Beyond Hunting and Gathering...

Being a "foodie", I love to cook and bake from scratch. I know when the "basil" shipment comes in at my local grocery store. I have been spotted manipulating the cellophaned blocks of part skim mozzarella to make sure that they are dry enough for my taste. I have sniffed more tomatoes and quarts of strawberries than I care to count... When my basic ingredients are either missing, or not good quality, I have actually gone into a funk; after all, what you end up with is dependent on what you start with.



When I was growing up, meals were not around a family table. My Mom and I rarely ate dinner together, and what we did eat was scrounged from the pantry. Now days, we eat as a family around our table. Even if it's movie night, and were sitting on blankets on the floor, we're together. We may not all be eating the same "hunted things", we all share in common that we have "gathered" to enjoy them.

It also strikes me how the reactions of others towards the food that I have prepared really effect me. Recently, while in one of her moods, my daughter (rather loudly and dramatically) turned her nose up at a meal, which was her favorite two weeks ago. Sure, she wanted to express some independence, and rebel a bit. As a I reflected on this (after calming myself down a bit), I realized that I felt I was showing love for her through making something she liked to eat, and when she balked at it, I felt as though she was rejecting me. That's a lot of power for a stack of corn tortillas, some sauce, and cheese!

One of my greatest joys is preparing meals for friends in my home. The act of having a meal prepared, and served, seems to leave people with a sense of being nurtured. From having my daughter and her friends raid the "snack cabinet" for a sit-down snack, to sharing a meal at the table, good food just seems to give people a sense of comfort, which results in the sharing of thoughts and ideas. A good plate of pasta, and some good company to enjoy it with, might just be some of the best feel-good medicine around!

While some people don't enjoy the process of food shopping/preparation, I find it that it satisfies me as a whole person. It's amazing to think that a bunch of things in the freezer, pantry, and fridge can come together to nourish both the bodies, and spirits, of those who enjoy them!