Delicious Reading: Slow cooker Sabbath

Last fall, I read a couple of books and watched a few videos focused on Sabbath. Most Christians are familiar with the commandment: Keep holy the Sabbath day. It is frequently interpreted as “Go to church.” And, our family did.

But, like most Americans, we also filled our Sabbath with errand running, homework and housework. What I was learning was that God didn’t intend for us to keep that pace. After six days of work, the seventh day was truly for rest. Keeping the Sabbath meant not only going to church, but also pausing from our usual activities.

The author Marva Dawn described in her book “Keeping the Sabbath Wholly” that it requires ceasing, resting, embracing and feasting. For us, that meant going to Sunday school and church, eating lunch with my mom, taking naps, NOT checking work email, staying off our phones, going for walks together and enjoying a big, traditional Sunday dinner.

In order to keep the “resting” part of the day intact, I have come up with a rotation of slow cooker Sabbath meals. I can put these in before we leave for church or before we take our nap and then all I have to add is a salad and baked potatoes before we gather around the table for feasting.

Slow Cooker Chicken

Courtesy of www.number-2-pencil.com

• 1 whole chicken around 5 pounds, insides removed and washed and patted dry
• 1 tablespoon of paprika — more or less to taste
• 3 tablespoons of steak seasoning — more or less to taste
• Salt and Pepper

Season chicken inside and out. Cook in slow cooker lined with foil balls (this helps keep the chicken from falling apart and makes it look like a rotisserie chicken when you serve it) on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Pot Roast

Courtesy of www.livinglikethekings.com

• A good cut of beef chuck for the roast itself; one 2-3 pound piece.
• 1 packet dry salad dressing – Italian
• 1 packet dry salad dressing – Ranch
• 1 packet dry Brown Gravy
• 1/2 cup of water

Mix the salad and gravy packets with water, pour over the roast and set in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low.