On the
first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked,
“Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
He
replied, “Go into the city to a
certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at
your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the
Passover.
When
evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And
while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
They
were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t
mean me, Lord?”
Jesus
replied, “The one who has dipped
his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go
just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better
for him if he had not been born.”
Then
Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
While
they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Then he
took a cup, and
when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not
drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it
new with you in my
Father’s kingdom.”
When
they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Matthew 26:17-30
This is a bit of a macabre topic, but I occasionally wonder,
should I be asked what I would like for my last meal, what would I say? Then I
ran across this article, which outlines the last words uttered by criminals
prior to their execution.
Number 17 on the list, a
Thomas Grasso, is remembered for saying, “I did not get my Spaghetti-O’s. I got
spaghetti. I want the press to know this.” Now, he could have said “I’m sorry”
or “God, forgive me” or, as others have done, he could have told those around
him to take a long walk off a short pier (I’m paraphrasing). But instead, he
chose to point out this error, this indignity he suffered at the unnatural end
of his life. The man requested a specific food – Spaghetti O’s – and was,
instead, given what was probably a correctional institute’s commissary-issue version
of spaghetti.
I’ve thought about this
from time to time, wondering if a convicted criminal requests a steak from a
certain restaurant if they actually get that or if they get the chicken fried
steak that was served in the prison that day. And, naturally, my thoughts then
turn to what my own meal request would be. So, I thought I would share that
with you today:
Fruit Tea from Bread
& Co.
Fruity Pebbles with a
sliced banana
and whole milk.
and whole milk.
I like just about any
kind of cereal there is and those who know me know that I can and have had
cereal for all three meals. My favorites include Cap’n Crunch with Crunch
Berries, Grape-Nuts, Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes, Raisin Bran, Cocoa Pebbles, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But in the end, I would probably choose Fruity
Pebbles. With a banana. And with Vitamin D, whole milk. None of that skim
business for my last meal.
Cream of Wheat.
Not just Cream of Wheat, but a bowl made by my Mom. This was
the dish she made for me when I was sick or just cold or in need of comfort.
And it was delicious. Living up to its name, it was creamy and probably mixed
with copious amounts of butter and sugar. I was in college before I went to buy
my first “living on my own” box and was shocked to find that its name is not
actually “Creamy Wheat,” as I had always known it. The second shock was that it’s
not actually easy to make. It requires precision with the measuring, just the
right amount of heat, a perfectly-sized pot, and insanely-focused attention and
constant stirring, to prevent lumps. As I tried to eat a less-than-desirable
version of my beloved comfort food, I realized the secret ingredient that was
missing – love. And I missed my Mom for the first, but certainly not last,
time.
Purple Hull Green Beans.
There are purple hull peas, but what I want are purple hull
green beans. They’re a bit elusive. You won’t find them on the canned vegetable
aisle at the grocery. Believe me. But my mother-in-law makes them and they’re
kind of to-die-for. Purple when picked, they turn green when cooked and little
brown seeds jump out and add to the texture and flavor of the dish. I know her
dishes, including this one, have an extra tablespoon of that secret ingredient,
as well.
Roasted corn on the cob.
I like all types of corn, but if I had to pick one type to
ride out on, it would be plain and simple. Roasted corn on the cob.
Chick Fil-A’s Peppermint Chocolate Chip Shake.
It says “Christmas is around the corner” and “you can start
your diet in January.” Go ahead and give me an order of waffle fries, too.
Becker’s Bakery Petit Four with Chocolate Ice Cream.
This is a tough one. About as impossible as my dream bowl of
Creamy Wheat. Becker’s was a Nashville institution. Located on 12th
Avenue/Granny White Pike in south Nashville, it was the end-all-be-all of
bakeries. It’s where Nashville’s elite and Nashville’s Everyman bought dinner
rolls, cookies, birthday cakes, and wedding cakes. They closed in 2004 after
serving Nashville for 79 years, leaving an inferior second location on the
other side of town. The name is the same but that is about all. Walking into
Becker’s meant a few things: there was
always a line. It was staffed entirely by grumpy, old women, one of whom always
wore a sailor hat. Everything in there had a thin coat of flour on it and a mist of
flour seemed to hang in the air. It smelled like I imagine Heaven does. And you
were going to leave with something truly special. My favorite treat from them
was a piece of basic, white-on-white cake, mushed up with a scoop of plain ol’
chocolate ice cream. Pure bliss.
So, what’s on your menu?
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