During this time of year, my kitchen is a hub of activity. The kitchen is a place of relaxation that brings me joy and nourishment. I realize that this is not the case for everyone and many people avoid the kitchen. Considering how important the food that we eat is to our overall health, isn’t it time you made The kitchen a Place you LOVE to be?
At a recent workshop I shared with the participants a reading from my book, “Cultivating Joy in the Kitchen”, that speaks to the importance of this topic.
“Have you ever heard of the kitchen referred to as the heart of the home? The kitchen can be the place where you, your family, and your friends are well fed in body, mind and spirit.
When I was growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of extra money many of our meals included whatever ingredients were available from our garden. Our tiny apartment kitchen was a place where friends stopped in for a cup of tea or to share a meal that was offered by my mother. I remember family events with my aunt, uncle and grandparents sitting around the kitchen table sharing a meal and me, soaking in the love.
I remember the first apartment I lived in after graduating from college, when I moved to a new city. I saved my money to purchase my first set of cookware in which I created many wonderful meals and memories that I shared with new friends. Many of my friends at that time worked in hotels, many of us had Mondays off. We regularly gathered on Monday evening- cooking, laughing and sharing foods from our diverse cultural backgrounds.
There are rituals that live within each of us- meals shared in a special dish, the tablecloth used only on birthdays, and the knife that my father used to care the holiday turkey.
In addition to these physical objects, we each have memories of cooking and sharing foods that connect us to people who are important in our lives. Maybe those nourishing memories are of special friends, community, or part of a certain time in your life. You can choose to focus on the memories that bring you joy and carry them forward into your present day. If you are lucky enough to have that special dish, carving knife of the birthday tablecloth, take it out and use it.
Is there a special ritual or object associated with cooking and sharing food that is meaningful to you?
Make a list of your memories around food, rituals, special dishes and traditions. Cross out those that you are ready to let go of and no longer bring you joy and incorporate new ideas that support you in your present day.”
Give yourself this gift, more joy & goodness in the simple pleasures of your daily life.
Wishing you all a healthy and peaceful holiday season and New Year