In honor of the mass amounts of cooking and food consumption that will surely take place over the next few days, I wanted to send you off on your Thanksgiving adventures with a food-inspired life analogy for the week. Perhaps this one won't land in the food analogies hall of fame like "life is like a box of chocolates" or "if life gives you lemons," but perhaps you'll at a minimum look at your chicken salad a little differently from now on and think to yourself, "hmm...life IS like chicken salad!"
Our family has been consuming a chicken pasta salad recipe for over ten years now called "Jana's Chicken Salad." I have no idea who Jana is, but I thank her. Her chicken salad is a nice blend of tangy-sweet and fruity mixed with a little crunchy and chewy.
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| (photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market) |
I prepared this chicken salad recipe last week in an attempt to help the teenager balance out her need for protein. Late at night and with only a handful of the recipe ingredients on hand, I decided to give it a go anyway. Though the ingredients that I had available (the chicken, apples, pasta noodles, and dressing) were her very favorite part of the whole recipe, I suspected that the flavor would be lacking a bit. We were out of celery, grapes and cashews. The green onions had just found their way into the trash, and that last can of crushed pineapple was M.I.A. in the pantry. "It's okay, mom," she said, " I always pick out all of that other stuff anyway."
It's true. Pushed over to the side of her plate or bowl, without fail, are the discarded remains of a once completely edible salad. The celery chunks sadly hide the green onion and cashews, who in turn conceal the unwanted pineapple bits. I presented her with the new and "improved" version of this recipe that night sans those unwanted items. Sure enough, it was bland, disappointing, and most definitely not up to "Jana's" original vision of what this salad should taste like or how it should look.
Needless to say, even though it was only comprised of those very favorite food items, the flavor and end result were missing something that the less desirable ingredients granted it. (Any guesses yet on where I'm going with this?) The salad only tasted great when all of the opposing elements were present: the crunchy and the soft, the sweet and the tart, the spicy and the mellow.
The Jana's Chicken Salad Makeover still sits in the fridge largely ignored and under-appreciated, as we speak. Apparently, this scenario makes for a good analogy on adversity because it has come to mind just about every time that I have opened the fridge. But then again, this is the same person who has been known to willingly get up in front of a large church congregation and make a life analogy about sock folding. This is how my brain works. Go figure!
So, go grab a fork and let's dive in.
It would seem that the less desirable things that my oldest didn't like, seem to have the ability to make the good in this salad stand out and taste amazing. They flavor the salad and lend it some intricate flavors. Without them, the shining stars--chicken, apples and noodles--aren't as appreciated nor quite as flavorful.
Likewise, we all have less than desirable things in our lives--ones that we'd willing pick out and scrape over to the side of our plate with our metaphorical fork. I could make an endless list and you could too:
Bills
Deadlines
Sore throats
Vehicle repairs
Co-worker issues
etc.
etc.
etc.
(We could delve into some really depressing topics, but instead, let's find some comic relief in realizing that I just unintentionally created a word picture with the above list. HA!)
Without these challenges, misfortunes, trials, disappointments, or whatever other name they are known by, we would surely be less appreciative of all that is good and satisfying in our lives. Ever notice how you take it for granted how simple, mindless, and pain-free it is to swallow, but not until faced with a terrible sore throat? Have you experienced a time when money was tight and then later had the opportunity to experience the ability to pay a bill with ease without second thought? How much sweeter and more blessed are those moments when we have it's opposite to compare it to!
And such is life.
Your challenge this week, dear fellow adventurers, is to find those things (and then savor them!) that have become delicious to you thanks to a careful pairing with the other spices of life that you'd otherwise choose to forgo if you could. What are you facing right now that pushes your buttons, shows you your weaknesses, and rudely tries to teach you that adversity is truly the spice of life? What can you see in your life now that you can truly thank your Father in Heaven as you count your blessings on Thanksgiving Day that were once deemed a thorn in your side?
I guarantee that a prayer of Thanksgiving this week that includes vocalizing gratitude for the less than savory life experiences is truly a life changing experience. I've had the opportunity to put this into action. I've experienced the humbling and overwhelming joy that can come when we are willing to take a hard look at our challenges and see what good has come from them, because good does come. What I have come away with is an immense feeling of awe and sense of indebtedness in knowing that God really does have my best interests at heart--that the true spice of life is adversity. Without it, as without salt, (or in this salad's case--celery, green onion, etc.) the full flavors, joys, and sense of wonder of all that is good wouldn't taste quite as good.
So, go ahead, throw in a little more salt into that pot of potatoes tomorrow. As you do, keep in mind that challenges, though bitter to the taste, help us to acquire a more delicate palate--thus a better appreciation for what's being served on our personal plates.
I guarantee that a prayer of Thanksgiving this week that includes vocalizing gratitude for the less than savory life experiences is truly a life changing experience. I've had the opportunity to put this into action. I've experienced the humbling and overwhelming joy that can come when we are willing to take a hard look at our challenges and see what good has come from them, because good does come. What I have come away with is an immense feeling of awe and sense of indebtedness in knowing that God really does have my best interests at heart--that the true spice of life is adversity. Without it, as without salt, (or in this salad's case--celery, green onion, etc.) the full flavors, joys, and sense of wonder of all that is good wouldn't taste quite as good.
So, go ahead, throw in a little more salt into that pot of potatoes tomorrow. As you do, keep in mind that challenges, though bitter to the taste, help us to acquire a more delicate palate--thus a better appreciation for what's being served on our personal plates.
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
~Arianna
Jana's Chicken Salad
4 c. cooked, cubed chicken
3 c. cooked pasta noodle (bowtie, shells, etc.)
2 c. diced red apple
2 c. diced celery
2 c. red grapes
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 c. sliced green onions
1 c. cashews, chopped
Combine above ingredients.
Dressing-- 1 c. mayo
1 c. Kraft coleslaw dressing
Combine and add to salad ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill several hours and serve.
*Note: If pasta is still warm when adding the dressing, it'll absorb a lot of it. You may need to add more dressing once the salad has had time to completely chill in the fridge!
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