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Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved being in the kitchen. I didn’t necessarily need to help my mom with cooking, I just wanted to be present; standing 3 feet tall with eyes so big and nostrils wide open, I could see and smell everything she was creating. Thanks to those wonderful memories, I see the kitchen as the place where we gather to experience laughter, cooking, and eating with others. And I have come to realize that it’s also another room where we can meditate. We don’t always need to be sitting on a soft cushion to do that. Pretty cool, huh? In order to create a mindfulness practice while you cook, you’ve got to have all of your ducks in a row. Setting up a mindful kitchen is the first step.
A Mindful Kitchen
Growing up with very little, my mother made sure we always had a meal on the table. Those were the days when people were cooking more at home. Ironically, they are finding themselves doing that once again today. I remember her having everything she needed in order to cook; ingredients measured, equipment ready to go, and music playing on the radio. To me, it was a picture of an artistic mind at work. That appealed to me in the most powerful way. I’d watch her sway her hips to Pink Floyd’s Run Like Hell as she formed each tortilla dough ball. She carefully placed each portion onto the counter, layering one on top of the other with a bit of flour sprinkled in between each tortilla. They looked like precisely-placed fluffy clouds of goodness I was surely ready to devour. What I didn’t know until later in life was that she was practicing mindful cooking. She connected with the ingredients, honored their presence, and enjoyed her time in the kitchen. She loved to cook.
The Fundamentals of a Mindful Kitchen
I would almost bet that YOU love to cook. I see you! If you’re anything like me, you love it so much that you care for and organize your kitchen space on the reg. Everything has its place and when you’re finished using it, you put it back where it belongs, right? You also have tubers, tomatoes, and onions nestled inside pretty decorative bowls just so you can whisper sweet nothings to them as you enter the room. If so, you’re right where you need to be, my friend. But just in case you need a refresher, here is a simple breakdown on the fundamentals of setting up a mindful kitchen.
Planning Ahead
Before you can rush into the kitchen and get your cooking on, you want to make sure the kitchen is ready for you. Your mindset is important for setting clear intentions about what you want to accomplish in this magical room. What sort of mood do you want to be in when you set a cooking session in motion? How do you want your completed dish to look? Do you have all of the tools to pull off what you’re going to create? These are some of the questions you want to ask yourself before diving into the cooking process.
Declutter
There are times when I have a stack of books, a set of headphones, my purse, and ingredients I haven’t put away on the kitchen counter. What sort of crap move is that if I’m going to have a clean space for cooking? If your kitchen is cluttered, it won’t be an inspiring space for you to cook. Clear the clutter! Whatever you don’t use often, store nearby for easy access.
Take inventory of your pantry items. Clear out anything that is expired or that you no longer use or incorporate into your cooking. Having too many ingredients that aren’t being used can jumble up your cabinets and pantry, leaving you overwhelmed with unnecessary items. Do you still have a few too many canned yams from last Thanksgiving? Pull out the items you no longer need and donate them to your local food bank or pantry. If you’re clearing your pantry of animal-based products, please don’t throw them away. Donate those as well. This process of clearing will take a bit of time. Take it slow and enjoy the ride.
Keep it Simple
You don’t have to cook a four-course meal every single night. Once you’ve planned out your weekly meals, you will have a better idea of what nights merit a beautiful, simple meal. Have fresh ingredients in your fridge such as dark leafy greens, veggies, canned or pre-cooked beans, artichoke hearts, grains, or dressings from your batch cooking day, and fresh fruit. You can toss a quick salad together for dinner in a flash. Start small and add things into your creation as you learn more about building dishes from scratch. In no time, you’ll graduate to roasting root vegetables, adding herbs and spices, nuts, and seeds to your salads.
One game we love to play is Chopped. My husband rules the roost on this one. We clear out the fridge of ingredients that need to be eaten before they expire and come up with a dish using those items. It’s so much fun seeing what he creates each time. My game plan usually involves a large pot of soup I like to call Everything But The Kitchen Sink.
A Journey for Swooning
Anything we do in life that brings us joy, euphoria, or makes us swoon is always something to anticipate with pleasure. For me, the ritual of shopping, cooking, and eating is my sweet spot that is essential in my life.
Shopping
Although I have to go early in the morning, I do love my grocery store shopping excursions! With my grocery list, COFFEE, and a mask in tow, I shop to refresh and stock up on spices, fresh produce, and other basics needed for the week. Make it your Saturday outing. Visit local farmers markets, growers, and independent shops. You’d be surprised just how inexpensive shopping for seasonal food can be when you have a plan. For a more in-depth plan on grocery shopping like a boss, you can read this blog post.
Cooking
Once you’ve got your groceries home and unpacked, step back and just stretch and breathe. Grab a drink, put on some music, and slowly put your items away. It’s absolutely alright if you want to smell and feel the vegetables as you place them in the crisper. It’s perfectly okay if you quietly tell them what surprises you have in store for their transformation. Get excited to cook. You’ll be delighted by the conversations you will have with your ingredients as you shape them into a more fantastical existence. The more you practice mindful cooking, the more you will grow in confidence. Your keen sense of knowing how much seasoning a dish needs or when to stir your food will all become second nature. For more ideas on how to enjoy this part of your swooning, you can read about Cooking Mindfully here.
Eating
Okay, this is easily my favorite part as it is a major component of my swooning over a damn good meal. This is where you get to sit down and enjoy your labor of love! To ease any fatigue you might be feeling after a day of shopping and cooking, stop and stretch again. Set your table with a cherished table cloth from Grandma Trudy (or maybe her name is Bernice), light a candle, or adorn your table with those fresh flowers you grabbed during your farmers’ market visit. Give your environment that extra touch to stay in the moment of happiness you had during your culinary creation session. Savor each bite. Allow the meal to help you silence the noise in your mind for just a few seconds as you taste the food. If it’s delicious (and it will be), you won’t think of anything else except how perfectly splendid your creation tastes. Bravo, my friend. You did it. You now know everything there is to know about setting up a mindful kitchen. Now go do it again and again and again!
*Feature Image by Brooke Lark
