I feel like I’ve been in a season of gathering lately. Ideas and inspiration are being found and stored away, to be put to use after pondering and thought. These are some “nuts” I’ve picked up recently:
I haven’t really put any of these ideas to use yet; I’m kind of letting them simmer for a while to see what ends up bubbling up to the surface as important.
What’s inspiring you these days?
I’m reading this book. Don’t get judgy on me. It’s awesome. An example of awesome is this quote:
You bear God within you, poor wretch, and know it not
I’ve been sitting with that idea for several days, and it really resonates with me.
Would you like to do an experiment? It’s probably raining where you are, so an experiment where you don’t have to go outside might be nice…
Will you sit with the idea that God is inside you for a few days, and let us know how it goes? I hope you do…
Catching the vision, Inspiration, Magic moments, Refilling the Well- You time
I took this picture on New Year’s Eve, which was the second full moon of the month of December, and therefore a blue moon.
We talk about stuff we do seldom as something that happens “once in a blue moon.” So, I’ve been thinking about my “blue moon” stuff, and realized some changes I want to make. A letter I want to write. A chore I ought to do.
What is a blue moon thing for you? I’d love to help you do it 
A new year! Hooray!
I love the opportunity a new year affords me to look back, look forward, assess where I am and where I’d like to be. Last year, right about this time, I came up with a list of themes to focus on for the year. They were:
Love
Create
Dance
Celebrate
Worship
Minister
Taste
I set a number of my uberlist goals around them, and tried to check in throughout the year. I succeeded in some areas better than others; in one or two I think I actually ended up farther back than I ever started. But it was definitely a worthwhile endeavor.
This year, I’m just picking one word, one concept. (I was going to pick two, with the second being “simplify”, but that seemed somewhat ironic.)
My word for the year is connect.
There’s just so much there. I want to connect with my family, my body, my friends, nature. I want to connect with a sense of peace. I want to connect the steps between wanting (ie. an organized house), and doing. I want to help others connect with new friends, new ideas. I want to connect my own thoughts in new ways. I want to connect with the Divine.
What are your goals for the new year? Did you come up with an uberlist? If so, please link to it! I love seeing what other people come up with! (If you want to see mine, go here.)
Catching the vision, Inspiration, Refilling the Well- You time, Traditions
There was much eating of food and spending time with family. I was reminded of what is really important–not the gifts, but the reaffirmed bonds. I’m grateful for that.
How was your Christmas?
I love new starts. I love the beginning of a new week, a new month, and the opportunity it provides to plan and create a contained set of things to get done in an established time frame. I appreciate the repeated chance to reflect back and evaluate what worked and what didn’t; what could be changed for next time.
So I especially love the start of a new year.
I’m not a big one for resolutions. They’re too vague for me, it’s too easy to get discouraged. (How do you measure “Be healthier”?)
But a to do list? That I can do.
To- do lists for a week, by their nature, have to be short, concise, and specific, to be in any way effective.
To-do lists for a year? Expansive, ambitious, long.
Enter the Uberlist.
I’m not sure who first came up with the idea of the Uberlist; I came across it on the blog of a friend of a friend. The idea is to come up with a to do list for the coming year, with as many items on it as the number of the year. (For the friend of a friend it started in 1998 with 98 items, and continued on, so this year had 109 items, and 2010 will have 110.) Some of the items will be menial ( #65. Organize desk), some much bigger (#21. Go to Disneyland). Some are things you’d do anyway, (#82 Go to dentist), others should stretch you (#34 Memorize 10 hymns).
I’ve done an Uberlist for the last 3 years, and I love it. So far this year I’ve finished 48 of my 109 goals, which is pretty good. There’s a good chance I’ll finish another couple before the year is out (#12 Reread a childhood favorite is a strong contender).
I split my list into sections to make it easier to go through, and to make it easier to balance out. (It gets hard to come up with new items once you hit about 50.) The sections I used last year were:
Books (ie. #11 Read something by an author I’ve always meant to try. )
Local attractions (#19 Go to the zoo )
Trips (#22 Visit family in Utah)
Spirituality (#26 Read the New Testament)
Personal Development (#38 Make a new friend)
Leisure (#48 Go to a musical)
Home (#63 Get shelving for closets)
Writing (#78 Edit novel)
Health (# Floss)
Homemaking Skills (#100 Make a master grocery shopping list)
Entrepreneur endeavors (# 107 Come up with name for Etsy store)
This year I’ll probably add Creativity and Education as new sections.
But a list isn’t any good unless you use it, especially one this long, so I come up with the list during December, and then at the beginning of each month I take a look at it. I pick things off of the list I can tackle that month, and then break it into weeks. Some things are easier to get taken care of than others, some leap to the top of the list (#70 Put away Christmas decorations), others take planning and work (#92 Make a quilt), some stay on the list for years (#55 Make curtains for Z’s room).
And some just become unimportant and never get done. Interests or time or circumstance change, and things listed at the beginning of the year aren’t always relevant six months later. And that’s just fine.
The point, for me, is to catch a vision of the year to come, from the basics to the dreams. Having it written down gives me a reference point on the days that seem overly cluttered, or unusually empty. When I feel like I’m missing the mark, I can reassess.
I keep my list on the computer, and when I finish an item I bold it. It’s visually lovely that way.
So I’d like to invite you to join me, if you’re so inclined. Do it by yourself, or with your family (I might try that this year). Make your list as safe or ambitious as you prefer. If you’d like, share one or two of your list items with us. It’s always inspiring to see what other people have planned for their life. And if you’re curious, post a number from 1-110 and I’ll tell you what that item on my Uberlist is.
Happy planning!
I thought we could all use a little encouragement. This is from the Vespers Office a few days ago…
I now place the work of the day into Your hands, trusting that You will redeem my mistakes, and transform my accomplishments into works of praise.
Catching the vision, Inspiration, Refilling the Well- You time, Traditions
One thing have I asked of the Lord; one thing I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; To behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. –Psalm 27:5-6
Olea’s honest and beautiful post about taking care of herself in the midst of new mommyhood reminded me of the scripture that says “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, if you wanna follow along at home)
I have been mulling over the idea of temples for the past few days, ever since I prayed the opening quotation in Vespers on Wednesday. My Mormon friends have a very clear idea of what a temple is, but even they are taught that our homes can and should be a temple too.
As we seek to make a home, what are some ways we can make it a place where God’s Spirit can be? And why is that important?
Well, everyone and no one is the answer to the title question. I used to cook under the catch phrase, “If it doesn’t take an hour or more, it’s not cooking.”
I say “used to” because one day I found myself holding a very small child in one arm and wondering “How am I going to chop onions now?” and breaking down in tears. And now with three small girls ruling my life and running my house, the luxury I enjoyed as an under-employed home maker–you know, spending half a day on one meal–has flown out the window and left me searching for ways to make my desire to create in the kitchen mesh with the needs of my young family. It’s a struggle.
Let me share my vision with you. What is food? Simply, energy for your body. Every body needs basic nutrients everyday to live. What is cooking? To me, cooking is the way we transcend meeting the basic needs of our bodies and create foods that do indeed nourish our traditions and our souls as well as our bodies. What is a meal, then? Every meal is an opportunity to use food to express some aspect of ourselves to those we are feeding. Even if that person is you.
To this respect, one doesn’t have to master the art of French cooking to be a fine cook. After I had my first child and stood in the kitchen crying about no longer being able to spend two hours on dinner I realized I had to change my idea of what cooking was. For me cooking evolved from mastering exotic cuisine (I have made my own Indian curry blends…grinding seeds and spices by hand for the authentic flavor and textures) to mastering the art of a fresh delicious fast meal. I think the disservice that food television and the lovely glossy magazines and the oh so wonderful food memoirs has done to the home cook is to make us feel like we have to spend hours over a stove or we’re not really cooking. I know that’s exactly how I felt. As working women–be it career wise or mommy wise–can’t be expected to spend as many hours in the kitchen as a professional cook does. Julia Child, as much as I respect the work she did to increase the awareness of good food to Americans, didn’t cook with kids under foot.
I have turned back to so many home-style basics some of my culinary school classmates would chide me as hopelessly old-fashioned. But they work. And by looking to healthy short cuts and meals that can prepped during nap time then popped in an oven later on or even utilizing a slow cooker I can have a dinner on the table I’m proud to serve and still have a day to spend with my girls doing the things that matter to them.
In terms of practicality I focus on one large meal a day. As much as I would love to bake muffins and pastries in the morning, I love how late my girls sleep in and relish my late nights with my husband. I am not waking up before six to cook. And so, breakfast is a mostly cold cereal affair. Sometimes we have oatmeal. Sometimes French toast. We do eat it together and take our time. We linger over milk and bananas and coffee instead of hot buttery croissants. It makes us happy and I know the kids are starting off with tummies full and a less stressed mom.
Lunch is a challenge, as two to three days a week we picnic it and my girls do not eat well with the distraction of friends and fun around them.When we are at home, I serve toddler food. I make a meal in 15 minutes or less because that’s what I’ve got to work with. We have a whole lot of chicken tenders and pasta with butter. I do serve veggies we all love and I again, sit and eat a meal with them. My focus at lunch is to round out nutritional needs and make sure another good meal gets into their systems. I don’t fight or stress over lunch choices. A well stocked freezer and snack pantry is my friend for lunch.
Dinner is hard. I know it is. But I believe it is important so I make it a goal to cook for my family every night I can. Dinner is the meal I cook for myself and my husband. Dinner is the meal I use to expand palettes. Dinner is also the meal I don’t worry about if it doesn’t get eaten because I’ve tried to meet the needs of the kids throughout the day. So I can enjoy my meal and know that one day my adventurous eater will return because I’ve properly set the stage (this is the mantra that gets me through all the ‘but I don’t like thaaaaat’ whining happening here right now).
So let’s talk about dinner. Dinner has become the cornerstone of my day. I plan my weeks around dinner and my dinners around my weeks. I make a dinner schedule. I sit down either Friday night with a couple of my favorite cookbooks (I’ll post some titles at the end of this missive) and decide what I want to make based on the weather, how we’re feeling, what we’ve had the previous week and how busy our week is going to be. I have a white board I stick on the fridge with the meal plan written out so I don’t forget what I’m cooking. If I’m using a recipe (I don’t always) I have the cookbook and page number written next to it.
I use the season and the weather as inspiration. I like to make sure I’m planning a variety of proteins, balancing red meat, pork, chicken and fish and at least one meatless meal throughout the week. And I do find inspiration in food magazines. I love Bon Appetit. They have a few regular features that work for me. I love the “Dinner for Four and Leftovers” which is a kid friendly meal all planned out that uses the leftovers for lunch the next day. And “Fast Easy Fresh” utilizes seasonal ingredients in recipes that take 20-45 minutes to prepare.
I shop once and (try to) obtain everything I need for a weeks worth of cooking because nothing is more frustrating than staring at a cupboard with no clue as to it’s contents and no idea how to put them together anyway. Like any craft, having the right tools will make your project more fun.
Food should be fun. I think we as home cooks also lose sight of that simple fact in the rush to get food to the table and the cajoling to get kids to eat or in the balancing act of cooking for one. Food is fun. We could all drink protein shakes and take vitamins and survive. Cooking transforms the cook as well as the food. It builds us up on many levels. It doesn’t have to be tricky. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be done with love.
I could go on…but maybe I’ll let you all digest this meal. I will recommend this cookbook even thought it’s out of print: The Working Stiff Cookbook
One great feature is the “Well Stocked Pantry” page with suggestions of basics to keep around for cooking these, and many other, tasty meals. There are also very easy versions of exotic foods that use familiar ingredients and are a good place to begin the introduction of, say, curry to a three-year-old.
Also check out A Year of Slow Cooking for slow-cooker inspiration. This is my saving grace on days when I know we’re going to be out of the house for most of the day. And honestly, nothing is better than walking into your own home and smelling dinner cooking deliciously away.
They say the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one, right?
Well here we go: I don’t understand food.
I know that it’s fuel for our bodies, that it’s necessary to keep us alive and functioning.
I know that it can be delicious, and function as a bonding and binding ritual.
I know it can nurture body, spirit and relationships.
I know that variety is important, that partaking in different taste experiences can refresh our bodies and open our minds.
I get it on a conceptual level, like I understand how a car works, but where it all falls apart for me is the practical level. I’m experiencing the equivalent of popping the hood and staring helplessly at the motor when the car breaks down.
Problem # 1: I don’t know what to cook.
I have a bunch of cookbooks, and often buy magazines full of recipes, but mostly end up using the types of recipes that are already in my wheelhouse. Eating the same 10 meals over and over gets boring. I don’t know how to break out of that.
Problem #2: I have a really picky 3 year old eater.
Seriously, she’d just eat hot dogs and peanut butter sandwiches every day if I’d let her. And most days I do. And I know that her behavior is normal, I’d just like to stretch her horizons (and her nutrient intake).
Problem #3: Meals come at really inconvenient times.
I’d love to make delicious breakfasts to start my family off right every morning, but sheesh it’s early in the morning. And I’m tired. And lunch is right before naps, when the kids are all feisty, and dinner is right when they’re all wound up and losing it at the end of the day. It’s so much easier to cop out and rush something to the table than try to cook and solve the house’s problems at the same time.
I’ve considered those services that just pre-prepare the meals for you, but I really feel like there’s something I’m supposed to learn about cooking for my family, and important things they get from me cooking for them.
Problem #4: I just can’t catch the vision.
I feel that if I could catch the vision of what meals could be, I could overcome the other issues I’m dealing with. But I can’t seem to do that. And that’s why I’m turning to you.
I’m a reader, and I get inspired most by reading. SO…. give me books, websites, magazines, anything that can help me out. I’ve read Julie and Julia, which I enjoyed, but which convinced me to stay (FAR!) away from French cooking. I’m currently reading My Life in France by Julia Child, which I highly recommend; I love how years after the fact she can recall what she ate and where, and I want to be more like that, but the book does not give good clues as to how to do that.
Where do you get your recipes?
When you want to cook something new, where do you look for ideas?
Any good memoirs/books that inspire your creative cooking juices?
Help!!
And don’t forget to go here and enter the giveaway! We know you’re here, why aren’t you entering? Seriously! It’s easy! And the prizes are awesome! Are you afraid you’ll be too disappointed if you don’t win? Well you won’t even have a chance if you don’t enter! Go go!
