Sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most

COMMENTARY
By Krista Bocko

I recently made a meal and took it to a family I know that needs a little extra love and care. It really wasn’t a big deal (though it sort of is to me, which I will get to), but sometimes the little things can really mean so much. After all, it was just one meal, but when I look back at times when I have felt most cared for, it’s when friends made and brought me food when I really needed it, like after having a baby.

In the grand scheme of things, this meal took just a little effort, but, being somewhat prone to kitchen mishaps, taking on the task of feeding another family in addition to my own (which is challenging enough!) is not something I really feel equipped to take on.

Why do I do it? Because meals have meant so much to me, I feel compelled to ‘pay it forward’ in the very same way. Food touches people deeply. It’s such a primal and fundamental need, and to have that need taken care of, even for just one meal, is such a blessing.

So, not letting on to this family that I don’t love to cook (though they read my columns so I guess the secret is out! I hope you liked your meal), I set to work and pulled it off with only minimal incident. I pulled up to their house at six p.m. that night with three dishes and they were so grateful.

I’m happy I could do that small gesture of caring for them. Most of us don’t realize what a difference we can make in the lives of others. I want to be more aware of opportunities I can take to show people that I care, and I hope you will, too.

Dear hubby: I'm done! The pots and pans are all yours

What does it mean when, in the course of two weeks, someone (ah, me) accidentally breaks the following things in the kitchen: the french press carafe (dropped), the bread machine (falls off counter), a glass casserole dish with bean soup in it (dropped), and cuts herself—twice—on the same thumb in the very same day (on broken glass and a food processor blade)?

I took it as a sign I should get the heck out of the kitchen. Or is that just wishful thinking?

A confession: I don’t love to cook. I never have, and I guess I take after my mother in this regard. She never loved to cook either. And here I am, with four kids with hollow legs and a very well used kitchen.

Sure, I can (and do) like making certain things, and I feel passionate about eating foods that remember where they came from, and I can’t stomach the thought of feeding junk to my family, and this I suppose is what keeps us from resorting to McDonald’s every, or any, night.

At a party last weekend, this subject of cooking came up. My friend Deb said that she has friends who, after decades of cooking and raising a family, decided they were done. Done. They weren’t going to cook anymore! They’d just eat what was leftover out of the fridge, and their husbands could cook and they’d happily eat what he made.

Oooh. My eyes lit up. I can imagine a world where I don’t cook! I happily show up to parties and eat food already prepared. I happily go to restaurants (but not McDonald’s) and eat food brought to me. I will happily let my husband cook! He doesn’t know this, but I guess he’ll find out. Good thing he likes to cook.

'Hippie chicks' still mixing it up the natural way

   Cortney Horstman showed us how to cook with herbs

Six months ago I wrote about my foray into deodorant making with my friends at an inaugural ‘(I’m not a) dirty hippie party’, where we ate and drank and mixed ingredients like cocoa and shea butter and essential oils to create little jars of homemade deodorant (really works!). I’m happy to report that these parties have become a monthly event and we’re reclaiming a bit of DIY initiative and having a great time in the process.

Being the flighty, somewhat unfocused person that I am, I haven’t kept track of what all we’ve made, but we racked our brains and came up with this list: deodorant, laundry detergent, facial cleanser & moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, sugar scrubs, and toothpaste. We even had a ‘Hippies cook with Herbs’ party in July, where my friend Cortney showed us, well, how to cook with herbs. So fun to get together and talk about compost and bring our herb and garden pickings!

We’ve had a ton of laughs, and these are some of the most awesome women that I know. We’ve all learned things too, one of which is this: do not mix baking soda and vinegar together unless you want the bubbling, overflowing volcano effect.

We plan to continue these monthly get-togethers, so to my friends reading this that aren’t on facebook (that’s how I do the invites), call me and get in the loop!

Here’s the Sugar Scrub recipe, which is so super easy and effective:

1 jar (baby food jars work well), 1 cup sugar, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, and essential oil (optional). Mix sugar and olive oil, add any scent(s) you like. Use as an exfoliator, and shake before use.

Wow, and I love that basic home/bath products don’t have to be bought from a store. Rock on, hippie chicks!