My sweet Mimi taught me to cook. I remember always being in the kitchen with her and helping her make dough, learning to knead dough, making meatloaf with our hands, frying chicken in a cast iron skillet, oh and cornbread from scratch, mickey mouse pancakes and that half a grapefruit she always had for breakfast on the weekends we would spend the night. She knew how to cut out the fruit pieces perfectly. I want to introduce Ava to all those fun things and joys of the kitchen that I am remembering and falling in love with all over again. Now that I am home with Ava, I have found this new love for home making that I have never really had before or maybe I've just suppressed it for a long time. Either way, I am loving the desire to get back into the kitchen and pull out the old recipe books. Instead of a pancake mix, why not make a pancake batter? Instead of buying pre-made dinners and heating them up, why not make a meatloaf from scratch? Instead of throwing out old bananas or zucchini, make bread! I guess my point is that lately I have needed to be frugal and creative, yet we are enjoying the tastes and flavors of farmer's market produce, fresh breads, home cooked meals and I love making my kitchen feel like my mimi's. used. :)
My Mimi gave me her cookbooks when the downsized living spaces and I love them so much. Simple recipes, from a simple time in history. She has two boxes of recipes that are mine when she is done with them. Someday, hopefully not soon, Lord willing, they will find their new home in my kitchen, but I think they'll feel right at home. Out of mimi's daughters, and 4 grandchildren, (yes 2 are boys), I got that cooking gene and I'm forever thankful!
So, today is baking day. Ava sleeps in her little lamb chair right by the kitchen door, I bake, work on laundry, listen to pandora and enjoy the easy going day...soaking up this time and savoring it for all it's worth. Ava doesn't realize it, but someday she'll get to help mommy cook like her mommy helped Great Mimi a long time ago. Is this what is was like for Mary to "ponder these things in her heart"? Perhaps... either way, this is what it means, in our life, to really live. The hustle and bustle happens regularly, hard to get away from it, but most of the time, we strive to live simply, richly and thankfully. I pray Ava grows up knowing that "the stuff" of the world is just that, "stuff" and that this home has been built upon generations of the same people, living simply, richly and thankfully...with Lots and Lots of love!
In Him,
Shaina
I'll leave you with a recent picture as well:
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