Birds of a feather flock together….
It is said that like attracts like…….and when there is congregation, there is inspiration. Lately, I have been downloading like crazy from what I call the Universal mainframe…ideas of all kinds, some a little out there, and others which lead me to the next steps in my life path. And as it happens, I am being pulled towards people who are part of the story or may even be the defining piece of the puzzle that I am trying to piece together.
There are things that I am passionate about and I have spent my life trying to work out how they all fit together. I think I’m on to something…..and CHANGE is a coming!!
Here’s the thing..
I LOVE to cook so I can enjoy relaxed meals with family and friends.
Baking is like well…pretty much like BREATHING to me!
I love to GIVE and CELEBRATE the great moments in life and while I’m not always the best at the little details, I certainly give it my best.
I love meeting new people….connecting and fitting our individual puzzle pieces to create the bigger picture. As we go, we INSPIRE and are inspired by each other as we travel down that road of interconnectedness where our lives weave in and out of one another like a fine tapestry. There are moments in our lives where the planets line up, the puzzle is complete and that ‘Aha’ moment hits you like a tonne of bricks. This is one of those moments where I find myself gravitating to a cookbook my husband bought me for my birthday, while across the world some of my closest friends are doing the same thing. Cooking their way through this amazing book….
Feeling inspired and connected through it all together. It has created a knock on effect….the more we cook, the more we get excited and the enthusiasm is spreading. Friends of friends are buying the book to get back in the kitchen and enjoy what we have been doing all along by creating fuss free food with ease. Now, I can hear you thinking “Hmmm….isn’t this a bit like Julie and Julia? Cook your way through a book and blog about it?” Yes, we have been Facebooking our creations much to the annoyance of some and the curiosity of others “What book is it? Where can I buy it?” but this goes way beyond that.
For some, this has become a focus and a way to connect back to their roots. For others it has just become a pure addiction where all those things that seemed so difficult before (choux pastry!?) now don’t seem so daunting once you’ve tried the other recipes and realize that this book is different. It’s a keeper! Thank you again Annabel for creating this masterpiece! I own many cookbooks and often use them for inspiration and never have I ever been so drawn to one book. Love it!
Right, so here we are cooking our way along and posting status updates on Facebook of what we cooked, how we changed it, if we liked it…….and then we realize that we’ve done quite a few!
“Adrienne….how many recipes have you cooked now? God, you must have nearly finished the book!” I say to my friend in London who swears the book is getting her through those cold, dark English winter days where she flips through page after page admiring the breathtaking scenery in her native New Zealand (where I now sit!).
“Oh God Steph, at least 45?” she replies while whipping up a chocolate cake in her new Kitchen Aid (recipe #46!)…and then it hits me…..
We are blessed with ABUNDANCE to be able to cook what we want, when we want and provide interesting and nutritious meals for our families. We are filled with GRATITUDE for the amazing food we are able to SHARE with family and friends so why not PAY IT FORWARD? Make it simple…….
Pick a recipe book, one that inspires you hopefully! Cook a recipe from that book and SHARE the enjoyment that comes with creating that recipe. Get yourself a jar……
Place it in your kitchen where everyone can see it (maybe even get your kids to decorate it….)
Now show your GRATITUDE for the life you’ve been given and the amazing food on your table…by dropping a coin in the jar….every time you cook a recipe from your chosen book.
And watch it grow! Now you’re COOKING FOR CHANGE!! Doesn’t it feel good?
COOKING FOR CHANGE MISSION
Cooking for Change aims to INSPIRE the masses and create a knock on effect of cooking, sharing, and giving with GRATITUDE. We all get in a rut sometimes and what better way to be inspired than to join hands, share food, and help those in need.
The charities we select are ones which we have dealt with first hand and are legitimate/legal charities. When we lived in Dubai, we became involved with an amazing charity called All As One which looks after children in Sierra Leone. We have several friends who have adopted these amazing children and their spirit never ceases to amaze me coming from such a war torn country. I was fortunate enough to be able to raise some money through my jewelry business that I ran in Dubai to help this cause but since leaving Dubai our support has been minimal and I am constantly drawn to it.
This photo was taken at a black tie event in honor of All As One where my gorgeous friend Adrienne (the one cooking from the book!) and I were honored to meet the First Lady of Sierra Leone (I touched her bum by mistake…woooops!).
All As One is in need of help to cover the costs of running the orphanage. You can help Cooking for Change by simply getting back in your kitchen, joining us on our Facebook Page to talk about how your cooking adventures are going, and sparing a few loose coins in your GRATITUDE jar to help those in need. We are currently working on a link which will go directly to All As One so when your jar is full, you can click on our Facebook link (or one we provide through email!) and donate your hard earned change to help these amazing children. For those of you who have children, what a brilliant way to get them engaged in helping others while learning to give thanks for our ABUNDANCE.
And while we are focusing on Annabel’s amazing book The Free Range Cook at the moment and you may not be able to get it yet wherever you are, please by all means choose one of your other favorite books and share with us what you’re doing!! If you really want to get started with Annabel while you wait for your book to be sent or become available overseas, she features quite a few of her recipes on her site (although this is only a small percentage of what is in the book it is a great start!).
GET COOKING FOR CHANGE!!
1. Pick a jar, any old jar will do!!
2. Grab your favorite recipe book or one that inspires you
3. Choose a recipe
4. Even better yet, cook the darn thing!!
5. Give THANKS
6. Dig deep in those pockets, grab a coin and plunk it in the jar (sounds good doesn’t it?)
7. Enjoy the fruits of your labor
8. Pay yourself on the back (you’re back in the kitchen and loving it!)
9. Visit our page and tell us all about it! What you made, if you modified the recipe, whether you liked it or not.
10. PAY IT FORWARD. Click on the link for your favorite charity and make a donation for the amount in your jar (when you’re ready of course, you might even start a competition between you and your mates!!).
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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