Culture

Meatloaf? Grilled cheese?
Maybe ­ or maybe it’s a miracle!
Michelle DiFranco | Photography by Joe Vaughan

There are a number of different true miracles that have been recorded in history.

Jesus was known to be a healer, not only of physical disease and ailments, but the “disease” of human sin. He had the miraculous ability to drive out physical and psychological demons from the afflicted. He could also multiply a few loaves of bread and some fish in order to feed a multitude.

There are those true miracles of life. So are the ordinary miracles of a cocoon hatching into a butterfly – or even more astounding, the miracle of a human embryo with developing arms, hands, legs and heartbeat. Many people describe the birth of a baby as the greatest miracle of their lives.

True miracles happen in many different ways and they happen every day. These are the unexpected miracles we don’t see – miracles that happen when we aren’t even aware of them. For instance, we may have emerged unharmed from a car accident. Or God may have “opened a door” for us by placing in our paths a new friend who is there for us during a difficult time. Typically, it is our human tendency to think of these situations as fortuitous coincidences, rather than as miracles.

These surprising “miracles” are something worth thinking about and even praying for. Discuss them with a spouse, a friend or your children.

Have you ever thought of opening up the lines of discussion over a grilled cheese sandwich or some meatloaf at dinnertime? I highly recommend it. You may be thinking, “What in the heck does a grilled cheese sandwich and meatloaf recipe have to do with true unexpected miracles?” Read the ingredients and ponder life’s surprises.

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Meat Loaf
You’ll need:
• One 5” by 9” bread pan
• 6 cups cocoa-flavored crisp rice cereal
• One 10-ounce bag regular marshmallows
• Red and green rolled fruit snacks
• 1⁄2 cup dried pineapple
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Coat the bread pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a food processor, quickly pulse the cereal. Crushing the cereal with a rolling pin in a large zip-topped freezer bag will work, if you don’t own a food processor.

Chop all of the rolled fruit snacks and dried pineapple into small bits. Set all ingredients aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the unsweetened cocoa powder and stir until mixed. Add the bag of marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Add cereal, chopped fruit snacks and dried pineapple to the marshmallow mixture. Stir quickly, using a rubber spatula coated with cooking spray or butter, until well mixed.

Press mixture evenly into pan and let cool for 30 minutes. For a more convincing meatloaf, slice it up and place on a serving platter.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich
You’ll need:
• Vanilla pound cake (store-bought is fine)
• One cup vanilla or buttercream frosting
(store-bought is fine here, too)
• Red and yellow food coloring

Cut the pound cake into one-inch slices and lightly toast in a toaster or toaster oven until they turn light golden brown. Let cool 8-10 minutes.

Once cooled, stack two slices for each sandwich and cut in half diagonally. Do this first to avoid making crumbs. Set “bread” slices aside and add a couple of drops of yellow and red food coloring to the can of frosting. More yellow than red is better for realistic-looking American cheese. Carefully spread a generous amount of frosting between slices of each half of sandwich. Gently press down on the sandwich so the frosting slightly oozes out of the sandwich, creating a melted cheese effect.

I suggest that you actually serve these after the main course. It will be something totally unexpected for family or friends and a great opportunity to discuss God’s unexpected miracles. Have fun!

Originally Published: May 2006