the heart of the home

Cooking real food takes time. A. lot. of. time. You have to think ahead, you have to soak and sprout and dehydrate and ferment and mix and freeze and simmer (sometimes even grow!) your food instead of opening a box. I feel blessed in that I really love to cook, but there are times that it gets wearying. Here are a few things that I've found to keep my enthusiasm levels high in the kitchen.

Make the kitchen the heart of your home. In the old days, the dining table was typically in the kitchen so most family activity took place there. The parlour, or sitting room, was reserved for company. Without electricity, light was a precious commodity and had to be concentrated in one room, so the family sat around the table to read, talk, sew, or whatever. This was the hub of daily life. It's a lot more fun to cook when there's activity around you rather than to feel like you are stuck off in a room away from everyone.

Make the kitchen a place that you love to be. I have loved the kitchens in every house we've lived in, and in our current crooked little farmhouse, it is my favorite room. I recently rearranged and organized it so that I love it even more. I like to make it a place of beauty, tranquility and functionality so that I enjoy hanging out there. Just a few strategically placed items can change a room from boring to warm and personal.It doesn't have to be expensive...for me, it's my grandma's tea cups, old lace antique store curtains, a songbird egg print that I found online.

Clean and organize. I don't function well in chaos. I enjoy being in the kitchen so much more when the top of my refrigerator is clutter-free and there aren't dead flies in the windowsills.

Get some pretty aprons. If you like to sew, make them. If you don't, there are so many adorable ones available...do an online search, check out local quilting and craft stores--even Wal-Mart has cute ones sometimes. Gooseberry Patch has some right now that I love.

Invest in proper tools. It is amazing to me how little things like sharp knives can make the difference between pleasure and drudgery. If you can afford a good food processor, a good blender, a good dehydrator and some heavy pots and pans, they are more than worth the expense. A cheap coffee grinder is great for grinding nuts and seeds. A garlic press will save you hours of chopping. I've seen a lot of these things at garage sales or thrift stores for next to nothing, so keep your eyes peeled when you're out and about.

Realize that taking care of your family is, ultimately, a spiritual matter. If I am called by God to be a wife and a mom, then my obedience to that calling is worked out largely in the kitchen! I love this quote by Amy Carmichael:

"If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider 'not spiritual work' and I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love."