There’s something soothing about the rhythm of chopping, stirring, grating, kneading… on repeat. The gratification that comes from making something from scratch that tastes delicious, the fact that I can feed my loved ones and friends from what I’ve come up with in the kitchen – it’s grounding and anchors me.
And so with too many things on my mind this morning, I took to the kitchen. I started with chopping vegetables for chicken broth, for some soothing lemon chicken and orzo soup we all love. Something about chicken soup is sooooo comforting.
I then moved on to my Grandma’s Mac N’ Cheese recipe. This always makes me think of her… I can almost hear her say: “No, not whole wheat macaroni and don’t use part skim cheese!” Because my Grandma knew how to appreciate good food and reminded me that it was ok to indulge every so often. It brings us joy and puts a smile on our faces. It’s all about balance right?
After the Mac N’ Cheese, I made homemade granola since we were running low on cereal in the house. This is a recipe I have been making for years and have tweaked as I went along. It’s healthy yet delicious (thanks to the maple syrup and coconut sugar) and one of my favorite breakfasts. I serve it on top of some fresh fruit and yogurt. You can also nibble on it as a snack right out of the pan while it’s still warm as my husband does because he loves it so much, he just can’t help himself! And I must confess, I kind of love watching him do this, something about the smile he gets as he enjoys his granola so much.
And finally, I made a couple of loaves of crusty Dutch oven bread. It’s a quick recipe meaning you don’t have to wait long before enjoying freshly baked homemade bread. And is there anything more comforting than the smell of bread cooking in the oven? Or a warm slice slathered in butter/honey/Nutella or whatever makes you happy? I mean seriously… it’s like a big hug from the oven! Everyone huddles around the fresh loaf as it comes out, waiting their turn for a slice, oooh and aaaah about the delights of fresh baked bread. I love how something so simple brings the family together. Makes my heart swell. I won’t always have my boys at home with me, they grow up so fast. But I will hold on to the memories of them asking me: “Is it cool enough?”, “Can I have a slice?” “Maybe two?”
To be brief, a day in the kitchen doesn’t always have me waxing nostalgic… sometimes it can feel like a chore (Like when it’s 5:30, everyone is coming home from their day and asking: “What’s for dinner?” meanwhile snacking on everything in sight… I’m beat from a huge day and the last thing I want to do is start cooking something from scratch. Then the kitchen isn’t giving me all the warm and tingly feelings, it’s more of a question of survival: get a meal on the table asap and get out.) However there are days where I carve out time just to enjoy the process, and today was just such a day.