Keeping faith with the grace of the table by sharing the love of cooking
My very first cookbook was the Betty Crocker's Boys and Girls Cookbook. It was given to me by my aunt - a Home Economist! I don’t know what other little girls growing up in the 1970s did for fun, but my best friend and I spent many happy days playing “cooking show!” a’la Julia Child – Hello Food Network.
As a mom, food has always been an important part of who we were as a family. When discussing a birthday or other family event, the menu was always the first thing to consider. I have fond memories of planning special menus like a Beatrix Potter inspired first birthday or our DVD nights (Disney Video Dinners) – spaghetti and meatballs with Lady and the Tramp was a favorite. As the kids got older, elaborate Halloween party food was fun to plan.
Thus, it was wrenching when a family member developed the cruel and vicious disease of an eating disorder. Family meals, once a time for gathering together and fun, became a grim task full or stress and sadness. It was during this time I started my Etsy shop, Home EC Class. It was my small rebellion against the many forces in our lives that was stripping food of its fun, its familial bonds, and its inherent ability to nurture. Reading through my collection of cookbooks I had gathered over the years, and others I have managed to put my hands on to post on my Etsy has been FUN. It reminds me of the joy that comes from cooking, eating and sharing food together. It gives me hope that everyone in our family, and everyone who suffers from this awful, awful disease will eventually be able to see food again that way. In the meantime, funds generated from this store have helped pay for treatment and it has helped me to keep faith in the grace of the table.
