A Love For Your Food

Dancing Elephants Book Project: Group 1

“I am not a glutton — I am an explorer of food” ― Erma Bombeck

All of my life, I have been in love with food. I love to savor it, prepare it, and serve it to those I love. Each morsel is like a symphony for the soul.

Health and wellness for me are sitting down for a delicious meal.

Your food is a blessing passed down from the Earth to a plant and those who nurture it. The circle of life that sustains us brings great joy.

I start my mornings with a slow breakfast. It allows me to fuel my body for a busy day and take time to say thank you to everyone who helped get the meal to my table.

Grinding and measuring out coffee into a French press captures a moment of pure sensory joy. As I spoon the grounds into the glass pot, time slows down. I can enjoy the process of creating my morning drink.

I decided to go back to simple ways of preparing things. It allows me to enjoy the present moment instead of pushing buttons. Recently my electric teakettle stopped working. Now I boil water in a pot. There is more time to go outside while I wait for my cup of tea.

When you use special plates and cups every day, it is like dressing food and drinks in their best finery. It says you matter.

Some of my earliest memories involve pretending to be a restaurant owner. Sawdust formed my pizza crust, and leaves were the toppings. I can picture putting together something delicious in my imagination.

Treating food with love leads to a healthy body. In my life, I experimented with many different eating styles. What works best for me is to enjoy food to the fullest.

Through my experiments with food, I found my love of food brought me more health and wellness than a more rigid plan.

When we slow down and take in each meal by sitting down at the table, it leads to healthy eating.

I am usually the last to finish eating because I love to savor each bite. It is best to stay in the moment while at the table. You can use it as a mindfulness exercise.

Every week we seek out new food experiences in our community. It gets us out of our comfort zone and allows us to explore new cuisines. Heading out on a food adventure makes our spirits soar!

One of my favorite meals is afternoon tea, where you slow your pace and allow each flavor to impact your taste buds. Each layer of the three trays invites you to enjoy its offerings.

In my free time, I love to read cookbooks and food magazines. Going through recipes allows me to dive deep into my imagination. I can visualize myself following each step that leads to something delicious.

Although I love to lead a minimalist lifestyle, we have some specialty cooking equipment that helps us create memorable meals. One of these is a sous-vide machine. It keeps water at a steady temperature and allows you to cook poached eggs in the shell and other delicious offerings.

I believe the more we enjoy food and cooking, the healthier we will become.

Cooking from scratch is a healthy activity because it allows us to get exercise while moving around in the kitchen. We use more whole foods and find more ways to reduce food waste when cooking for ourselves.

We can also grow some of our food, leading to even healthier eating. Fruits and vegetables fresh out of the garden taste the best. I love to grow berries, apples from our trees, and herbs, and my husband grows a little garlic patch every year.

When you garden, it allows you to move your body and enjoy the outdoors. Nurturing your plants is a joyful experience.

My wish for you today and every day is for you to enjoy each bite of food with intention. When we take the time to create a meal with our hands, it imbues it with love and peace. That feeling of joy can create a healthier environment for you and others to prosper on this Earth.

Be happy while shopping for your groceries, grow a few herbs, and prepare your meals. Each step you take toward loving food will lead to loving yourself. My sincere hope is for everyone to feel joyful about their meals.

Takeaways:

• Find ways to slow down your meals and savor each morsel. Use nice plates and cups at the table.
• Enjoy new foods in your community and go on food adventures to try new cuisines.
• Try growing some herbs or berries in your garden or pots. It will help you create delicious and healthy meals.
• Cook something from scratch when you can. Whole foods help our bodies stay healthy.
• Bring joy into every meal by thanking those who brought it to your table.

Thank you to the lovely editorial team at Dancing Elephants Press: Lady Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, and Lorena of Sharing Randomly.