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“Come along inside… We’ll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place.”
–The Wind in the Willows
I love the tradition of tea in the afternoon, especially high tea. Something about taking time to slow down, sip tea, and talk with friends is so counter-cultural that I think making time for tea can be a revolutionary act in our world of busyness and fast food. Bill Huebsch in his lovely book A New Look at Grace: A Spirituality of Wholeness
talks about how each day we need a “Holy Pause” — a space when we can be with the moments of the day and allow their holiness to unfold within our imaginations. Tea time often serves this function for me, a chance to catch my breath, to be present to my experience, to listen to a friend.
I’m not at the Abbey as much this season, but when I am you are invited to come over for a cup of tea. We have herbal teas, green teas, black teas, and decaf black teas. Cream and sugar too if you please. If you give me some notice and I am feeling really ambitious, I might make something delightful to eat to go with it. Here’s one of my favorite simple and yummy recipes:
Bread Pudding
4 c. cubed white bread (my favorite for this is a loaf of Challah– also a good way to use up stale bread)
1/2 c. golden raisins (sometimes I substitute dried blueberries or chocolate chips)
2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the bread cubes in the oven. In a large bowl combine bread and raisins. In a 1 quart saucepan, combine the milk and 1/4 cup butter. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or when the butter has melted. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into greased casserole. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until set in center.
This often tastes even better reheated the next day after the flavors have had a chance to combine.
-Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts
10 Responses
eileen, stop-drop-pray is a great motto! :-)
thanks lucy, although I am not sure that I had time to bake something for you, next time. of course you will also be one of the few to come to the hermitage as well. :-)
i love the idea of a “holy pause.” i am one of the fortunate to have experienced tea at the abbey and it is delightful indeed!
I LOVE High Tea, High Mass … and the Holy Pause is a great term for what I also call, “Stop, Drop, and Pray.”
I wish I could invite you all over to my living room, put a log on the fire, and serve up some warm from the oven bread pudding. I also believe that living life “wastefully” in the eyes of the world offers some of the most valuable experiences we can have. Thanks for sitting a while in my virtual living room at least. May you all be nourished deeply in both body and soul.
This sounds yummy and I really like the idea of the holy pause.
Bread pudding was one of my childhood favorites (before dairy allergies).
I am increasingly coming to the thought that living our lives wastefully in the eyes of the world is one of the most beautiful ways of demonstrating what the Kingdom is like :)
Oh my that sounds so yummy. I think I will have to try it today. It is chilly and rainy here and that sounds like the perfect thing to make my family feel cozy and loved inside.
I love bread pudding!
I wish I could teleport over and have some with ya :)