Ahhhhhh. Summer. Berries, kale, farmer’s markets…. fresh produce is abundant and goes well with the sense of freedom summer brings. I love the ability to run out of the house at a moment’s notice without having to bundle up in a big coat and mittens. The freedom to meet friends for walks, go for bike rides and to sit at outdoor cafes enjoying delicious healthy food and good company is such a joyful part of summer.
Fresh food and vibrant fruits and veggies at farmer’s markets is a wonderful taste of summer and I often go just for the experience and to talk to the farmers. In our world of grocery shopping at a supermarket and being far removed from our food sources, it is amazing to be able to meet the people growing your food.
I love to eat fresh food but why does food grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation often feel like a chore to me? I want to eat well and stay healthy and yet doing so every day while working and keeping up with the rest of my life, often seems overwhelming.
I can procrastinate going to the grocery store for a while and then I have to get really creative about what I’m eating. I’m always happy at the end of the shopping trip though, with a fridge full of delicious food. This allows me to have many options for snacking and meals at my fingertips.
What a treat it was to spend several hours cooking with a good friend of mine about a month ago! We each brought our own ingredients and recipes and prepped and cooked food together, including enough for some leftovers. It was hot day in June so we cranked up the air conditioning and got cooking. We each made 2 recipes and then had a lovely meal together. When it was done, we shared the cleanup and we were both able to take home some extras for the following week.
Good food is meant to be shared and so this was a huge pleasure that we plan on making a monthly occurrence. When we were talking about cooking together my friend Betsy said she was going to “tear up”, she was so happy to have a cooking partner. I felt the same way and it was great to spend several hours with a good friend cooking food, eating together and catching up. She is also a foodie who has a restrictive diet due to food allergies. So being together and being able to share lots of delicious and healthy food despite both of our restrictions, (that others don’t always understand) was really an amazing way to spend a Friday together.
She made a Vegetarian African Peanut Stew and a Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry with tempeh. I made a bean hummus that was amazing to dip veggies and sliced hard boiled eggs into. I also made a Chopped Chicken Salad with Spiralized Cucumbers. I got to use my new veggie spiralizer! All the flavors and colors blended well together even though we planned our recipes without the other’s recipes in mind.
We enjoyed a 3-course meal as the last recipe wasn’t done until later in the evening, when we sampled that one despite being quite full and very content from our previous tasting and eating extravaganza.
It was so delightful to spend several hours cooking with a friend, talking, chopping, eating and sampling. We were quite full at the end of the night and very happy to have shared some amazing food and new recipes with each other.
It is somehow easier and more fun to cook with others, than to cook alone as I often do. I found much more excitement in choosing recipes and shopping, knowing that I was going to have a cooking partner and that I would be sharing a meal with a good friend.
“In many countries, mealtime is treated as sacred. In France, for instance, while it is acceptable to eat by oneself, one should never rush a meal. A frenzied salad muncher on the métro invites dirty glares, and employees are given at least an hour for lunch. In many Mexican cities, townspeople will eat together with friends and family in central areas like parks or town squares. In Cambodia, villagers spread out colorful mats and bring food to share with loved ones like a potluck.” (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/the-importance-of-eating-together/374256/)
I highly recommend cooking and eating with others whenever possible.
Great food truly is better with good company!
Fresh food and vibrant fruits and veggies at farmer’s markets is a wonderful taste of summer and I often go just for the experience and to talk to the farmers. In our world of grocery shopping at a supermarket and being far removed from our food sources, it is amazing to be able to meet the people growing your food.
I love to eat fresh food but why does food grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation often feel like a chore to me? I want to eat well and stay healthy and yet doing so every day while working and keeping up with the rest of my life, often seems overwhelming.
I can procrastinate going to the grocery store for a while and then I have to get really creative about what I’m eating. I’m always happy at the end of the shopping trip though, with a fridge full of delicious food. This allows me to have many options for snacking and meals at my fingertips.
What a treat it was to spend several hours cooking with a good friend of mine about a month ago! We each brought our own ingredients and recipes and prepped and cooked food together, including enough for some leftovers. It was hot day in June so we cranked up the air conditioning and got cooking. We each made 2 recipes and then had a lovely meal together. When it was done, we shared the cleanup and we were both able to take home some extras for the following week.
Good food is meant to be shared and so this was a huge pleasure that we plan on making a monthly occurrence. When we were talking about cooking together my friend Betsy said she was going to “tear up”, she was so happy to have a cooking partner. I felt the same way and it was great to spend several hours with a good friend cooking food, eating together and catching up. She is also a foodie who has a restrictive diet due to food allergies. So being together and being able to share lots of delicious and healthy food despite both of our restrictions, (that others don’t always understand) was really an amazing way to spend a Friday together.
She made a Vegetarian African Peanut Stew and a Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry with tempeh. I made a bean hummus that was amazing to dip veggies and sliced hard boiled eggs into. I also made a Chopped Chicken Salad with Spiralized Cucumbers. I got to use my new veggie spiralizer! All the flavors and colors blended well together even though we planned our recipes without the other’s recipes in mind.
We enjoyed a 3-course meal as the last recipe wasn’t done until later in the evening, when we sampled that one despite being quite full and very content from our previous tasting and eating extravaganza.
It was so delightful to spend several hours cooking with a friend, talking, chopping, eating and sampling. We were quite full at the end of the night and very happy to have shared some amazing food and new recipes with each other.
It is somehow easier and more fun to cook with others, than to cook alone as I often do. I found much more excitement in choosing recipes and shopping, knowing that I was going to have a cooking partner and that I would be sharing a meal with a good friend.
“In many countries, mealtime is treated as sacred. In France, for instance, while it is acceptable to eat by oneself, one should never rush a meal. A frenzied salad muncher on the métro invites dirty glares, and employees are given at least an hour for lunch. In many Mexican cities, townspeople will eat together with friends and family in central areas like parks or town squares. In Cambodia, villagers spread out colorful mats and bring food to share with loved ones like a potluck.” (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/the-importance-of-eating-together/374256/)
I highly recommend cooking and eating with others whenever possible.
Great food truly is better with good company!
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