When Aunt Stasia Ran the Kitchen

Tidewriting
...written in the sand; carried by the sea


Once, before there was buying in bulk, and living with bulk, Aunt Stasia ran the kitchen. She knew all about "re-use, reduce, and recycle," but didn't call them that. That's just the way things were. It was not a time of excess; it was a time of enough. And that's what made for enjoyment, and contentment for all of us within the range of her nurture.

We really didn't seem to have numerous containers for left-overs, if I remember correctly. A meal was considered well-planned and well-prepared if the clean-up did not include putting away lots of food. There was enough, for everybody. And, there were many, many everybodies.

One really important lesson was entitled, "Don't spoil your appetite!" To spoil your appetite did not bless the hands that prepared the meal. The meal was your nutrition, as well as an object of gratitude. We were mindful, back then, of the One who provided and the one who prepared, and were truly grateful because we did not go in want.

So, the term "snack food" would have been greeted with, "What?" I remember every so often having a strange sensation upon arriving home from my swim in the ocean. Now, in my 60th decade, I recognize it as hunger, but didn't then. "Hunger" came but three times a day, and 3:00 pm wasn't one of them. Yet every so often, food started looking incredibly good to me. This included corn flakes, any summer fruit, and an amazing Nabisco cookie called, "Melody Wafers." I would start sniffing around the kitchen after my shower. It apparently set off a sensor somewhere, and Aunt Stasia would appear. "Don't spoil your appetite!" (At 5 pm, supper was on the table.) So, ON OCCASION, I would be allowed a plum, a nectarine, a small cereal-size bowl of corn flakes with milk, or a Melody wafer with a very small glass of milk--too small to dunk. Oh, so tasty! And, if all went well, by the time supper was over, I had very nicely cleaned my plate.

There was big a protocol about eating the last piece, last slice, or last mouthful. Someone with stature at the table got the last piece. No one ever wanted to presume on that status. Indeed, the last piece always had to be pressed upon one, and never grabbed for. This came down through the generations as an object lesson. In fact, it was the men-folk who repeated cautionary tales involving mythical guests at the table who once stuck their own forks into the last piece of whatever was on the platter. Two no-nos were represented: sticking your own fork, and taking the last piece. So, this well-learned protocol may well have assisted us in starting up the brain-based "stop eating" hormones a little in advance of being filled to the gills. In truth, there was perfectly enough, down to the last thin slice of marinated flank steak.

When Aunt Stasia ran the kitchen, we ate well, felt well, savored the freshness of what we ate, and the company in which we ate it. We were active, healthy, helpful, considerate of the wants of others, and laughed a great deal as we did the dishes together. When Aunt Stasia ran the kitchen, we could not spoil our appetites ever for the love and kindness she served up in abundance.

What rings true for you here? If you could have it now, what would you want more of?

Models of Savoring

This is
Tidewriting
...written in the sand; carried by the sea.




Who are the models of savoring?


Once there was a rabbi teaching the crowds.
And the little children ran up to him and clung to him while he taught.
His followers tried to shoo the little children away, but the rabbi said,
“Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t forbid them, for of such is the
kingdom of heaven.”


The kingdom of heaven? All savoring all the time. No counterpoints of suffering,
no more, “time to go.” No more, “put that down now.” No more, “you’ve had enough,” and,
no more “say goodbye.”

And, most little children? Gifted with wonderment, delight, and zest.
Pleased by positive recollection. Immersed in the present. Elevated by
anticipation.

All savoring, all the time.

“All the way to heaven IS heaven.”
Therese de Lisieux

Eating Colors

Folks, (Jeannie and Emily in particular), I'm not nibbling on the Crayola 96-s. Not this time, anyhow. The Nemo Team is so nutritionally advanced, I feel certain you've all heard vibrantly colorful foods are vibrantly healthy foods. So let's build one terrific Crayola Plate for ourselves. Take a look.

What colors are good for your eyes, and bones, and increased circulation? Think of those dark green leafy sources of plant omega-3s and folate, like spinach, kale, and romaine. Next, what's a good heart healthy color, that can also increase immunity, and decrease the risk for certain cancers? This is a good one: add red to the plate, with antioxidant lycopenes, in foods like tomatoes, watermelon, and papaya, to name just three. So what could be the color of another cancer-fighter and immunity-booster ... one that's GOOD FOR THE EYES? You've got this one: add orange to the plate now, with carrots or any other carotinoid-rich veggie or fruit, like pumpkin, mango, yummy butternut squash, or our big favorite, sweet potatoes. Gayle, could you give us a hint as to what color to add to the plate for really big memory enhancement? Go true blue! Add the blueberry, aka, the "brain berry," rich in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins A and B. You can also get your blue on with Acai berries from the Amazon, even richer in antioxidants than blueberries. While we're adding brain power, what food is rich in anthocyanins for improving brain function. Hint: Hannibal Lechter thinks these go good with brain. Yes, you guessed fava beans, although I prefer black beans for color contrast on the Crayola Plate. Looks nice; tastes so good.

Now, how about finding some hidden colors you may have consumed today? The UK's Food Studies Agency recently suggested some of these colors may be related to ADHD. So smart you are. You know they are additives. But do you know where they are??? Look around the house for sunset yellow, carmoisine, ponceau 4R, tartrazine, quinoline yellow and allura red. How about checking for "Blue 1, 2"; "Red 3" and "Green 3" and "Yellow 6." Unlike their found-in-nature counterparts, these colors are linked with tumor formation. Found any yet? Check your soda bottles, candies, fruit cocktail, cherries, sausage, baked goods and...don't eat this...pet food. You can find more info at the "Mayo Clinic"- and the "MSN Health and Fitness"- websites.

So, take a look. We've colored inside and outside the lines with our pick of savor-ful, colorful foods that add life to our lives. We've also found invisibly bright food colors that don't. After all we've seen today, I can hear two colorful words from Deuteronomy that sum it up for me: "Choose life."

Ponder

What do aspartame berries look like? Have you ever gone hunting for nitrites in the dark? Or even nitrates, for that matter? What if today we thought about fruit of the vine and work of human hands in a slightly more focused way?

What if today we all "pondered" everything we consumed? For those interested in thinning out the "big girl" look, pondering will slow down consumption. For those just interested in trying this out, it will definitely add to savoring each mouthful.

Let's think for a minute about the sweat equity that went into my "twigs and bark" (Uncle John, 2008) breakfast. Geez! My blueberries came from FL. I didn't buy the land they grew on, till it, fertilize it, protect it, plant on it, nurture the seedlings, irrigate them, sweat in the sun to harvest them, truck to market, and buy the gas (! whoa !) to do that! What if it were all about my very own hands, my very own back, my very own know-how to get those berries from evolution to my unworthy mouth this morning?

What if just for today I imaged that I returned to agrarian, hunter-gatherer roots? What if I only consumed today what I were willing to labor for, or hunt, or slaughter, or kill by my own self? Geez, I'd be hungry! Oh, I'd be OK with the agrarian part. I have a little bit of experience there..a LITTLE bit. But the predator part would be hard. I think of fishing with Uncle Joe, dragging nets with Billy, Janet, and Tommy, digging clams with my toes over at the ocean with Bobby Herbert. Yeah, maybe I could do fish and bivalves. But then I think of Daddy Bill and his squirrel traps. Oy Vey! So, today folks, I've made up my mind: local produce and a touch of sea food...and lots of water to keep me full!! Yeah, if I had to sweat for every mouthful every day, there'd be no "big girl" look to worry about.