thursday gathering.

speaking of self care... if you are in los angeles and can squeeze, puncture, press, flatten out the time to be fed, to trust that your time is worthy of YOU and your need for self-care... AND you yearn to be inspired, nourished & all good feelings under the sun... come by my kitchen, this thursday at 10:30 and allow me the honor to feed you. see you soonxxx

*for more info as to where and how to rsvp just reply to this... xxx*

self care.

i want to start up a little chat about self-care. it's so hard to approach this topic because it has so much riding on it... from the minute you say it, think it, dream it...it's wrapped in layers of ancestory, emotion, cells, stories & even poetry...and while everyone is nodding their heads in agreement about 1/3 of us (if that) take the leap to truly care for ourselves, to do something we yearn to do, to sate our hunger in this way.... why do you think that is? oh... wait before you get your list out... let me share what i see and hear...so we can cross out all the excuses that overlap and maybe get to something juicy.

no time

no money

no support to watch the babes (no money)

no support from my husband (doesn't see the point)

too tired to make the plan, the time, the space

too scared to leave the baby

i am sure there are more specific ones to your home & family etc.. but these are at the top of the list... and the top two battle each other out on a daily basis as they seem to hang out way too much together. AND THEN....we walk into a room where everyone is put into groups... the main theme in this room is what are you willing to give yourself? and the mamas and women are divided into groups:

what can you change in order to receive?

how comfortable do you feel receiving?

what is the cost of your sanity?

how long will you wait to care for yourself?

things like this (and please add to these if you are so inspired).....

i see so many women & mamas who are desperate for some lovin' and yet really have a problem giving it to themselves and then the ones that make the time, have the help and create the self-care piece in their lives feel guilty especially when sharing it with another friend.OY!!

can we change this?!?!?! i mean.. HELP!!! here is the deal.. of course if we all had consistent incomes, full time help, naps with our kids, budgetless budgets & more vacations... life would be a dream or would it? would we self-care even then? i am not sure.. but there is no point in WAITING for the self-care because it doesn't come with the money bag you are waiting for to drop down on the roof (believe me... i am the first one in line)....

i started a company for mamas & women who are starving for this self-care piece (we are all in it)... i saw the void in my community... i felt the poetry of shame(hate to cook, love to defrost), the internal lack (i just can't do it, too much going on), the guilt in the kitchen (broccoli and pasta anyone?), the creativity just holding itself steady in the air while we fill the mouths, just get it done, GO, GO, GO with the most messy desires to slow down but no ability to do it... no time...no money...no support....and here came renaissance mamas...

if there is anyone that understands that list more than you... it's me and i can't do this alone. renaissance mamas is not a solo journey. it includes all of us. it's a movement in the community. i put it out there, i will lead the way, i will take us from the dark into the light and i need you to join me....lets start supporting each other to make the time for you, redefining what is important to you, what sates you, fills you up with something substantial & deep...

lets connect on self-care and support each other to do it. for RM, the fire is in the kitchen.... it's where we can gather, connect, nourish and feed each other in this way.... it does not take the money bag... it will take a shift, a change in what is important, an investment in self-care....

i am open & on tour to come to your kitchen with your communities, i have a class that is donation based out of my kitchen & i am creating ways for ALL of us to have this piece... please dive in, take the leap & get on the bus with me. it's an amazing ride... changing our culture, one mama, one kitchen, one family at time... see you in the kitchenxxx

strawberry pops.

what is summer without strawberry popsicles? especially ones that are SO easy made at home... i got this popsicle maker at william sonoma.. i was on a conscious & fast search for something simple, made in the USA, and not plastic... i didn't totally succeed in my mission b/c i had a certificate for WS, the desire for popsicles was incredibly high & i gave in... so here we are... and all that is important to my almost 4 year old...is that it works! this little mixture includes 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup milk and maybe some sugar to taste...blend together with love! (i told you it was fast!)

if there are some other fast ones out there.. please share! the reason why we don't need a lot is because the milk (strauss organic cream top) and strawberries (harry's berries) we gather for this are the best...they are the sweetest and creamiest... so it's not about fast in the gathering.... it's about quality when it comes to getting the best your belly deserves even with something as simple as strawberry pops. see you in the kitchenxxx

alyssa leal.

a few weeks ago.. alyssa came over with her various cameras in hand to talk about renaissance mamas...the communal conversation of mamahood, sating self in order to nurture other, creating a place to nourish our creativity in the kitchen...and getting a cuisineart! it was inspiring & fun! here is some of her story.... see you in the kitchenxxx

(and the top photo of just my teeth... ocean took that one ;) !

alyssa leal is a mama who approaches family photography (weddings, pregnancy photos, children, families, grandparents..) as an art form. "I am hoping to create images of the familiy or couples' beautiful and poignant moments..not just to capture it or document it. I use both digital and film (small, medium and on occasion, large format) in this pursuit...I don't create or stage moments, but rather I prefer to wait for the natural moments to emerge in their own loveliness.."

check her out at: www.alyssaleal.com

clarity...

i spotted this book the other day at my sweet neighbor anna's house.... and anything with the words mom & finally for some reason caught my eye. then i saw it was written by ruth reichl (editor and creator of gourmet magazine and many other books).

these days, it seems almost impossible to sit down and read an entire book in a year, let alone one sitting (or laying ;) but this is a tiny book of about 120 pages.. they are really 1/2 pages and it's almost impossible to not dive in and want to finish it all in an hour or so... my desire had the best of me and i couldn't move until i finished it.

it's a story of a woman and a generation of women who were stunted, stopped, cornered between the dreams of their youth and what was 'right for women' to do at that time.... only a few got out on the other side... her mother wanted ruth to be nothing like her... repeating that sentiment her whole life... to make sure to follow her dreams, not to sacrifice for anyone or anything, to reach for the stars...

i didn't put it down and want to fly to the moon...what it did was very simple and quiet....it made me want to clarify all that i want, to simply highlight the vital parts of my dreams....

pick it up if you get a chance & see you in the kitchenxxx

magic.

opening yourself up to

strawberry figs

currants

chilled soups

nourishing this piece in you

and me

it's like magic in here

grounding in

the gratitude

trees bearing fruit

trees all around

trees reaching

devotion

just allowing yourself

just giving permission

to be fed

to (maybe) learn another way

even if you have a map

compass

tools

sharing

gathering

creating

eating

digesting

this magic

*this is the incredible, inspiring work by su blackwell*

gathering.

i rarely share about the amazingness happening in my kitchen on thursdays... lately, we have been having such an incredible time that i wanted you to feel it too... the intimacy that begins to rumble when women, food & beauty come together is so special... it takes real courage for us to seek this gathering and embrace our desire for it...and then the actual getting in the car to start driving towards it is where the self-care piece begins... tearing away from the normal, day to day chaos that is life right now is so hard and yet so so vital to our body, our cells, our family, the list is a long one.

on the drive, there is a specific quiet,the beginning of something about to happen.... the yearning to be together gets turned on as does your self-compass navigating towards something that is unknown, something that will feed you (really unknown to most of us)....and as the women drive to my hearth, i prepare for the story, creating the beauty & holding the space that will sate us for a few hours. this energy is so special, it's so many things. it feels like everything.

here are some swatches from the the last 2 classes... summer is an incredible time to gather because most of the work is done by the bread knife... we are mainly chopping & cutting open... not as much heat is on (except for in us). there is a lot of simple sweetness to sit & devour. please join us if you are so inspired, i will be offering classes every thursday in august... see you in the kitchenxxx

some more love...

my sweet friend kaela writes for this fancy blog that comes out of every fancy area of the world... it's called babyccino kids and it's great because it's a bunch of really hip mamas writing about things they love... hot of the press she just posted the RM fig cake recipe & i wanted to share the love.. as love is always worth feeding each other. see you in the kitchenxxx

monday offering.

it's time to open up your nurturing self to all who come near... are you willing to try this out with me? we are going to start offering food to people that come over to our house or already live there and see what happens... take that bread knife and open up the melon, the tomatoes, the white nectarines and just start offering food. you can also have your RM pitcher of love water nearby with glasses to accompany it... maybe limes, basil & water... or those pink lemons i will blog about soon from the beautiful laura, our avocado lady.

i want us to try this as a community. this is just a thought, the beginning, the first note of offerings.... what will you offer? what do you have in the house? will it be weird asking? and if you ask if someone is hungry... more often than not people will ask you not to bother. so... don't start there... just cut the fruits, put them on a wood board or any surface that pleases you & offer the food ready to be devoured. it's just an experiment... let me know how it goes. we must learn how to feed each other even if we have one orange in the fridge. see you in the kitchenxx

key lime pie.

definitely one of the highlights of my childhood growing up in florida. a piece of key lime pie with graham cracker crust after some stone crabs dipped in warm butter... i mean that was my favorite meal as a kid. now, in my kitchen... i am making it happen.. why? because it has 4 ingredients and it's so easy! you need a day to chill it if you want to do it that way... i had a few hours and it worked great too...

and yes, i buy the arrowhead mills graham cracker crust already made action in the store because it's how i am able to do this and keep it simple & calm around these parts. all you need is some big, juicy bear or any limes (i bought these at the sm farmers market), 1 can of condensed milk, 4 large egg yolks, cold whole cream.. and that's it! what? that's crazy pants...

here is what you do: zest those limes first... zest as many as you would like (to your taste) maybe 2 - 3. then juice em'.. i think about 3 - 4 depending on the juice of the lime....you will need 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of lime juice. set it aside. in a bowl, whisk the condensed milk and the 4 egg yolks together.. then add the juice and zest... whisk well...like you mean it. then pour it into crust.. i like putting my pie on a baking sheet b/c of the heaviness, it makes it easier not to drop it or have it cave in. then put it in the middle of the oven on 350 for 15 - 17 minutes. take it out and let it cool.

then put it in the fridge as long as you can... make the whipped topping by adding the whole cream in the cuisineart or whisking it until your arm falls off.... then spatula that love on the pie as thick or thin as you like or you can dollop it at the top... enjoy! it's so good the next day too! see you in the kitchenxxx

superheroes.

all he needs is one superman glove (we just have the one), a broken garage clicker & a dragon cape... he is definitely the best superhero to come through this kitchen in a long time. who is the superhero in your kitchen? i hope you are saying 'I AM!' see you in the kitchenxxx

mulberries.

aren't these the most beautiful worms you have ever seen? no! they are mulberries!! i want to say the guy at the market told me there are pakistan and persian kinds... i could have that wrong and if i do please comment and let us know. all i do know is that they are gorgeously delish. just like this. and yes.. there is more you can do with them. for now... lets take it a step at a time....buy a box and try them. it's worth it as they only come out at this time of year. see you in the kitchenxxx

cavaillon melon.

i have written many times of my love for weiser farms (whole foods, santa monica farmers market wed, hollywood market sunday)... they have been feeding my mamas/families potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, beets etc for a long time... and at this time of year we get these incredibly beautiful melons from weiser. there is something about these big, round, robust fruits like squashes in the winter..

we tend to buy them, share their beauty framed in a favorite bowl and then day by day, week by week we watch the bottom rot out and there is this weird, unspoken resistance to getting the dang bread knife and cutting it OPEN!!! lets look at those gorgeous insides & cube it up. i love having it cut up as though someone has been over (a grandma feeling) and cut the fruit...that's the nourishing piece! ready to be eaten whenever.. open up and eat... it's sooooooo good. see you in the kitchenxxx

this mama is going on tour....

i have been steeping & listening to some new callings that the renaissance mama muse has been hinting at for a few months... it's as though she has been leaving notes under my spatula reminding me of the essence, the core of what renaissance mamas is, the recipe in which it was conceived and the evolution it continues to take... the notes read 'empower' 'expand' 'grow' 'confidence' 'sating your creativity & nourishing yourself to nurture others' these are definitely words in the soil that RM grows out of...it's also where the fuel comes from to be this renaissance mama who cooks, works, creates, sates self and has energy to keep nourishing her family....

this is so incredibly possible with the know how, the support & the cleansing of old ideas whether it be resistance or fear (bring on the list)...and now it's not just about inspiring you.... it's about EMPOWERING you to be confident in the kitchen, to take back your kitchen & be inspired by all that is growing around us... SO what's this mama to do? BUILD! GROW! EXPAND this amazing renaissance mama community & create more support then we we will ever need! so...

i am going on tour!! i want to come to your kitchen and create that connection you have been yearning for... falling in love with your space, getting rid of what you don't need, having the essential tools to make the most beautiful, rustic meals all the time, gathering together at the market closest to you & cooking FOOD for everyone to eat...learning how to feed each other within your community of mamas and friends... have you been curious about what it is i am actually doing?? invite me over and a few of your mama community and lets get this party started!! renaissance mamas has been one on one consulting in the kitchen which continues....

and now a new branch on the RM tree is launching: RM on tour - classes on how to create your own renaissance mama kitchen in one of your kitchens!! and what is a renaissance mama kitchen? it's a kitchen that serves you, that inspires you, that nourishes you.... this means EVERYONE can have a renaissance mama kitchen regardless of your finances, your time, your schedule....all you need is the desire, the hunger for this nourishment and we will make it happen. no one should have to wait to have this piece. we must start feeding each other all the time... see you in the kitchen for reals this time xxx

**for more information: RM on tour in your kitchen & where i am headed please email me via the blog (you can reply to this and i will get it in my inbox or comment here!)**