BEAUTIES!
here are some of the photos from the seasonal 'little miracles'
i create & share in ocean's 1st grade classroom.
the idea started at his preschool when i would bring
'jules basket' ('what's in jules basket?') with a few things
from the farmers market for the kids to see, taste and
begin their connection with food that is locally grown
and cared for in a different way then what they might
be experiencing in their day to day lives with
snack life & their food story at home
(bunny love carrots & apple squeezers ;)
it was amazing what happened....
kids that have no desire for anything
other than white, white, white and maybe an apple
were HUNGRY.. actually they were
starving for this kind of love!
the menu would range from roasted asparagus,
roasted purple cauliflower, raw shredded beets to
more beauty that you wouldn't believe your 4 year old
would be eating let alone wanting more...
we talked about the beauty of trying new things,
what it's like to eat food that is grown
during a specific time of year and why it has
a hard rind or it's super juicy inside and more & more.
i would leave these classes HUNGRY for more too!
ocean is now at a public school that doesn't have that
sweet private protective halo over it so i was not so
sure how the teacher or the students would receive
this love fest i wanted to offer our class. lets just say
when they see me at assembly or just walking by
they yell out 'hi yummy lady!' "when are you coming back to class?"
or "your food is my favorite' 'when will you bring your good food!'
and here is the kicker... this has nothing to do with me!
i am just creating the space for their food story to BEGIN!
yes, the environment is one of celebration, they are surrounded
by excited friends, with no expectation or the stress
we mamas carry around for our kids to be healthy & well fed!
can i hear an amen?!! along with my own stress about
all the 'other things' i carry (& then eventually heal) into the kitchen..
it's such a HUGE piece to how my kids eat and feel...
in the little miracle the kids do have to try
everything our saying is: try it, see if you like it.
i am sharing this for a few reasons.
i am so inspired by our kids hunger, their curiosity about food
and their desire to learn thru taste, smell, feel & more..
they yearn to have sensual experiences just like us.
they are us and we are them. we are all so hungry for
someone to nourish us, fill us up with beauty, inspire
us in this way of real food in a simple offering.
even if you don't know it yet, when it happens
something inside of us wakes up!
when in our personal story did this turn off?
when did our life (as we know it) slowly diminish
our cravings for beauty? when did we begin our journey
to sacrificing flavor, health, our passions to feed ourselves
for no time, no money, no sleep? OR did we ever have it?
did we see a glimpse of it as kids? what was happening
in the kitchen at 5, 6, 7 years old and older?
whatever our story, we are hungry for this conversation.
i see it in the little miracle, the big miracle, the park,
the supermarket and the mother at pick up who says
pretty loudly 'oh my kid won't eat anything!'
as she wears one babe in the front and holds hands with the other.
sounds like she is PISSED OFF! and i totally get it!
it's so frustrating! it's so many things....
in the same breath....
i hear her saying 'hey i am alone on this island
and i am trying to do it all by myself and what the f*(@#*@(*#^@(#^!!'
sound familiar? and then i wonder...is this mama nourishing herself?
do her kids see her enjoy and love food?
do the kids have a food story led by their mama or papa?
how can we do this alone? how do our kids know what to do
if we do not give them the space to explore, discover, create
a sensual experience with food... and i am not talking about
making coq au vin and a side of something even fancier...
we were never meant to figure this all out on our own!
for me, it begins when i let go of my expectations
& reconnect with my own nourishment.
when i create more space for me it creates more space for them...
to eat, to nourish, to receive, to breath, to all of it..
when they feel the shift in my story,
they have room to write more of theirs.
would love to hear
your thoughts
BIG LOVE
XXXX
No comments:
Post a Comment