great fast meals
Since May 2017 a medical condition has forced me and my family
to begin what many call a whole foods, plant based, oil free diet.
Because of our Byzantine heritage and tradition,
and because we do it for love of each other,
we call it perpetual fasting and its not as difficult as you might think.
Let me show you!
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Next up:
The Nativity Fast
November 15-Christmas
What is True Fasting?
The Nativity Fast
On November 15, we will begin Philip's fast. It is a fast of 40 days (during which the faithful abstain from animal foods, as they do during Great Lent) that continues from the day after the feast of St. Philip until Christmas Eve to spiritually prepare for the coming of the Savior.
Many contend that the fast is attributed to the 40 days of prayer after the anniversary of the death of St.Philip and may have nothing to do with the feast of the Nativity. Nevertheless, it does take place forty days before this great feast and many eastern Christians use it to prepare themselves for its celebration. We can do this by fasting from meat and dairy, from sweets, from whatever we chose to be most meaningful to us, or we can prepare in other ways.
It isn't really known when such a fast was introduced. Some say it was observed as early as the sixth century, although some say later in the eighth. However, it was in the year 1166 AD that the Nativity Fast was first formally instituted at a synod at Constantinople to imitate the 40 days that Moses fasted before receiving the tablets of the law.
It is clear that the fast is designed to prepare us both physically and spiritually for the coming of the Savior at Christmas. We are asked to abstain from meat and dairy products, eggs, and oil, just as we do during the Great Fast, but the rules are a bit less strict. We may eat fish and are allowed oil and wine on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends, and on feast days such as the Presentation of the Theotokos and St. Nicholas day.
Watch ByziMom
Catherine Alexander from
Your Word From the Wise
as she interviews
Abouna Moses from
Holy Resurrection Monastery on how to observe the Fast
See the Video HERE
Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate, Completed October 2020, from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University.
My book is out!...
As you may already know, my family has been advised by our cardiologist to adopt a perpetual fast in order to combat a family health crisis. We've adopted a whole-foods, plant-based, no oil diet...just like our Eastern Christian fast!...full time, and now that we've done it, I can help you get through 40 days of fasting too.
Here are a few of ByziMom's Great Fast Recipes:
Middle Eastern Meze: falafel, tzadziki, tabbouleh & dolmades
Fajita Night: sweet potato tortillas, unfried beans, oil-free vegetable stir fry, cashew nacho sauce, Mexican quinoa, etc.
What's for dinner tonight?
A Fast-Friendly RECIPE from ByziMom.com!
St Mamas Warm Vanilla Milk
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We commemorate St.Mamas on September 2nd
As the September weather begins to become a bit brisk, it can get quite chilly when you spend time outside. At snack time today, let’s make a mug of St. Mamas' Warm Vanilla Milk to help us remember the generosity he had toward his neighbors. A word of advice, though: be sure to serve it just before nap time!
Here’s how we make it:
For each serving, add the following to a pot on the stove
-
1c milk, whatever your family prefers, whole, skim, soy, almond, etc.
-
1Tbsp honey or maple syrup
-
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
If you are lucky enough to be able to use a real vanilla pod, put ¼ - ½ of the pod, split, into the pot instead of the extract. You can also add a dash of cinnamon or a cinnamon stick, and some ground nutmeg, as you prefer.
Place over medium-high heat and bring to a scalding temperature, without boiling, stirring briskly with a wire whisk. This makes it frothy! Pour into your favorite mugs and top with the foam.
Tip:
Add some nutmeg or some colored sugar sprinkles and enjoy!
