Food is Love, So Start with the Best!

I have always felt that food was love, from the first time Gary told me stories about his Granny baking, or the sound of her canner I realized that food was supposed to come from the heart. With that I wanted our kids brought up in an environment that food was love, food was worked for, cared for and served with pride. It took a while, as Gary and I were both very challenged in the kitchen, but we learned to cook and can from library books! Yep we are that old or maybe old fashioned that stacks of books would be perched on the couch cushions while we went through them learning, and selecting things that we could do and things that maybe we could do one day.

Wishbone Loser!

Even my obsession with learning how things were made, and how I can make them from my farmhouse kitchen meant Gary was the taste tester over and over. Pies, Jams, and old time recipes. You know it is love when he tasted homemade Mayo with raw eggs and other yucky things that I can’t believe I made him eat. But he tasted it not once, not twice but three different recipes. He continued to taste because he knew how much I wanted to succeed. It was only after attempt three was so bad that he had to spit it out, that he so sweetly reminded me that we both work and we could afford Hellmans that I gave up on homemade Mayo.

Or recently when a young man mentioned how amazing my Strawberry Jam was, did I realize that even when sending home goodies with our son he passed on the love with a jar of jelly to his best friend. Or during the beginning of the hardest chapter of our lives family and friends showed up with food, chocolate is a requirement during days like these! It is always the little things, even a unsolicited corn dog delivery that makes you realize that food is love.

Know I am quite the educated feminist and even though thoughts of Aunt Bee in her apron serving her fellas brings a since of peace, I am no Aunt Bee nor do I plan on giving up my hustle to live that life. But as we continue through from day to day remember that not only can you serve someone, you can teach them the skills needed and if you are challenged you can learn with your special someone. So make a mess in the kitchen, take a risk that may result in you eating PB&J for supper instead of the planned dinner because as a wise old man once told me, you didn’t fail but you sure learned what not to do! And next time you will knock it out of the park!

And while you learn or teach the wonders of food, try to start with local products. I know you have heard it all before but grabbing items locally means the love and passion started at the beginning, through those that grew your ingredients and will continue through you and your family. So keep cooking and passing on great food or mediocre food, we all have to start somewhere.

Everyone belongs in the kitchen, there is food there!