When it comes to spending time in the kitchen, most of my clients confess that they either don’t have time, don’t like to cook or don’t know how to. I like to propose a new way of entering your kitchen, by transforming it into a sanctuary of sacred space and allowing it to be the centre of creativity in your home. If you consider how much time we do spend in our kitchens, why not make them into something special?
If you live alone then put some of your favourite music on, light a few candles and let the creativity flow. If you feed a family then allow the kitchen to be the womb of your home, create a nook for your kids to do their homework while you are preparing dinner. In days gone by the hearth was lit in the kitchen and drew everyone into its warmth.
The secret to successful meals is in the planning, so if you can do a week’s menu in advance this goes a long way to stress-free cooking. You could even have a 3 week roster of meals that you work with. There are many online stores that deliver fresh organic produce to your door so this saves you time in grocery shopping. The more planning you can do the better things flow.
The next step is to be aware of the energy of the foods you are eating as this becomes part of who we are. When you eat food that is closest to how it’s found in nature, it remains full of life force. Fresh fruits and vegetables that burst with enzymes and nutrients and ingredients that are as close to their natural state fill your body’s energy account instead of depleting it.
One of my favourite movies is ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ in which Tita shows her love for Pedro through her cooking, it is a love that can never be consummated, so she puts all her energy into the meals she prepares, both good and bad, and the effects show as her family eats the meal. All her tears and anger and frustration result in dire consequences for the diners after one particular meal. This message shows us just how important it is to impart a sense of peace and love into our meal preparation, and the results will be expressed in praise and gratitude for a delicious meal.
Why not use your kitchen as the place where you nurture yourself in the world, letting everything radiate out from this centre of wellbeing?
Remember that our relationship with foods and eating goes beyond just food, and filters into all aspects of our lives. Our food and eating world is a reflection of what is happening on a larger scale in our lives.
Just to nudge you along here are some of my favourite recipes to inspire you…. Bon Appetit!