FOOD: My Passion, My Peace, My Palate

The purpose of food.
I love food, you love food, we all love food.  The slicing, dicing, sautéing, frying, making, baking, mixing and mashing are ways for me to put my emotions into my food.  They say that food tastes best when it "made with love".  SO TRUE!  Like, its not just a saying, its scientific!  Check out this video that shows how water molecules literally change shape and crystallize based on the emotions, intent, etc. to which it is exposed.  Think about THAT as your are cooking a meal for yourself and others and the emotions and thoughts that accompany that the making of that homemade meal.  

My passion is to make people happy.  I bake bread and drop it off to a friend.  I make cinnamon rolls and take them to a grieving family.  We make cookies and share with our neighbors.  And, of course, we cook meals for our loving family members. I think of food as my way of ministering.  The Savior said He is the "bread of life" and we partake of that bread weekly when the sacrament is administered.  When we eat that bread its like we are saying, "Yes, Lord, I need you in my life and I will also be thy instrument in the lives of others".  Sometimes taking over a pan of baked goodies lets that person know that they are thought about, cared about, and loved.  Food brings people together.  It sure did in the Savior's time on earth too.

Maybe its the intent of who I am cooking for that gives me a feeling of peace, especially when I get to cook without time constraints or ingredient shortages.  There's something so satisfying in creating a beautiful and delicious product from a few raw ingredients. I indulge in that element of aromatherapy when I take in a deep breath of sweet or savory gliding around me.  Once, I had an overstock of eggs, cheese, spinach and sausage in my school kitchens (I teach Family and Consumer Science which you probably called "Home Economics" at one time).  Christmas break was beginning and I wasn't sure what to do with all that food that would surely go bad in two weeks time.  My principal said to take it home or give it away.  I wanted to make sure it got used though.  So I bought a few more ingredients and ended up making about 6-8 breakfast casseroles that I froze until school resumed.  Oh my gosh.  The time that I had making all those casseroles with the use of 5 kitchens was a beautiful thing.  Having all that space to chop, whip, cook and just be in the zone with my music over the loud speaker was like heaven for me.  I vowed then that one day I would have that many ovens and kitchens in my own home, even if it meant I had to create a business around it.  Peace, people.  I was at peace in that cooking zone all by myself.  By the way, the staff really appreciated a hot breakfast upon our return from that cold winter break.

Is your palate needy?  Mine is.  Sometimes I have to remind my palate that it is not my master.  It's hard.  It takes practice.  But it is absolutely possible.  I find joy in treating my palate to a good meal, but I also find satisfaction in mastering my appetites.  I won't lie, its always a work in progress but also very symbolic.  If you can control your appetite you can control your "appetites" if you know what I mean.  It's all about self-discipline.

Well now you know my take on food and why it is such a huge part of my life.  In my next blog, I'll introduce you to how we have used it for many life skills and lessons in our family.