Have you ever had your tastebuds be so happy it was like you were in heaven? That was me tonight with these amazing fall foods made by some talented women. At the start of the year I began a little cooking club with a few women that are very dear to me and each month we choose a different theme and trade off hosting. We've circled through all of us and each time has been so special and fun. I have found it to be the highlight of each of my months to gather with these women. I even made it to the one that was just a few weeks after Sir William was born because I just could I just couldn't miss being with my favorite ladies. Sharing recipes and good food we have fun chatting and being together way too much. Especially now having two kiddos it is so important and special to get out of the house and be an "adult" every once in a while and talk about adult things and not just about Puffin Rock or one word conversations over and over.
When you become a mother sometimes it can feel very monotonous and routine. The days morf into each other and each is very special but also very long. One of my dear friends of cooking club mentioned how hard it really is being a mother. We all talked about how rewarding and wonderful it is but how much women don't talk about. Postpardem craziness, how much your body goes through, the zombie like state you'll be in for a while, the pains of teething, the joy of tantrums, breastfeeding, etc. there is a lot to being a mom! It literally is the most rewarding, important and difficult job on the planet. You don't receive promotions or have people say thank you or good job after a "project", you don't have a "lunch break" ever!, you always have something wet on you; spit up, spills, tears, boogers, slobber...there's a lot that comes in the mommy package. But it truly is a position I take very seriously and think very highly of. One important thing I have found that helps me stay sane when it gets really hard is events like the Cooking Club. A woman needs time to just be with other women. It is revitalizing and cheering to gather with others who have traveled or are traveling your journey to! To get together and recharge those mommy/woman batteries together really makes a big difference.
The added joy of getting together to just be with these women is the food we get to eat. We love to feed our faces with each others delightful recipes. I have never eaten such delectable foods than at our little cooking club or learned such great tips for the kitchen. This months theme was fall harvest. So of course we had lots of pumpkin! Tis the season of squashes and oh how yummy it is. Pumpkin spice, cinnamon and everything nice comes out in fall foods. I made a plum corn cake that my little family loves. It's a tried and true recipe from TwoPeas&theirPod, and I love it. It's almost just a fancier and yummier version of cornbread. I also brought my plum fruit leather for them to try that I've been working on. I love having a fruit tree in my yard!!!!
Oh how much joy there can be at a table surrounded by people you love filled with amazing foods for you to try. I cherish my little Cooking Club and the thoughts we get to share together as we gather. I treasure these times and look forward to many more. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and good food and company makes it all the better of a journey. Julia Child once said, "People who love to eat are the best people," and I couldn't agree more :).
