Illustration – Comfort Food

digital painting, 28 Comments
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Only the pure of heart, can make good soup.”

– Beethoven.

The last seven months caught up with me this weekend. I have begun to feel weary and battle-worn while parsing truth over fiction, choosing acceptance over resistance, and faith over fear through all of the challenges.
It was time to make some comfort food. As I assembled my various offerings for a vegetable soup, a small empty container near my stove caught my eye. It is empty, yet it is filled with the secret ingredient that makes every meal, no matter how meager or grand, a five-star entree.

Twenty-some years ago I learned that each time I prepare a meal, or even a snack, it is important to center myself in the task and not to let my mind wander. Every thought and emotion you feel while cooking will go directly into the food, and into each person who shares in it. Emotions can also change the aromas and flavors. Whoever consumes the food you cried tears over, will feel the sadness you added to the food, or anger you felt as well.

However,
if you nourish yourself and your thoughts with love while preparing your food, the food itself will taste wonderful, nourish the body and spirit of each who eat, delivering exactly what is perfect and needed for each person. This is why I keep a small empty porcelain container near my stove with my “go-to” spices. It reminds me to add a the “secret ingredient” to each meal, to add a sprinkling of love.

Next time you make a salad, think of the journey these vegetables made to arrive into your hands and kitchen.
Bless the farmers who grew it,
bless the labor that harvested it,
bless the truckers that transported it,
bless the warehouse that shipped it to the market,
bless the market that made it available for you to purchase it,
and bless yourself who bought it, to lovingly prepare for yourself and others.
Add love, and serve.
All of these blessings will lift your spirits, and create a wonderful cooking experience, which otherwise could have been a chore.

This weekend I made a big pot of nourishing soup, and I painted the memory as reminder of the secret ingredient.

– Thank you.

 

 

  8. So heartwarming! This is a great reminder for me today as I often forget about all the blessings in the foods I have available to work with in creating a meal. Surely a sign of abundance! I love the cheerfulness of your illustration.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Than you so much 🙂. I have to continuously remind myself to come back into the moment… and as always find peace there, not two steps in the future or the past. A work in progress…. but rewarding!

      Like

  9. Oh my. I know this sounds lame to ask, but is it really true or just metaphorical? 🤔 I mean, I dont cook much but I’ve seen my mum follow the exact same recipe and manage to make it taste different🧐🤷‍♀️

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Not a lame question at all. But an interesting observation you have made, and it’s truly worth experimenting with! For myself I can always tell where my heart was at by the taste… if I was in a grump it will taste a bit metallic, and I end up not feeling so great if I ate it anyway…it’s interesting when you expand that observation through everything you do! Thanks for the comment!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello Paisley Power! Thank you so much. Swapping soups is a great idea. I generally make a huge pot and my son does too… so the swapping idea is terrific. Maybe I will get a lot of my containers back in the process 😂 ! Great to hear from you, thank you!

      Liked by 2 people

    2. that’s put a smile on my face Liza! it’s always tricky, having to remember which containers are Mum’s or mine, when I unload the dishwasher. We’ll have to start the Mum+Son Soup Gang! (daughters and Dads also welcome)

      Liked by 1 person

Thoughts?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.