Simple Home Living: The Simple Home

Monday, August 17, 2009

The Joy of . . .

Just this morning Michael and I were enjoying our morning breakfast alfresco style in our garden. So sweetly he listened to my heart's passion for women to discover and to re-discover the joy of the ministry that flows from the kitchen.

It's not just about cooking. It's not just about feeding the family. It's more . . . .

It's about creating and discovering all the food that God's given us to richly enjoy. It's about becoming thankful and giving thanks. It's about turning a heart toward home and family. It's about one woman having the potential to influence the world and turn the tide back toward things good and wholesome. It's about turning God-ward in a godless culture.

Your thoughts?

Sunday, August 09, 2009

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

One of the things I love about preparing meals for my family is the joy I see on faces - especially the children (who love breakfast time). Periodically I'll ask the little ones what they'd miss about Nana (me) and the answer I mostly hear is - your pancakes. I take that as a serious complement that shows I'm (through pancakes) influencing their little lives through the power of . . . food.

I also love finding ways to prepare food that's growing fresh from my garden or from the farmer's market.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

After watching Julie & Julia this past Friday afternoon, I felt so confirmed by Julia and her love of preparing food - especially for her husband. I think Julia - in her day - was - like I am - in my day - trying to reclaim something of the value and importance for women to re-establish a love relationship (of sorts) in preparing real food - not something that comes from a box.

One thing I loved about the movie was the heart shown in practicality and functionality of the French kitchen.

Carolyn Clifton Mogg explains it well in her book French Country Living - The essence of a kitchen is its equipment. The French country kitchen frequently contains much that has been handed down, and these treasured objects are arranged and displayed with a view to their aesthetic possibilities as well as to their accessibility.

This is not to say that there is nothing modern in the French country kitchen - cooks everywhere love a shiny new saucepan - but in addition to the new pieces there will be the pestle and mortar that belonged to a grandmother, or the well-used cutting boards and worn knives that have been handed down through the family.

Utensils and dishes are often stored in the ubiquitous armoire - the large wooden cupboard, originally used for storing linen, which seems to be present in nearly every French country house in one guise or another....

French Country Kitchens

I remember watching Julia Child, as the French Chef. Check out these clips:

I also remember having a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking in my selection of cookbooks. What happened to it - I don't know but after seeing Julie & Julia with Meryl Streep, I'm thinking I just might re-invest in a copy.

What's your relationship with your kitchen? How about your husband and/or children? What's your favorite recipe? Do you think there's a new "movement" of sorts where younger women are wanting to learn to cook and in a sense let love flow from their kitchens?

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Risking It All

Daughter Candace posted a new Face Book status a few days ago. It went something like, "Who plays risk anyways?" Well, we just did. The four adults in our home gathered around the kitchen table and played a very long - I mean very long game of Risk.