FIRST FEAST OF THE FALL HOLY DAYS

Have you ever noticed how our Fall seasons are full of feasting?

We are going to celebrate The Feast of Trumpets with lots of apples and honey this year!

It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating at the the Feast of Tabernacles by taking an apple-picking expedition with the whole family. I think these photos I share are of 2020. This article was offered back in 2022.

This week we are going to be remembering all over again just how tasty those apple-picking rewards were.  We will be making the same type of apple pie that we enjoyed so much in those days gone by.  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/the-best-apple-pie-ever-monday-night-menus-sweet-treats-series/

Somehow all of these interesting and different forms of apple-picking, apple-tasting, apple-awareness just seems to fit right in with this time of the remembrance of the blowing of the trumpets.

Of course the apples will be dipped in honey.  Apples are symbolic of mankind.  The honey is symbolic of the sweetness of God’s love.  Apple covered in honey is symbolic of how much better we become when we are covered with the love of God through the salvation of Jesus Christ.

How sweet and special is honey to the taste!

This annual feast is so very tasty to us.  We love celebrating God’s Fall Holy Days together.

Our gathering will be smaller this year because so many in our family are either traveling or living out-of-town; but we will enjoy a wonderful time in spite of our missing folks. At some point during this time period we will chat with everyone missing from our group and wish them Shana Tova!

I know our missing ones will be celebrating in their own way in their own places.  How nice that God gave this day for His people all over the earth; no matter where they are.  We are all family in our hearts and they are all joined together with us in spirit under the power of God’s Holy Spirit as we set aside the day and observe all the special things that it proclaims.

First thing on our menu?

 

APPLE MARTINIS AND HOT APPLE CIDER

Ingredients:

(The ingredients below make only one apple martini.  Multiply it all by the number of people you will be serving.)

1 fluid ounce apple schnapps

1 fluid ounce vodka

1 fluid ounce apple juice

Directions:

Combine all liquids and pour into a cocktail shaker full of ice.  Mix well; pour into glasses and garnish with an apple slice.

Buy some apple cider and pour it into a crock pot. You have instant hot apple cider for those who chose not to drink alcoholic beverages.

APPETIZER:  SLICED APPLES TO DIP IN HONEY

As everyone gathers for the official time to start, we will visit and share our drinks with appetizers.

The honey and apples we dip as we sip our apple flavored drinks will remind us that a sweet new year is (hopefully) on its way.

Everyone can put the past behind them and begin all over again as the Hebraic CIVIL CALENDAR year turns another page.  We do recognize that God changed the beginning of the sacred year from this season to a date in the Spring Holy Days calendar. 

So we celebrate the turning of the Hebraic civil year in the fall and the birth of the Hebraic sacred year in the springtime.

The civil year is more about celebrating the attributes and spiritual growth of mankind, and the sacred year is more about celebrating the attributes of God that are gifts to mankind.  Both elements (from heaven and earth) make our world go round and our lives full of time more abundant.

An appointed time is right each fall to celebrate the creation and all of the first things God made on earth. 

We want to give glory to the Creator who brought them into being.  He generously gives us a new civil year in which to worship and let His mercy, grace and love spill over to others. 

Our gift is 365 more days of time.  We are all made keenly aware of how we must become more diligent in following God’s ways in our lives during the coming new year of civil life. Our hearts are thankful, grateful and hopeful of being  written down in God’s book for another good year when the end of The Day of Atonement arrives. There are ten days left to keep talking to God about these things as we now go forward into the Days of Awe on God’s calendar. 

For beginnings, The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) is the first of the ten days of Awe.

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is the 10th of the 10 Days of Awe, or the end of the Hebraic civil calendar for the year. A new month called Tishrei beings a new year of daily life under God. 

As soon as the Day of Atonement is complete we will have five days left to prepare a sukkah. We all will travel to a temporary home for celebrating The Feast of Tabernacles.  Fall Holy Days are a very busy time for a Christian/Hebraic family.

I AM MY BELOVED’S AND MY BELOVED IS MINE

Continuing with our thoughts of The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah); we note the sweetness of the taste of the apples and honey reminds us our Beloved; Jesus and His saving grace which atones for our sins.  

Christian followers no longer have to keep His laws out of obligation or duty. Now we have them written inside our hearts. It is time to rejoice in the wonder of how tasty following them makes the days of our lives.

We keep God’s laws from love; like that of a bond-servant; one who will not leave their master simply because they know life would not be as sweet without Him.

Our love of our Master makes us want to keep the laws (the 10 Commandments) because we have pledged our hearts to His ways forever; willingly; not rotely, or because we were being forced to do so.  We are not legalistic; we are love-a-listic.

The honey we gather and serve also speaks of our hopes for a sweet coming year. Our apples are also very symbolic.  Song of Songs 8:5 speaks of The Beloved.  It says:  “Beneath the apple tree I aroused your love.”  

Eating the apple reminds us that our Groom is one day returning for His Bride; the Church, which He founded thousands of years ago.  Jesus will come again because He has always loved His Church. He has chosen Her as His Bride.  Each Feast of Trumpets reminds us to keep looking for His return; to be ready to greet Him with clean hands and a loving heart.

REVERSING THE CURSE

A long time ago a disobedient couple ate fruit from a forbidden tree and sin entered the world. 

Today we eat fruit from a tree again; adding the sweetness of honey; hoping to reverse the curse of sin that the first couple gave to mankind.

  By adding God to our lives (the sweet honey) we change everything.  The sins of mankind are reversed with obedience to our Creator.

We eat apples to remember this.

COULD THIS BE THE YEAR?

Do you think today will be the day that our groom returns?

Could this be the year?

Only The Father knows.

In this season and time of gathering together for The Feast of Trumpets once everyone arrives and is welcomed; the room becomes quiet and still.

I will light the candles and repeat the prayer for Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets:

“Blessed Art Thou O LORD our God, King of the Universe who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to light the candles for The Feast of Trumpets.”

KING OF THE WORLD

In the prayer we are reminded again that God is King of the Universe.

The Feast of Trumpets is a day to think about the fact that Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, will be coronated as King of the World. One day in the future He will return to establish His Kingdom on this earth.  

So; as my grandchildren learned from the movie “Frozen”; this is coronation day!

The room is quieter still.  

Now we all are listening for the sound of the shofar.

THE SOUND OF AWE

(We have chosen a shofar sound to play inside our house as everyone listens in awe of the fact that it is the coronation day of Christ. God is sounding the warning for everyone to be ready.)

HEARING THE STORY

As the dinner for our meal heats up in the oven; we will tell a Godly Play story about The Feast of Trumpets. The story will remind us of all the wonder and awe of this day.  Sometimes we listen to a sermon that has been picked just for the Feast of Trumpets.

SHARING THE FESTIVE MEAL

When the story or the sermon has ended, we will all go up to the dining room and a feast will be served.  Is it just a strange coincidence that our usual tradition is very similar to what will happen when Christ returns? 

We have done this for years without really noticing how similar the movements of our feast are to the time of the Second Coming.  Christ will come and be coronated as King; we will listen to His Word together then we will go up with Him to a royal feast; the Wedding Feast of The Lamb.

GATHERING AROUND THE TABLE

Some years this meal is presented in a very formal manner.  This year will not be very formal at our house.  We will listen to music proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and the significance of the day. Worship music will play softly in the background as we celebrate our feast at the dining room table.  Right now the musical choices are “It’s Coronation Day” and “The King Of The World.”

This will be the rest of our menu:

SWEET ROUND CHALLAH WITH HONEY AND RAISINS

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups golden raisins (plumped)

1-3/4 cups warm water

2 tablespoons yeast

¼ teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup honey

3-1/2 teaspoons salt

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

6-7 cups flour

For Egg Wash:

2 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1 yolk

Directions:

In a large bowl stir together the yeast, water, and a pinch of sugar.  Let stand five minutes to allow yeast to swell and dissolve. 

Briskly stir in the remaining sugar, honey and salt.  Add oil, eggs, yolks and five cups of flour.  Stir and then let stand for about 10-20 minutes to absorb flour. 

Knead either by hand or with a dough hook; adding remaining flour as needed.  The dough should be soft and elastic.  Dough should not cling to the sides of the bowl.  If it does; add small amounts of flour until the dough is soft and no longer sticky. 

Let the dough rest on a lightly floured board for about ten minutes, then flatten and push in raisins as evenly as possible into the dough.  Fold the dough over the raisins to tuck them in.  Place dough into a greased bowl and either cover with greased plastic wrap or a damp tea towel.

Place entire bowl inside a large plastic bag.  Let dough rise until doubled and puffy looking; approximately 45 – 90 minutes.

(If you are doing an overnight rise, place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and insert this in a large plastic bag.  Refrigerate overnight.  If you see the bread rising too quickly, open the bag, deflate dough, and reseal.  Next day, allow dough to warm up then gently deflate and proceed.)

Divide the dough into three sections. (Braid each section if you desire.)  Shape each section into a round ball.  Place on a flour or cornmeal dusted baking sheet. 

In a small bowl, whisk together egg wash ingredients.  Brush loaf with egg wash.  Let rise until puffy, around 20 – 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake bread twelve minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake another 25 minutes or until bread is evenly browned.

(This bread can be frozen baked or unbaked.  If freezing unbaked, let bread rise slowly, overnight in the fridge.  Bring to room temperature before baking.)

FUN PREPARATION FOR FAMILY TOGETHER

If you don’t have time to make sweet, round Challah; your local Edgar’s sells it as well as many other local bakeries. 

Making the Challah is a fun activity to enjoy making ahead with the members of your family.  Here again we see symbolism.  The dough rising in the oven is symbolic of the people who rise in the resurrection and those who are living in Christ rise in the air to meet Him when He returns. 

The warm Challah is delicious dipped in honey too.

GREEN SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE SEEDS AND APPLES

Ingredients:

I pkg. mixed salad greens

2 cubed apples (leave the peeling on)

Seeds from one pomegranate

Directions:

Sprinkle the greens with the apple cubes and pomegranate seeds and have some of your favorite salad dressings available.

The symbolism of the pomegranate is significant.  Pomegranates are traditionally eaten on The Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah because it has 613 seeds which coincide with the 613 commandments of the Torah. 

The pomegranate represents fruitfulness and fertility.  This fruit often is used to represent eternal life.

Pomegranates are often used in the décor of temples and churches. They symbolize the love of God and the sweetness of heaven.

SOUTHERN SMOTHERED STEAK

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Thinly Sliced Boneless Beef Top-Round Steak with fat removed.

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 medium onions, sliced thin

3 medium carrots shredded

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 jar prepared brown gravy

1 small can tomato paste

Place the olive oil in the middle of a skillet and heat to medium heat.  Brown steak slices and set aside. 

Prepare a deep casserole dish and place the washed, peeled and chopped/sliced vegetables in the bottom of the dish.  Place the steak pieces on top of the vegetables. 

In a large bowl mix the jar of gravy, the mushroom soup and the tomato paste.  Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper and garlic powder, then pour sauce over all. 

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  (You can have this in the oven while you are listening to the sermon about The Feast of Trumpets. You can prepare this dish ahead all but the baking.)

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients:

5 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 whole stick of unsalted butter

2 cups Parmesan cheese

1 cup chopped fresh chives

1-1/2 cups cream cheese

1/2 medium head garlic – minced

pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add potato cubes; boil over medium heat until tender but still firm.  Drain and return to stove over low heat to dry for 1 – 2 minutes. 

While still heating on low add Parmesan cheese, chives, cream cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.  Keep stirring to keep from overheating. 

Use a potato masher to mash until smooth and serve hot.  (Prepare before Feast of Trumpets arrives and reheat in a foil covered dish while you are re-heating main dish when everyone is listening to the Feast of Trumpets story/sermon.)

DESSERTS:

MIXED GOODIE TRAY

Contains iced donuts, cookies, chocolate candies, or any other mix you love. This tray just looks pretty and abundant when you add it to your tasty homemade cake in the next recipe.

When we add this cake and some ice cream to top it; there seams to be a sinful amount of desserts at our table. We would never normally do this; but it is acceptable and also expected at The Feast of Trumpets.

Put your guilt away and enjoy this sacred occasion. Savor the good things that God gives to you, even when least expected. Leave your usual worries and indulge in dessert tonight. Eat smaller portions if you need to, or skip all but your favorites. Tonight is about being thankful for the sweetness.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 eggs beaten

1 cup chopped bananas

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple with syrup

1 cup chopped pecans (if desired – my group won’t eat them!)

Frosting Ingredients:

1 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese softened

1/2 cup margarine softened

1 16 ounce box of sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chopped pecans for garnish if desired

Directions For Cake:

Combine all dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir.  Slowly add in each of the wet ingredients stirring well as you go.  Do not use a mixer; but stir by hand. 

When all ingredients are well mixed, place inside a prepared bunt pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake in oven for 35 minutes.  When a toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready to remove from oven and cool.  Let cool for at least one hour and then prepare frosting and ice the cake.

Directions for Icing:

Combine cream cheese and butter (softened) with a hand-held mixer.  Slowly add powdered sugar until you have a nice consistent frosting, then mix in vanilla.  Ice cooled cake and top with sprinkles of chopped pecans if desired.

This cake is so sweet and tasty – everyone loves it.  I usually top it off with vanilla bean ice cream when serving.

THE BEST APPLE PIE EVER

(See the link above in the first few paragraphs of this article.)

Okay; we might have overdone the sweets; but we ARE aiming for a “sweet” year; right?

After everyone has wined and dined and been spiritually as well as physically fed; we will join hands and say a prayer for God to led each of us to all the proper preparations for a sweet and awesome new year before The Day of Atonement arrives. 

We will ask God to prepare our hearts and spirits for the coming return of our King; Jesus.

At the amen of our closing prayer we all will wish each other a joyful “Shana Tova!”

When we leave this evening we will be entering into the 10 Days of Awe.

The sense of awe at the wonders of our Great God have already been evident in our time of love and sharing around the table. We cherish the fellowship and the prayers that we have enjoyed together as a family.

Sharing this appointed time has given us a preview of the sweetness to come.

SHANA TOVA!!!!