Make it From Scratch
This piece is part of my Collective Food Wisdom series, for which I asked people across different languages and cultures to share a nugget of food wisdom or advice they received that they continue to carry with them in their kitchen, garden, or life today.
This wisdom comes from Dorothy Neagle, co-founder of Good Food Jobs, a wonderful tool for finding meaningful work in food (and so much more).
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What is the most useful piece of food wisdom or advice you have ever received?
Dorothy: For me, it all comes back to making things from scratch.
Who gave it to you?
Dorothy: I'm sure that my mom must have repeated some version of this idea verbally, over and over, throughout my youth, but I don't recall her ever saying it in words. She said it in the way she did things: making pancakes without measuring because she did it so frequently, taking the time while my brother and I were in school to go and pick bushels of apples for saucing, treasuring cookbooks and recipes and food memories with vitality. As a single mom, I know she had other things to do, but food and cooking projects continued to be a priority for her, and that made an impact on my life.
How does it show up in your life?
Dorothy: When I think about what I want to eat next, making it from scratch is the first method I consider. It makes me feel productive, satisfied, and alive.
Productive. Satisfied. Alive.
How does making food from scratch make you feel? ("Frazzled, overwhelmed, and time-crunched" are also very valid answers.)
This made me ponder what we glean from the process, not simply the end product, and how we prioritize our lives around those processes that feed us—mentally and physically.
To sink your teeth into more Collective Food Wisdom, and perhaps even hang a reminder of it in your own kitchen, head on over to my shop. Sometimes I sell the originals, too, so make sure you're signed up for my monthly inspiration email to be notified next time they go on sale, and you can snag your favorite.