was in reality just another slog. Sundays, which should be the day of rest are always busy, busy, busy for us. We have church in the morning, which takes us well past noon, on into one o’clock before we are finished there and then, because Todd is involved in  the leadership he has responsibilities that keep us there most weeks for a while after that. Most Sundays’ we leave here at shortly after nine in the morning and we don’t get back until sometimes three o’clock in the afternoon. I am not complaining mind you, I enjoy my Sundays at church and catching up with all my friends there before and afterwards. It’s a lovely day, it just doesn’t feel as restful as it should.

Our church also has a thing called Family Home Evening. It’s usually on Monday evenings. Members of our church, all over the world, set apart one evening a week, in which to spend time together as a family, doing family type of things and just spending it in happy companionship with each other. Monday’s don’t work for us. I always have to work Monday nights and so that was another thing that always seemed to be getting neglected in our home. We do spend most of our time together when I am off anyways, but it’s not quality time, if you know what I mean. We’re usually so busy getting other projects done that need to be done and we’re not really tuned in to each other as we long to be.

To make a long story short, we decided several weeks ago that our Saturdays were going to be our days of rest. No longer would we be to-ing and fro-ing, or trying to cram in all the chores we had not gotten done during the rest of the week. We would try to get all our little jobs done by Friday and then on Saturdays we would take the day just to spend time together and be … be a couple, be relaxed, enjoying gentle companionship with each other and with our God. An old Irish proverb tells us, “Better one good thing that is, rather than two good things that were, or three good things that might never come to pass.” On Saturdays in our home, there is no need to glance wistfully at days gone by, or to worry about things that we need to get done in the future, for we have decided to live in the present, totally and abundantly, and to fill our Saturdays with rich and simple things, one after another, until our day is, quite literally, overflowing with small and simple pleasures.

And that is how it’s been, and it’s been wonderful. We start the day out with a small and simple prayer of thanksgiving and dedicate the day into the Lord’s care and then we begin. We do simple things, like enjoy a quiet and leisurely breakfast with each other. The television doesn’t get turned on at all. We putter. We put good and wholesome music on the stereo, music that we love to listen to and we surround ourselves with it’s peace and comfort, we even dance a little. We go for long, quiet walks together . . . just us and our Jess. We play simple games with each other that we like to play like rummy or cribbage, but we do it together. We read in gentle companionship and share our thoughts with each other. We pray. We just be . . . together. There is no rush to get this done, or that done. There is no timetable pressurising us, no schedules to be met. In short, we have redeemed our Saturdays and claimed them back as our own.

Oh, I know that it won’t be possible for us to do this all the time. There will be the odd Saturday that we shall have to work up at the big house for a dinner party now and again, and there are the packing nights to contend with on occasion. But for the most part, this is the way we plan on spending our Saturday’s from now on. I have to say it’s been quite a wonderful experience. What was a day of rushed activity,  has now become a day of simple pleasures and enjoyment for us. We have stolen it back from life and we’re not going to be giving it up. It’s ours now and we plan on keeping it! Better a golden hour that is, than two that were, or three that might never come to pass . . . ahhhh . . . joy is so easy to find if we but stop and look for it  . . .

These may seem a little extravagant for breakfast but they are lovely little pleasures, simple to make and very enjoyable to eat . . .

Serves 2

You could have these for dessert if you wanted, or even for a lovely tea break late in the afternoon. We choose to have them for a leisurely Saturday breakfast. The smooth cheese provides a lovely and rich base for the tart berries and sweet honey. When you combine that with the lovely crunch of the crisp toast underneath you have something that is utterly delicious. Very quick to put together, these are quite simply a delight to make and to eat!

6 ½ inch slices of French Bread

¼ cup of mascarpone cheese at room temperature

1 cup fresh berries, such as raspberries, black berries or even strawberries

¼ cup fragrant honey, such as orange blossom or lavender

Pre-heat the oven to 180° C/350° F. Place the slices of bread onto a baking sheet and toast them in the heated oven for about 12 minutes or so until they are toasted golden brown.

Place the toasted bread onto each of two plates and spread each with some of the mascarpone cheese. Arrange several berries on top of each and then drizzle each one lightly with some of the honey. Serve immediately.

Mascarpone cheese, while lovely to eat is sometimes difficult to find and when you do find it, it can be very expensive. I have found that this next recipe makes a delicious and more than adequate substitute.

Makes 1 ½ cups approx.

This is a very good substitute for Mascarpone Cheese when you aren’t able to get the real thing. Works very well in desserts such as Tiramisu and others and to be perfectly honest, it is hard to tell the difference!

1 (250g) package of cream cheese

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 ½ TBS of sour cream

Whisk ingredients together until well combined. Use in the place of mascarpone cheese in any recipe.