Thoughts From My Inner Chef

Did I mention I like to cook? I have been baking chocolate chip cookies since I was 4 or 5 years old, maybe younger! I love a good, fresh, soft, gooey homemade chocolate chip cookie. I have very few memories from my early years that aren’t horrible and this is one of them; standing on a chair in the kitchen wearing my mother’s apron and gazing all starry-eyed at an enormous mint green Tupperware bowl filled with cookie dough. Though this was a frequented occurrence in our home, it generally came around Christmas time. My parents encouraged belief in Santa and so I more than once wrote him a letter filled with my wishes of dolls, puppies, dresses and did I say puppies? (That’s another blog…) And after doing so, I left the ever popular for Mr. Claus; a plate of cookies with a glass of ice cold milk on the side. Indeed this is where it all began. Somewhere in an Oklahoma kitchen, a cook was born.

My dear hubby might say I was a work in progress when we met and that would be an understatement. I definitely needed more lessons in my Mama’s kitchen than I got! However, he was gracious and I grew in my knowledge and expanded my cooking horizons over the years. We went from eating frozen burritos, spaghetti, Hamburger Helper etc., to oven roasted turkey dinners and homemade yeast rolls to an occasional gourmet meal. I now create my own recipes and tweak everyone else’s to suit my tastes. With the exception of the occasional “untouchable” recipe I deem “perfect”. I am in no way saying I am a culinary expert, mind you. I have never taken a cooking class. This is a part of my life and it’s in my job description as wife/mother. I also take great pleasure in creating and have made cooking/baking a hobby. Obviously my dress size shows this to be true. I love to take pictures of my work and will post them here from time to time.

I have found preparing meals and desserts for others to be a blessing, not only to them but also to me. I am comforted in knowing I have given a busy woman with a new baby a night off from cooking and I love knowing my husband is blessed by my efforts to bless others. Not to mention it is a great example to my girls of how they can serve their friends and families and their Lord.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”       Gal. 5:13-14

As we serve others we serve our Creator. Jesus said, “That which you do unto the least of these brothers of mine, you do also unto me.”    Matt. 25:40

Perhaps some of you don’t feel comfortable serving others in this way. My response is ‘get over it’. We all need to eat. Seriously, all I am saying is look for opportunities to serve, they are out there. Don’t wait for people to ask, they probably won’t. Bless, and be blessed. :)