Most Memorable Meal...

 

    I would have to say, hands down, the Thanksgiving meal. I have not taken jobs because they couldn't assure me I wouldn't get Thanksgiving day off. And anytime I've worked somewhere, I always tell them Thanksgiving is the "only" holiday I value and need off. It is to me, a pure holiday of no hype and centered around togetherness. And it's not so much the food as it is helping prepare it and coming together to gather with family and friends sharing the meal with one another.
    But with that said, I have to say a lot of my fond memories ( besides Thanksgiving) that stand out in my mind are gatherings where friends come together to share food and friendship. I just think there is something about food that connects people and offers comforter and nourishment to all those who come. Maybe that's why I enjoy preparing food for my family and friends. It connects me with happiness, joy, conversation, health, nourishment, caring, so many of the things I value in my life.

No Where...

Today was a day of rest for me. I did somethings around the house but mostly just did things I enjoyed. I read my book, I worked on my art journal, I slept in late, I worked on my health food blog, and most of all I went no where. That was the greatest thing of all!!!!

Refuge...

"The library had become her solace. Her refuge. Books did not question or judge. They made safe companions."

Inglath Cooper, Truth and Roses: A Love Story

We all need a place of refuge from life. I'm glad my children feel that way about their home and with friends and families homes. To find refuge to relax, to not have to feel like you have to be anything but your imperfect, perfect self is a time to gather strength to keep moving forward in each present moment.  When I'm not able to be with those people who provide solace, I find it in books, nature, food, art, quiet time, and animals.

Questioning...

A friend today wrote a post about friendships, and after reading it, it my heart felt sad. Sad that my life is not what I had hoped it would be and I try hard everyday to not question the road I'm on,because I don't have the answers and if I dwell to long there I get too depressed. I LOVE my group of friends, they are the closest I've ever had in my life, and right now because of circumstances I have been distance from all of them... I SO miss our gatherings full of laughter and conversation. Our children mingling together, food brought and shared by all.  Even if I was talking, I enjoyed being in their presence. Life is about living the questions but sometimes it's hard not to want to know... And sometimes it's about seeing it all in a different way ~ but I'm not quite there yet.

Creating...

I LOVE days like today ~ no where to go and lots of time to play in the kitchen. I love making things, whether it's food, crafts, or presents. It just makes me feel good, it feels like I'm taking care of myself and those around me. I've always loved creating and today was one of those days. It was fun!!!

Roof...

My oldest son comes over a couple times a month and it always makes me smile when all my children are under one roof,  sharing conversation, laughter, food and love. There's nothing better!!!

A day of love...

While doing a food demo yesterday, somedays the times goes by slow and sometimes fast. Yesterday was a very slow day, so I usually use it to people watch or write things down that I need to work on. What I notices yesterday was a lot of love, from grandparents enjoying their grandkids, parents being patient and loving with their children, couples young and old holding hands and just lots of good cheer! It left me feeling like there really is a lot of love in the world, happy people loving each other, parents genuinely enjoying being with their children. At times my world is small and though it is filled with all those things, I don't see a whole mass of interacting with a large group like that. So it was nice... to watch a " day of love" go by me one person at a time!

Food...

I LOVE food, I really do! I love to eat it, taste it, smell it, cook it, shop for it, look at it, read about it, talk about it and share it. The other day my daughter just wanted to get out of the house so we went to a the store to return something and ended up wandering in the food isles for two hours! It was a store I don't shop at much so it was fun to see the new things or just items I didn't realize they had.

Sunday Meal...

Sunday has always been one of those days I use to set aside extra time to make that meal, the one that you wouldn't ordinarily make during the week because it's very time consuming. It provides an extra touch to the start of the busy days ahead, as well as making the little "extra's", like banana bread, sweet treats, something different I've been wanting to try, or that special request from one of the kids! I LOVE being in the present moment with all the smells and colors that cooking provides. I LOVE the memories that only food offers. 

Grocery Store...

I love shopping for groceries. Retail shopping is not my thing, but spending an hour or two at the grocery store and I'm loving it. I'm grateful I have several stores close by that offer me so many options of organic and healthy foods. Everyday I look for ways to improve on what I eat and how I store and cook my food. Just today I bought a whole papaya to cut up and dehydrate for digestion instead of synthetic chewable tablets. And I'm saving jars to store food in instead of plastic when I can. Every little bit helps.

The Meal 2013...

My friends and I participated in this today. We gathered together, brought food to share and then we took a picture and ate together with all the others around the world who participated. Food is a great connection to each other. It is something we all have in common. Don't wait for a project to celebrate a meal with someone you love.

THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT

We build art projects and communities.

The Meal 2013

One moment. One meal. One photograph. Let's eat.

Last year over 4,000 people from around the globe sat down together to share a meal. Not only did we help to raise awareness about world hunger, but we also shared a community experience the Art House way. Join us this year on February 22nd at 12:00PM ESTfor the 2nd annual The Meal. Whether it's breakfast in LA or a midnight snack in Beijing, let's take a moment from our hectic lives and share it with strangers around the world.

A Vegan Food Swap...

This month I participated in something called "A Vegan Food Swap". I found it on the site,  http://www.theverdantlife.com/p/vegan-food-swap.html that I was following. The picture is the content from my package I received all the way from sunny San Francisco CA. ( a book, a sweet note, brown rice and some nutritional yeast flakes to get me started). My daughter and I are gluten and dairy free and one of the things we miss ALOT is cheese! So we were very excited to get this book.  Now to figure out which cheese to make first.

My package was sent to Jamie from http://theradioactivegan.blogspot.com. They say a stranger is only a friend we've never met ~ so thank you Mel for your thoughtful package and to Jamie for the opportunity to offer a little fun with food!

Grateful...

Today as I was running the water to make breakfast I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to be able to have water just flow out of the pipes anytime I turn the handle on. To have heat on these very cold and windy days. A refrigerator full of comfort food, healthy food as well as the very unhealthy . To have a warm and comfortable bed to sleep in with soft pillows on which to rest my head and fluffy blankets providing warmth for my body. A house that gives my children and I a place to call "HOME". It is filled to the brim with laughter, love and memories. My list is endless of things to be grateful for. These are only a few but in this present moment they are BIG.

"I AM GRATEFUL"

A Quote

"Deep roots are not reached by the frost."

I love quotes. They are similar to Haiku, short and sweet. Quotes give me food for thought without all the fillers, and can be interpreted in many ways. At different times in my life a quote can take on an entirely new meaning.

Enjoy the food.........(for thought)