Episode 36: Food is Love-Family Favorites, Food Sharing, Feasting and Fasting
What You’ll Learn
A Family Favorites List (00:40)
Meal Sharing With Friends (03:39)
Religious Feasting & Fasting (09:50)
Recap (13:56)
Invitation (15:00)
Food IS love! In today’s episode we talk about how we can use a “Family Favorites'“ list, building community by sharing meals with friends, and the beauty of religious feasts and fasts. When you’re done listening, come follow Brittany on Instagram @thedeliberateday and DM her the word “meals” to get the Mini Meal Planning Kit!
A Family Favorites List (00:45)
Family favorites are a VERY important part of any meal plan because having a family favorites list helps you keep track of individual and family preferences so that as you’re going through, you have these easy to pull from meals. You already know what your people are going to like and exactly how to prep and cook those meals!
Food IS love. . .making a meal or a treat for your people can be a beautiful way to show how much your care for and love them. Brittany and I both ask our kids for suggestions of what they would like to eat on birthdays and special days. There’s so much love that comes through in the feeding of people!
Having a family favorites list can give you a few “sure things” in your back pocket for those weeks when you’re lacking on inspiration. It’s a great jumping off point for when you’re ready to get a little more adventurous. . .beginning with a favorite and branching out is a great strategy for introducing new foods and flavors in a much less scary way (for husbands, children, and friends).
Meal Sharing with Friends (03:39)
Our families used to meet up during the week for homeschool co-op (to share lessons and activities). We started with snacks, but soon, our lessons were running through lunch. This led to trade-offs in lunch, which led to more elaborate meals, which led to another friend joining in the food fun, and before we knew it, we were setting up an amazing spread once a week!
Soon, we were all trying new recipes, learning new ways to cook things, finding new sauces to make, and figuring out which tools we all needed in our personal kitchens. When our friend with allergies joined us, it pushed us to learn more about substitutions and what was available within those limitations.
Even our husbands benefitted! They occasionally got a taste of what we made, and we brought new ideas home each week! We figured out different uses for sauces, new ways to cook older family favorites, and it even gave us opportunities to introduce our kids to good values surrounding foods. Even the littlest ones learned to try new things, be polite when they encountered something they didn’t like, and how to minimize food waste.
Finally, cooking with friends is THE best! The conversations, the shared experience, and the learning that happens is simply amazing! It also saved all of us time, money, and stress! Before long, we were all bringing a variety of what we had on hand, and it turned into an amazing meal each time!
Religious Feasting and Fasting (09:50)
As Catholics, Brittany and I do observe various religious feasts throughout the year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate (because Catholics LOVE to celebrate) the lives of the heroes who have come before us and are there to help lead us to Christ!
Throughout the year on Fridays (and most especially during Lent and Advent) we fast from meat in order to make space for a deeper relationship with Christ. When our little homeschool group was meeting together and sharing meals on Fridays during Lent, it almost felt like we were cheating on Lent (because the food-though meatless-was SO delicious)! For me, as a convert, this was a wonderful way to learn from my cradle-Catholic friends.
Even if you’re not religious, find a reason to celebrate! Saint Patrick is already widely celebrated! If you need something to celebrate in August, try Saint Lawrence! A birthday can be a feast, a baptism day can be a feast, even a Patron Saint’s feast day. . .CAN be a feast! Use food to create joyful experiences!
Recap (13:56)
First of all, it’s VERY important to build a family favorite’s list! Don’t think that you have to build it all in one week—this isn’t an all-or-nothing thing—but you DO need one!
Sharing meals with friends can up-level your meal game exponentially! It will make your life better, and it doesn’t need to look a certain way! There are SO many ways to invite others into your life to build community!
Finally, fasting and feasting together is a beautiful way to enjoy your family and create memories around food, but also to build community with other families in your life!
Invitation (15:00)
Text your people this week and choose a date to meet up and share a meal! It can be at someone’s house, or even a park, just DO it! Just send the text!
Have you filled out your meal plan this week? DM Brittany @thedeliberateday on Instagram with the word “meals” and she will make sure you get a link for your beautiful Mini Meal Planning Kit!
Finally, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and give us a rating if you haven’t yet!
