The Love Language of Food

Since Valentine's Day is coming up and this week is all about LOVE, I thought I'd bring back an old post from my other blog. I hope you enjoy it!

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Gary Chapman’s five “Love Languages”: words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, gift-giving, and acts of service. I can most certainly identify with more than one of those languages, however, I’d like to propose another love language: FOOD!

And maybe it’s not really it’s own separate love language but rather it encompasses the other five.

When others are hurting, ill, or in some kind of crisis, I sometimes don’t know any other way to serve them than to feed them (I’ve heard this is a Southern thing. Maybe so–I am Southern, after all!). Additionally, when someone is rejoicing over a birthday, anniversary, or victory, a celebratory food gift seems appropriate there too. And when we want to spend quality time with loved ones or new friends, doing so around a table with delicious food always warms hearts towards fellowship and affirming conversation, followed by the touch of hugs and handshakes as they depart our presence.

So, yes, food falls into all five of the love language categories. However, in my humble opinion, the depth of the blessing food brings, along with the spiritual correlation to how our heavenly Father feeds us, warrants its own recognition.

Have you ever seen the Danish movie Babette’s Feast? If not, I encourage you to watch it soon (We rented it on Prime). It is a lovely story of a Parisian refugee name Babette who works as a cook for two single older sisters–daughters of a deceased Puritan pastor in Denmark. Babette, after winning a lottery, plans to spend her newly gained fortune on a lavish French feast for the sisters and the village elders of their dwindling church congregation. Having believed salvation comes through self-denial, the church members have always restricted their diet to the blandest, most simple foods, making Babette’s offer a serious moral dilemma and potential scandal for those invited. But Babette knows that having never fully enjoyed food as the rich, delicious blessing God intended, the sisters and elders need the gift of the feast to soften their hearts and stir up love for each other and God.

(The movie is in subtitles, but you won’t care. It’s that good!)

If one of your love languages is FOOD, I’d encourage you to share it liberally this month! Prepare a candlelit meal for your husband, treat friends to lunch out, take a plate of cookies to an elderly friend (and stay to eat the cookies with him/her!), help your children pack candy bags with Valentine notes for their friends! 

And if you're short on ideas, here's my recipe for Raspberry Sweetheart Pie! They’ll feel the love. I promise.

Raspberry Sweetheart Pie

Crust:

3 c. graham cracker crumbs

½ c. sugar

¾ c. butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together and blend with melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish (deep). Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Refrigerate.

First layer of filling:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

8 oz. softened cream cheese

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Whip together the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into the cooled graham cracker crust.

Second layer of filling:

4 oz. softened cream cheese

½ c. powdered sugar

6 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. lemon juice

¾ c. fresh or frozen raspberries*

With the mixer, blend the cream cheese, powdered sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice together. Add in 1/3 c. raspberries and mix in completely. It will be a pretty pink! Spread this second layer over the first layer. Chill.

Serve with remaining raspberries on top.

*I like to use frozen raspberries for the filling and fresh raspberries on the top.

Happy Valentine's Day!