1. This is the first full week of school for the YoungAprons. All is well on the going-to-bed, getting-up-early, packing-a-lunch, and homework front. I love the routine of school and I think in many ways they do too. At least for now. We can discuss again in October.
2. Don’t get me wrong, I loved our summer as well. We covered travel, family celebrations, Kentucky history, cookouts, friends over for dinner, meal prep for sick friends, and even a few rounds of golf. Last night the kids and I we were discussing all the things we might be tempted to take for granted in our life. Every single thing I just listed we discussed. The where-with-all, the resources, and the ability to do these activities is nothing short of amazing, at least to me. When we can look back on the last 10 weeks and realize we’re living modestly, but in a way that many children and adults in our world can scarcely imagine the word humbling comes to mind. I hope everyone’s summer was full of some good times with family and friends.
3. With the school year comes a time to cook and eat dinner earlier. I’m back to my regularly scheduled, weekly grocery shopping trips, stocking up on food for packed lunches and home-cooked suppers filled with lean meats, fresh and frozen vegetables, whole grains, pasta, beans, and salads. I’ll try to keep up with the weekly “What We Ate Last Week”. Someone sent me a direct message on Twitter the other day and said they love “What We Ate Last Week” for its simplicity and the inspiration it provides in menu and meal planning. I’m happy that it does something for those who read it. We eat out, we order pizza, but by and large our evening meals are built around food I cook at home.
4. Maggie the dog is laying in her open-wire crate beside my table. She is snoring. Sound asleep. I guess this is what is called the Dog’s Life. I’m not sure why I’m telling you this, except it’s certainly an arbitrary thought. Even as I re-read and edit this piece, she’s snoring a bit louder than even previously.
5. I helped edit the catalog copy for The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook. The cover art for the book is being finalized. The manuscript has been cut by me to the tune of 100 pages and is now off to the copy editor. This project is yet another thing I could add to our summertime-don’t-take-for-granted list. My hope is that those who buy this cookbook will feel inspired and empowered to cook fresh meals from their kitchen, all year long. We don’t always have to eat local, and we don’t always have to eat everything perfectly fresh. The locavore movement can be too virtuous if we’re not careful. The point, at least to me, is that there is a wide variety of foods to cook and eat and enjoy, some from Kentucky and some not. Some are more complicated to cook, and some are a bit more streamlined. But in the end, and in my opinion, any act of cooking a fresh, homemade meal for those you care about goes a long way into making our world a healthier, more hospitable place.