On the afternoon of April 22nd, several friends gathered to participate in Cooking in Community, an event organized by Nurturer for Spiritual Growth and Outreach Cathy Barney for the purposes of gauging interest in a possible nurture group around aging and to introduce friends to the new We Care initiative. “I’ve felt led to start a nurture group on the spiritual and practical aspects of aging,” noted Cathy. “I thought cooking together could be great, inter-generational fun.”
And “inter-generational” it was. Two grandchildren (ages 2 and 7) participated gleefully and did much to lighten all hearts. An initial tutorial was given on how to fashion one’s own cooking hat, thanks to Cathy Barney, and then the participants set to work. Friends collaborated to create chicken enchiladas, regular and vegetarian chili and brownies made from black beans. The food was both healthy and tasty, which is no mean accomplishment.
It was heartwarming to see the children help make the meals as they enjoyed the sight, smell and taste of the various ingredients and were empowered to use utensils that were new to them. Everything was set out with care and foresight so that nothing was needed or wasted. Everyone enjoyed cooking together! It was a delight to see the children learning how to cook and helping to add ingredients to the pot. At the end, everyone took their creations home to enjoy. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with others and to share that sense of community and camaraderie in the kitchen! Here’s to more such opportunities in the future!
Great article, Mardi! Thanks for sharing! I particularly loved the hats!