What’s Draining Your Battery?

Hunting for a spark when you’re running on empty.

Welcome to Sunday Supper!

Set the Table

Say your grace

Prayer - Dear God, May small glimmers of hope sustain us when our battery is drained. Amen.

Affirmation - Even on hard days, glimmers of hope encourage me.

Gratitude - I am grateful for glimmers.

I am grateful for every reader, subscriber, commenter, and those who share this newsletter with others.

The Main Dish

Dig in

What’s Draining Your Battery?

What do I write about when I can’t find the words? I try to find out what made them go away.

Did they disintegrate when I saw news of the bombed all-girls school in Iran? Were they arrested when I found out that a childhood friend’s only child, who recently joined the military, is in Iran? Did they dry up when I got news of a college friend’s death last Tuesday? Did they wither when someone told me about their recent dementia diagnosis? Did they vanish when I got in my car on Monday, and my battery had no more juice? Did the words hide when I had to pay over $400 for a new battery and installation?

I sifted through all the happenings, the news, and the spent money, but no words came. My page remained empty.

My internal battery was as drained as the one in my car, and I realized I couldn’t jump-start my writing. I needed a boost.

To get the boost I desperately needed, I began hunting for glimmers. I picked up my guitar and strummed “A Change Is Gonna Come” and “Simply Beautiful.” The melodies mellowed me. I received a kind message from a “Sunday Supper” reader and read it over and over again. Her words lifted me. I exercised even when I didn’t feel like moving. The sweat washed away my mental fog. I slowed down and gifted myself a ninety-minute massage. My body thanked me.

For now, these glimmers are enough. They are the low-voltage current keeping me steady. Maybe next week, the words will come more easily.

Pot Likker and Cornbread Crumbs

There’s flavor in the small things.

Glimmers help the words return.

Table Talk

Join the Conversation

When your internal battery is at zero, what provides your "boost"? Is it a song, a kind word, or nature? I’d love to hear about your glimmers.

Potluck

From Our Community Kitchen: Book, Music, Art, Substack Recommendation

Book

Music

Art

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from Dawn Simon Spears and Alvin Spears, Sr.

Substack Recommendation

For the first time, we now know how many Black-owned bookstores exist in the U.S.

Recipe Exchange

One Pot Comfort

When life feels heavy, comfort food helps me take the weight off.

On busy or difficult days, I love to cook one-pot dishes. They don’t require much effort and are comforting.

Today, I’m sharing a lemon herb chicken and rice recipe. This simple meal brings a bit of comfort. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out.

One-Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or breasts)

• Salt and black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup long-grain white rice

• 2 cups chicken broth

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

• 1 cup baby spinach or chopped kale (optional)

• Fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside.

3. Add onion to the pan (add a little more oil if needed). Sauté until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Add rice and stir to coat in the oil and aromatics.

5. Pour in chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, and oregano. Bring to a simmer.

6. Return chicken to the pan, nestling it into the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20–25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.

7. If using greens, stir them in during the last 5 minutes to wilt them.

8. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges.

Dessert

A Sweet Send-Off

Another glimmer…fresh eggs from our chickens.