Like the majority of you who has time for cooking?! Let alone from scratch! Let alone accomplishing anything else! When did exasperated expressions such as “I need more time!!!” become our mantra? Who has the energy to focus on one task let alone a single thread of thought. Instead of slowing down and enjoying free-time I cram more stuff into the day and wind up accomplishing nothing – doing everything resulting in nothing. Of course this isn’t always true but more like how I feel.
So what does any of this have to do with food from scratch?! —– EVERYTHING
I rediscovered why I love cooking from scratch – yes, it does entice my senses in both unexpected and exciting ways; but also the biggest upside is — I am slowing down. My brain feels like a forgotten senior who’s thrilled for the companionship ready to get to work creating, investigating, discovering and enjoying the process of cooking. So sit down calculator! Go to bed electronic device!
Don’t get me wrong I’m not a tortoise in the kitchen but I’m not the hare either. Ah! Do you feel that – balance — as refreshing as a 32 oz. fresh-squeezed, chilled lemonade slurped on the hottest day of the year kind of ahhhh! Cooking starts before I’m in the kitchen when I meditate on what I want to make. Like a jazz musician who hears his notes before he plays I can see and taste the dish.
What distinguishes any of us in any profession is passion. I also want to do something that brings people joy and helps them too. Great food really does accomplish both if we take the time. I know how busy my days get yet I realize Time is Perception. Think about it: as one busy person to another we’re never too busy to do the things we want to do – we find the time.
Do I eat healthy all the time? No, I wish. Do I fall of the wagon? Heck ya! Especially on days it can’t be helped. Do I cook from scratch everyday? No, but when I don’t I regret it. Why is this a struggle? Because certain ingredients are addictive and because sometimes I’d rather sleep than get up extra early to make something. Yet, in the end I always return to making food from scratch because I feel better when I do. And you can too just make the time.
The goal of this blog is to inspire and encourage folks to make the time to cook from scratch. Even if you only cook once a month it’s still worth it! I promise you that when you do you will experience the same glee, calmness and satisfaction I get every time I make a meal. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It doesn’t need to feel like a chore. It only needs to be tried without distractions, without trepidation, without preconceptions. Cooking is one of the best God-given abilities all humans possess. It doesn’t have to be a James Beard Award-Winning dish. It doesn’t need to compete with anyone else. It only needs to be good to YOU and for YOU.
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