Food Fun – Connections through cooking

[Patty Anderson, Senior Group Lead]

In the last week I enjoyed two fun activities related to food. First, a friend and I got together and made two batches of soup, chicken dumpling and coconut squash. I found it way more enjoyable chopping vegetables and cooking with a friend then as a solo activity. I now have individual servings of soup in my freeze to heat up on a chilling night. We both agreed we will cook together again soon.
The second fun food activity I did was attend a cooking class with my son. A little BBQ place in Wisconsin offered this class with a focus on the Thanksgiving menu. My son enjoyed the tips on smoking a turkey and the special ingredients for rubs. We both were surprised at how easy it is to make your own cranberry sauce, and how even a chief chooses ease like using a pre-made pie crust and boxed cornbread mix to make the dressing. This was a such a treat for me to share the evening with my son. While we will not be together on Thanksgiving this year, this evening gave me a new connection with my son.
Food as fun has not always been my story. Creating new stories about food that includes connection is a new practice, one I plan to continue.
I am curious who enjoys solo cooking or cooking with others; or maybe both? Feel free to share your cooking stories.

[Teri Rose, OblSB, Program Director]

Patty, thank you for sharing these lovely examples. I’ve kept your question to us tucked in my heart as I’ve observed my own cooking interactions since your post. What I’ve been most struck by is how significant of an influence my state of being, my presence, has on that interaction.There is a continuum- whether solo or with others- of it being like (in Dave’s words) prayer to a more functional task (and with honesty, one that I still wish was done for me many nights).

But what has also been striking to me is the evolution of this continuum over time as my spiritual formation has deepened. I’ve written before about my younger self’s belief that eating perfectly could fix (almost) everything. This belief created a chokehold on cooking as a MUST DO (yes, all caps!) at all costs. Because if these balls dropped, ALL balls would drop.

My contemplative practices and deepening spirituality has taken this excessive burden off of cooking (and that part of me, a sweet little advocate, that was responsible for cooking). And boy….. does that feel different inside.

Thank you, Patty, for your prompt which helped me bring that part of my own evolving story forward. xoxo

[Author]

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