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Best Cole Slaw Recipe | Homemade Summer BBQ Side Dish | A Story Of Summers, Tables & Togetherness

Some of my sweetest summer memories don’t center on the main dish at all. They rest quietly in the side dishes—the bowls passed around with love, the recipes scribbled on worn index cards, the little details that made the table feel whole.

For me, coleslaw has always been one of those quiet stars. I can picture the picnic tables—paper plates bending under piles of barbecue, corn on the cob glistening with butter, and beside it all, a big bowl of creamy, crunchy coleslaw. It was refreshing, balancing the richness of the meal with something cool and bright.

But beyond the flavors, coleslaw reminds me of community. It’s never the dish people fight over or brag about—it’s the dish that supports everything else, filling in the spaces, making sure nothing feels too heavy. Isn’t that what many of us long for in life? To have people around us who support us, balance us, and bring freshness when life feels too weighty?

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God’s Presence in the Ordinary

Jesus often taught lessons using food, bread, or gatherings at the table. In the Gospel of John, He said:

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35

Even a humble bowl of coleslaw can remind us of this truth: God meets us in the ordinary. Just as cabbage, carrots, and dressing come together to create something refreshing, our daily lives—often overlooked and humble—can become extraordinary in His hands.

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Finding Refreshment in Seasons of Heat

Summertime isn’t just about heat in the weather—it often mirrors the seasons of our souls. There are times when the weight of life feels heavy, and we long for something refreshing to restore our spirit.

Psalm 23:3 says:

“He restores my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”

Coleslaw, light and crisp, isn’t just a side dish; it’s a small parable of restoration. It reminds us that refreshment is possible, even in seasons of heaviness. Just as God restores our souls, a simple meal can bring relief, joy, and balance to weary hearts.

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The Recipe: Best Homemade Cole Slaw

Here’s a simple, classic recipe to bless your table this summer:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head of green cabbage, finely shredded

• 2 large carrots, grated

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon honey (or sugar, if you prefer)

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage and grated carrots.

2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, and mustard until smooth.

3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss until evenly coated.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Chill before serving for best flavor.

This coleslaw isn’t just a recipe—it’s an invitation to share. To scoop it onto someone’s plate is to say: I made enough for you too.

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Small Things, Big Lessons

Proverbs 15:17 says:

“Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.”

Coleslaw isn’t extravagant. It doesn’t demand attention. But it carries love in its simplicity. It teaches us that meals don’t need to be lavish to be meaningful. Sometimes the simplest offering, given with love, has the deepest impact.

And that is true beyond food. A kind word, a prayer whispered for someone, a shared meal, or even listening when someone needs to be heard—these small things often matter most.

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The Table as a Place of Justice and Dignity

When we think of summer BBQs, it’s easy to imagine abundance. Yet, many families don’t experience that reality. The injustice of hunger is real, and it doesn’t take statistics to see it. It takes looking around our own neighborhoods, our own cities, and noticing who is missing from the table.

Isaiah 58:10 reminds us:

“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”

Even a recipe like coleslaw can carry dignity when shared beyond our own circles—whether through bringing food to a community meal, donating to a pantry, or inviting someone who feels overlooked to sit at our table.

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A Gentle Invitation

Friend, thank you for sitting with me in this story of food, faith, and fellowship. Writing like this is my way of weaving together encouragement, truth, and compassion—connecting recipes not only to our kitchens but to our spirits.

If this reflection encouraged you, here are gentle ways you can join in this work:

• Pray: Ask that these writings reach hearts that need encouragement.

• Share: Pass this recipe or reflection along to someone who could use a reminder of God’s everyday refreshment.

• Encourage: Leave your own story or recipe in the comments—it may bless someone else more than you realize.

• Give: If you feel led, your support helps sustain this writing advocacy work, allowing me to keep creating resources that uplift, dignify, and inspire.

Every bowl of coleslaw begins with humble ingredients, yet becomes something greater when shared. And every small act of kindness—prayer, encouragement, or generosity—adds to God’s banquet table, where there is room for us all.

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May your summer meals be full of laughter, your table full of love, and your spirit full of the refreshment only God can give.

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