I love working in my kitchen. When I’m there, I feel close to Brighid, my patroness and guardian of the hearth. Over the years, I’ve turned into a real foodie. I love making my own food. If I can grow it, that’s even better! The kitchen is a great place to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. Although we’re not perfect, Weretoad and I have been making considerable efforts!
I was really, really pleased to get a food dehydrator as a holiday gift from my parents. Drying is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. I’ve been doing a bit myself the old fashioned way – mostly with herbs and chili peppers from my garden. This new dehydrator will allow me to dry larger quantities of food quickly and using very little energy. Last night we dried two bunches of mini bananas that were on their way out and dirt cheap at the grocery store. Sure they’re not local. They weren’t organic either. But using old bananas that would have been thrown out anyway is very sustainable! They are so delicious too. They aren’t like the typical banana chips bought in stores, which are usually fried before drying. These are chewy like a gummy candy!
As I write this, I’m making tonight’s dinner – stew and dumplings thanks to my father’s dumpling recipe. A few years ago, I was more likely to make some sort of vegetarian hamburger helper type meal – something from a package. To a busy gal more focused on literature than food, they seemed healthy. As I’ve grown, I’ve become more interested in what is on my plate. Where did it come from? What’s in it? Is it really good for me? Again, we’re not perfect, but we’ve made huge strides in making a majority of our meals from scratch or from local/organic products. Making food in the traditional way, I feel, brings me closer to the Kindreds. Working in the kitchen, as I said, strengthens my relationship to Brighid of the hearth. Using better ingredients brings me closer to the Nature Spirits. Preparing meals from scratch rather than from a box and becoming more and more familiar with traditional methods brings me closer to my ancestors.
We don’t feel that we’re perfect (we have lazy moments) and our journey towards better sustainability continues. It is a very Druidic journey, in my opinion. Witches and Druids who strive for a closeness with the Earth should take such a journey. Some of you may disagree with me, but it’s something I believe very strongly.
Author M. A. Phillips 