Time in the Kitchen

Sunday I spent about 2 1/2 hours preparing foods for the week and prepping for dinner that evening.  As I was noticing the clock ticking by, I felt a tad bit of guilt creeping in that I was not engaged with my girls playing or spending time with my husband.  Mind you the girls were happy and content and did not need me.  My husband was preparing for a business trip and did not need me.  Then why would I feel guilty for prepping nutrient dense, healthy food for my family?

Unfortunately we live in a society that says "We women (and men) can do it all!"  Well that is a lie!  Life is about choices and you constantly have to choose.  Prepping your food, educating yourself on nutrition, and spending afternoons in the kitchen all take TIME.  Time well spent.  Time to be valued and praised.  An investment in your family's health is a worthwhile commitment.  Our family has made the decision to eat from the earth as often as possible and we value taking time to purchase and prepare our food.  That is a decision I have to make often (sometimes daily) and fight against the guilt to live in a world of convenience.  I wish I was the type who loved being in the kitchen, but I'm not.  I will say over time it is growing on me as I remind myself each meal, each day that I have much to be thankful for when it comes to an abundance of healthy foods.  

Interestingly, not too many generations ago, kids spent hours each day in the fields helping grow and harvest their food, then ran around with their siblings while their mothers made their bread and cooked everything from scratch.  I want to continue those values set forth by my grandparents and carry them into the next generation.  

In this broken world in which we live, choose His garden of goodness and eat closest to the garden of Eden.  It is my prayer, we get back to the basics and find freedom in making the choice to spend time in the kitchen preparing foods for our ourselves & our families.  

freedom & grace to you - 

leanne