An invitation to share a meal with me
Food in my family means love.
I have a head cold. I am so snuffly that I am breathing through my mouth as my nose is very blocked.
How about you, are you feeling well?
How is YOUR health - your physical health, your mental health and your emotional well being?
I wonder, do you ever touch base with all the different aspects of yourself and ask those different aspects how they are?
“Back. How are you feeling today Back? Do you still feel stiff and sore? Do you want another hot water bottle or another visit to the physio?”
“Eye. How are you today? Do you need something softer to look at after focusing so long on the computer?”
“Heart. How are you today? What do you need at this moment to make you feel happy? Safe? Soothed? Joyeous? Held? Heard?”
So my friend,
HOW ARE YOU TODAY?
Having a cold has made me slow down - even more than normal!
It does that, as I am sure you know - any kind of sickness, tiredness, aches and pains - they are messages from the body to take stock and pause.
So today I am writing this in my dressing gown sitting on the lounge on a cold winters night.
It’s Winter.
I like winter.
I like the dark nights and ability to warm myself and my family by turning on the oven and cooking.
My parents did that.
I have very happy memories of coming home from school on cold winter days and arriving home to the smell of hot soup,
or coming out after doing homework to the smell of curries or stews.
The wafts of different aromas as they make their way to the front door,
to the bedrooms
to the lounge rooms.
Ahhh, the smell of home cooking…
The smell of my Mum and Dad’s Cooking.
Both my parents were/are amazing cooks.
Food in our home means Family.
It means Connection and Love
It means Deep Care and Wholesomeness.
Cooking means Culture and Tradition.
It means Conversations as we prepare together, and more conversations and sharing around the table and then the kitchen sink afterwards.
It means Passing on Love through Food,
and then Deep Tender Care through Love,
It means Feeling Safe when life gets too much
and being Grounded when life is too much.
Food means safety in my family.
I know I am very lucky.
I know how lucky I am that there was always enough food. It was never a problem for my Mum to put an extra potato in the pot or more rice on the stove when friends would come and stay
and stay
and stay.
Food was precious.
It was wholesome and always cooked from scratch.
Food is still very precious.
Even though my Mum died 8 years ago her recipes still live on in all of us in different ways - her hot scones, her soups, her salmon or tuna patties, her curry pies, her ability to cook up a storm with whatever was in the fridge or pantry,
and in every meal she made for us
there was LOVE.
And my Dad,
well his cooking is renowned. His traditional Lebanese dishes, biscuits and cakes are known and adored by many. Every week we go over and are privileged to be cooked by him. He is 91 years young and still finds great pleasure in cooking for his children and grandchildren.
We can just turn up and somehow like magic he has made a delicious meal for us.
Food made by my family means love.
It means tender care and wholesome moments.
Food means nourishment for our body, mind and soul.
I love cooking.
and I love sharing my love.
I dedicate this post to my parents
For showing me how to share love through food.
And YOU…
Do you like cooking? What is your favourite recipe?
Please share if you feel.
Who is the best cook in your family?
Who influenced your cooking the most?
How do you or your family show love?
My mum used to make scones as well. Though hers weren’t the soft fluffy kind (none of her cakes were like that- always dense full of deep goodness). I have a memory of coming home from school.... walking up the hill / driveway from the bus and walking in the door to get pulling perfectly cooked date scones from the oven. Ready to be slathered with butter. And stories of our day shared together around the fire (we didn’t have an oven, so my parents had to light the wood burning stove to do proper baking).
Food is part of my journey in life.
I love creating dishes and sharing my food with family, friends and even neighbors, I’ll bake a batch of my now famous muffins and spread them around my neighbors , I love to make beautiful pies and soups , to create a dinner for friends fills my heart as it brings joy and happiness to a table, sharing , caring,to then serve a beautiful dessert and see happy faces,
My Mama taught me to cook then I took it all next level, she was proud of the cook I became.
My husbands fave restaurant is home. He too is a wonderful cook. Blessed be.