As a single Mother when I was younger with an ex spouse unemployed this is a very important topic to me. I have helped out with making sandwiches and dishes for the needy and I have also volunteered at Food Banks.
I also worry about food for the needy and the cost right now given the upcoming crack down on Snap benefits and lack of funding going to food Banks.
My church for many years will be giving funds to a local food pantry to build a new kitchen this year. I just learned that recently. The need is real!
This certainly is a time when food banks need help.
They need volunteers and donations.
This is something I can help with.
Thank you for bringing this up Robin Ann.
I learned from a very early age
that I and my family
were fortunate to have enough food to eat . . .
even though my mother was very thrifty
she almost always put something on the table
that was not only palatable
but also mostly tasty.
My father said ‘Grace’ before we dined on fish sticks,
welsh rabbit,
waffles,
and homemade macaroni,
which was really good.
For breakfast,
sometimes we had the treat of some scrapple,
and lunch once in awhile,
canned tuna fish or SPAM sandwiches
and every autumn,
she would make shoo fly pie.
We were never truly hungry.
I was daily reminded of the starving children in India,
so much,
that it ceased to have meaning for me
until I saw a story about it on the television
when I was older.
It was then
that I knew the world was broken . . .
I knew there was enough food for every living creature on the planet,
but a vast majority were deprived.
I looked at the shriveled and wizened bodies of children
barely strong enough to lift their heads,
at the gaunt faces of their parents,
and hunger
took on a whole new meaning.
No,
I did not become a chef
and travel the world feeding those in need,
but I have a vast amount of respect for those who do.
Now I share what I have,
whether it be vegetables and herbs from the garden
or a quiche or a hearty stew I have made.
Being fully aware
that what we eat
is a gift from our planet to us,
I now cook and bake with heart . . .
I try spices and seasonings from other lands,
and make the most out of what i stock in my pantry.
I cook now,
with presence and reverence
with what has been made available to me . . .
I offer my gratitude
with every bite,
with every savory aroma,
and every piece of burnt potatoe I put in my mouth . . .
the failures and successes are all good . . .
it is ALL good. ♥
My lovely wife Cheryl asked if there was anything ‘special’ to eat I would care for on fathers day past. The only thought that came to my mind followed right on out . . . . Thank you for asking but every meal I eat is special.
To deeply enjoy eating to me seems to be one way of honoring the food which we are offered so abundantly and in uncountable variety by kindred people from all over the planet, while in the same time being aware that this cannot be taken for granted at all. as so many people worldwide do not have access even to the most basic nourishment and clean water. To prepare the food respectfully and to cook it carefully, choosing herbs mindfully and let the vegetables unfold their individual, nourishing and tasting present through our loving creation and in doing so, adding joy and delight to the dear ones you cook for. This way, the farmer, the ones who transport it, the ones who sell it and the cycle of life offering the food at hand are all honored also. To be able and allowed to add milled Tonka bean originated in South America to a dessert or cinnamon to the beloved Apple pie is an invaluable gift given from our Mother Earth as well as countless people working for it to arrive at my plate. I bow my head to all of you and deeply thank you all dearly.
I could give thanks more often. I know how fortunate I am to have my caloric needs met.
And not just met, but I have access to some of the most delicious and nutritious food anywhere, and like most things, I tend to take it for granted.
I will try to be more present when I am eating and not just blindly eat while doing other things.
I think we have to nurture our food the same way our food nurtures us. Some times I’m in too big of a hurry and I eat without savoring my meal. This may partly be because I often am eating alone. Everything comes down to the need for awareness, the need to give thanks, the need to be present. This evening my 23 year old neighbor is coming to learn how to make chocolate zucchini cake. She is a newly wed and she admitted to me on the phone last night that she doesn’t even own a baking pan and she’s not sure she even wants to own one–not sure she will enjoy baking. I bake a lot and always share what I bake with family, friends, neighbors, the mail man, etc., etc. That’s how she knows about the chocolate zucchini cake! Turning ingredients into something tasty and sharing the product brings me joy. It does not escape me that people are starving due to war, to climate change, to man’s inhumanity to man. A beautiful hymn written by John Foley comes to mind. If you trace the origins of the word, Lord, it is defined as the “bread giver.”
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
Gentile or Jew
Servant or free
Woman or man
No more
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
Many the gifts, many the works
One in the Lord
Of all
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
We are one body in this one Lord
As Joseph Campbell said to Bill Moyers many years ago on the series, “The Power of Myth.” We need a new myth and it must be about the planet. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwxQerZ5jOs
How special that you are reaching out to your neighbors in this way, Carol Ann! I love that you are not only bringing them chocolate zucchini cake, but teaching your young neighbor how to cook it ♥️
Several years ago, I had written in a little notebook “The Five Contemplations at the Beginning of a Meal” (relayed by Thich Nhat Hanh). I am not sure what source I found these in. I had recently been thinking that I would like to memorize those and say them in my mind before meals. Perhaps today’s question is a good incentive to start memorizing it. (I might occasionally turn the other way on the fourth contemplation, especially if enjoying some dessert that someone has lovingly prepared that perhaps may not “nourish me and prevent illness” 🙂 )
This food is the gift of the whole universe, the Earth, the sky, and much hard work.
May I eat in such a way as to be worthy to receive it.
May I transform my unskillful states of mind and learn to eat in moderation.
May I take only food that nourishes me and prevents illness.
I accept this food in order to realize the path of understanding and love.
Don’t try to save too tightly when I’m able to enjoy eating. It reminds me of my grandma, and perhaps many women in Vietnam, who lived through hard times.
Of course, eating is not the purpose of life, but even when they had some money, these women hesitated to buy food. They saved everything for their children.
When my grandma became seriously ill, she longed for a bowl of phở. But when my aunt finally brought it to her, my grandma was no longer able to eat.
More importantly, when I go to a buffet, I make sure to only take what I can eat.
I love to cook and bake, and touch, smell, and visually take in ingredients and processes. I can expand on that to imagine where each ingredient came from, and thank each one.
I thank the Divine for the food before me. ✨
I say Grace before my meals. 🙏🏻
I am ever grateful for the abundance the Divine has blessed me with.
I thank & honor all the farmers & those who contributed to my having this abundance in my home, my kitchen and on my plate. Thank you.
🕊️♥️
I frequently read, write, or watch a television program while I eat.
Letting go of other activities and focusing on the food would allow me to honor the gift of food.
Some attention to presentation
and maybe a single flower in a bud vase would also hep me to stay focused on my food.
Thank you for this question.
Eat mindfully. Enjoy the flavors and texture of everything you eat. Be grateful for being full. Pray for those who have nothing to eat. Give thanks for your blessing.
This reminds me of my Nanny – she had (and now we all do) a jar of ‘Love’ on the stove – it was salt. I have a clear jar with a red painted heart of Love on my stove as do all my kids and even my son’s new gf has one too… I love seeing the Love jar and thinking of her.
Yes, cooking with love, thank you:)
haha – yes, knowing when to stop rather than pigging out! Maybe thinking that we can have some of today’s goodness tomorrow as well, or share it with someone who may appreciate it 🙂
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As a single Mother when I was younger with an ex spouse unemployed this is a very important topic to me. I have helped out with making sandwiches and dishes for the needy and I have also volunteered at Food Banks.
I also worry about food for the needy and the cost right now given the upcoming crack down on Snap benefits and lack of funding going to food Banks.
My church for many years will be giving funds to a local food pantry to build a new kitchen this year. I just learned that recently. The need is real!
This certainly is a time when food banks need help.
They need volunteers and donations.
This is something I can help with.
Thank you for bringing this up Robin Ann.
yes for sure, it is very rewarding to help too
I learned from a very early age
that I and my family
were fortunate to have enough food to eat . . .
even though my mother was very thrifty
she almost always put something on the table
that was not only palatable
but also mostly tasty.
My father said ‘Grace’ before we dined on fish sticks,
welsh rabbit,
waffles,
and homemade macaroni,
which was really good.
For breakfast,
sometimes we had the treat of some scrapple,
and lunch once in awhile,
canned tuna fish or SPAM sandwiches
and every autumn,
she would make shoo fly pie.
We were never truly hungry.
I was daily reminded of the starving children in India,
so much,
that it ceased to have meaning for me
until I saw a story about it on the television
when I was older.
It was then
that I knew the world was broken . . .
I knew there was enough food for every living creature on the planet,
but a vast majority were deprived.
I looked at the shriveled and wizened bodies of children
barely strong enough to lift their heads,
at the gaunt faces of their parents,
and hunger
took on a whole new meaning.
No,
I did not become a chef
and travel the world feeding those in need,
but I have a vast amount of respect for those who do.
Now I share what I have,
whether it be vegetables and herbs from the garden
or a quiche or a hearty stew I have made.
Being fully aware
that what we eat
is a gift from our planet to us,
I now cook and bake with heart . . .
I try spices and seasonings from other lands,
and make the most out of what i stock in my pantry.
I cook now,
with presence and reverence
with what has been made available to me . . .
I offer my gratitude
with every bite,
with every savory aroma,
and every piece of burnt potatoe I put in my mouth . . .
the failures and successes are all good . . .
it is ALL good. ♥
My lovely wife Cheryl asked if there was anything ‘special’ to eat I would care for on fathers day past. The only thought that came to my mind followed right on out . . . . Thank you for asking but every meal I eat is special.
To deeply enjoy eating to me seems to be one way of honoring the food which we are offered so abundantly and in uncountable variety by kindred people from all over the planet, while in the same time being aware that this cannot be taken for granted at all. as so many people worldwide do not have access even to the most basic nourishment and clean water. To prepare the food respectfully and to cook it carefully, choosing herbs mindfully and let the vegetables unfold their individual, nourishing and tasting present through our loving creation and in doing so, adding joy and delight to the dear ones you cook for. This way, the farmer, the ones who transport it, the ones who sell it and the cycle of life offering the food at hand are all honored also. To be able and allowed to add milled Tonka bean originated in South America to a dessert or cinnamon to the beloved Apple pie is an invaluable gift given from our Mother Earth as well as countless people working for it to arrive at my plate. I bow my head to all of you and deeply thank you all dearly.
Namaste,
dear Ose . . . ♥
I could give thanks more often. I know how fortunate I am to have my caloric needs met.
And not just met, but I have access to some of the most delicious and nutritious food anywhere, and like most things, I tend to take it for granted.
I will try to be more present when I am eating and not just blindly eat while doing other things.
I think we have to nurture our food the same way our food nurtures us. Some times I’m in too big of a hurry and I eat without savoring my meal. This may partly be because I often am eating alone. Everything comes down to the need for awareness, the need to give thanks, the need to be present. This evening my 23 year old neighbor is coming to learn how to make chocolate zucchini cake. She is a newly wed and she admitted to me on the phone last night that she doesn’t even own a baking pan and she’s not sure she even wants to own one–not sure she will enjoy baking. I bake a lot and always share what I bake with family, friends, neighbors, the mail man, etc., etc. That’s how she knows about the chocolate zucchini cake! Turning ingredients into something tasty and sharing the product brings me joy. It does not escape me that people are starving due to war, to climate change, to man’s inhumanity to man. A beautiful hymn written by John Foley comes to mind. If you trace the origins of the word, Lord, it is defined as the “bread giver.”
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
Gentile or Jew
Servant or free
Woman or man
No more
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
Many the gifts, many the works
One in the Lord
Of all
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
We are one body in this one Lord
As Joseph Campbell said to Bill Moyers many years ago on the series, “The Power of Myth.” We need a new myth and it must be about the planet. Here’s the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwxQerZ5jOs
How special that you are reaching out to your neighbors in this way, Carol Ann! I love that you are not only bringing them chocolate zucchini cake, but teaching your young neighbor how to cook it ♥️
Carol, I love sweets. That chocolate zucchini cake sounds delicious.
Several years ago, I had written in a little notebook “The Five Contemplations at the Beginning of a Meal” (relayed by Thich Nhat Hanh). I am not sure what source I found these in. I had recently been thinking that I would like to memorize those and say them in my mind before meals. Perhaps today’s question is a good incentive to start memorizing it. (I might occasionally turn the other way on the fourth contemplation, especially if enjoying some dessert that someone has lovingly prepared that perhaps may not “nourish me and prevent illness” 🙂 )
This food is the gift of the whole universe, the Earth, the sky, and much hard work.
May I eat in such a way as to be worthy to receive it.
May I transform my unskillful states of mind and learn to eat in moderation.
May I take only food that nourishes me and prevents illness.
I accept this food in order to realize the path of understanding and love.
Agreed. Thank you Elizabeth.
This contemplation,
dear Elizabeth,
is a keeper . . .
thank you for posting it. ♥
Don’t try to save too tightly when I’m able to enjoy eating. It reminds me of my grandma, and perhaps many women in Vietnam, who lived through hard times.
Of course, eating is not the purpose of life, but even when they had some money, these women hesitated to buy food. They saved everything for their children.
When my grandma became seriously ill, she longed for a bowl of phở. But when my aunt finally brought it to her, my grandma was no longer able to eat.
More importantly, when I go to a buffet, I make sure to only take what I can eat.
I’m sorry,
dear Ngoc,
that you your grandmother
was not able to enjoy once last bowl of pho. ♥
My Ngoc, we easily share the same sentiment. There’s more to life than eating, but we should enjoy delicious food for as long as we’re healthy.
I love to cook and bake, and touch, smell, and visually take in ingredients and processes. I can expand on that to imagine where each ingredient came from, and thank each one.
I thank the Divine for the food before me. ✨
I say Grace before my meals. 🙏🏻
I am ever grateful for the abundance the Divine has blessed me with.
I thank & honor all the farmers & those who contributed to my having this abundance in my home, my kitchen and on my plate. Thank you.
🕊️♥️
To support folks who volunteer in food banks, meals on wheels, organizations devoted to stamping out hunger, summer meal programs, etc
I frequently read, write, or watch a television program while I eat.
Letting go of other activities and focusing on the food would allow me to honor the gift of food.
Some attention to presentation
and maybe a single flower in a bud vase would also hep me to stay focused on my food.
Thank you for this question.
I put some marigolds from the garden in a glass cup on the dining room table, it is nice to have them in sight while I eat.
I’ve always had a passion for dining out. Being open to foods from different cultures helps me appreciate every morsel.
Eat mindfully. Enjoy the flavors and texture of everything you eat. Be grateful for being full. Pray for those who have nothing to eat. Give thanks for your blessing.
Great answer, David. That is a basic need we often overlook. We don’t need to go too far from home to find starving people.
Cook with love. Eat with presence. Be mindful of excess.
This reminds me of my Nanny – she had (and now we all do) a jar of ‘Love’ on the stove – it was salt. I have a clear jar with a red painted heart of Love on my stove as do all my kids and even my son’s new gf has one too… I love seeing the Love jar and thinking of her.
Yes, cooking with love, thank you:)
Oh, a love jar!! What a beautiful idea and great daily reminder.
You said this very well.
Yes, be mindful of excess. So true.
(Pigging out kind of ruins the whole thing. ☺️)
haha – yes, knowing when to stop rather than pigging out! Maybe thinking that we can have some of today’s goodness tomorrow as well, or share it with someone who may appreciate it 🙂
Remember to help our local food bank: volunteer, donations, etc.
There is a reason that we say “food clothing and shelter” in that order.