Steam

Steam. Healing in all its ways. A warm mug, a warm bath, a dreamed of sauna, soup steaming up into my face, a just finished dishwasher "facial" as we call it here...

In times past we would have to work harder for that steam. Now it's not very hard. Hot water heater, stoves you don't have to light and tend (though I do cook on a 1930's gas stove with pilot lights), a dishwasher vs washing all by hand. With all of life "eases" have we made life harder? 

I was chopping veggies last night for dinner. I've grown to enjoy that time. Standing there, maybe with music, maybe in blessed silence. Maybe with a kombucha or a warm cup of tea. But just there. Rhythmically chopping. You can't hurry too much or you might loose a finger, you can't go too slow or whiney, hungry people might show up. It is, I think a good thing. The slowing down and doing something the way my grandmothers have done for eons.

Eons. Can you imagine it? Can you feel those before you when you do everyday tasks that have been done for generations? Inviting those who have come before us into our minds is a beautiful thing. There is much to learn, they have much to teach. Ancestors are there if we slow down just a little.

Last night I made THIS - Butternut Squash and Chickpea Soup but over rice.

And THIS Shakshuka With Feta (but we use goat chèvre) has been an easy but wonderful recipe on repeat in my kitchen. 

I usually treat myself to one cooking like subscription, I am really enjoying the NYT Cooking app right now, Bon Appétit, and Vegetarian Times have all been favorites in the past. I also checkout an insane amount of cookbooks from the library (especially in January and September). Fern and I have been getting some off the NYT Best Cookbooks of 2021 list. Most recently À Table by Rebekah Peppler.