Open Heart Open Hands

Nicole Barchilon Frank
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Protected: The Epic Road Trip…My daughter’s leaving home.

August 22, 2003News, Parenting, Supportbad directions, children leaving for college, epic road trip, mother grieving child going away for college, remote Idahonicolebarchilonfrank

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In ‘Currently Unfolding’

  • A pocket of Hope in my Heart/Lev for Kislev November 29, 2022
  • Delicious Divine Date-Nut Balls December 9, 2021
  • A Woman Awash February 24, 2021
  • Chili Relleno Casserole Gluten Free and also an Egg Free Version, Bonus Salsa Recipe too! February 4, 2021
  • Sharing Solstice with a Soul Sister January 25, 2021
  • Death Phobic and Youth Centric, a VERY BAD Combination September 24, 2020
  • Nicole’s Shabbat Service Siddur September 11, 2020
  • Poulet au Citron et Tarragon Lemon Tarragon Chicken September 9, 2020
  • Asian Cabbage Salad with Cilantro, Black Sesame Seeds,Ginger, Peanut Butter and a few other ingredients! August 14, 2020
  • Maren’s Summer Bean Salad July 21, 2020
  • Protected: Recovering from Rape: My story, your story, our story. July 15, 2020
  • Spicy Moroccan Carrots, More Yum than you will know what to do with! June 26, 2020

The Ten Commandments of Nicole’s Kitchen

  1. ONE
    I am your kitchen Goddess; there are other kitchen Gods & Goddesses, but for the purpose of creating yummy experiences for your self and your guests, you must follow my commandments, and your food will taste heavenly, stray from my directions and your time and effort in the kitchen will have been wasted!
  2. TWO
    The secrets to a Heavenly Meal are TIME and LOVE. If you invest your time in the meal, and love what you are doing, the meal will be good. If you rush and are resentful or in a foul mood, your food will reflect this.
  3. THREE
    Think about creating a compost bin in your yard or in a nearby garden if you don’t have a yard. In this way you can take all the discarded food from your kitchen and give it back to the Earth. This returns some nutrients to her. Remember that all you do in your kitchen with food is a result of the gifts the Earth has given you. If you can’t do compost, occasionally give a choice piece of something you’ve cooked to a favorite tree or flower and say thank you to the Earth. Cultivate an attitude of thankfulness and grace with the Earth.
  4. FOUR
    Don’t even think of using any ingredients that aren’t fresh or organic. If you can’t get organic products where you live, encourage your local stores to carry organic produce and foods. It is a far, far better thing you do when you discard a browned piece of lettuce than serve it to a loved one. All salads or greens should be soaked—that’s right soaked—in large plastic tubs of water. Spinach will need to be soaked three or four times; lettuce at least twice; veggies like celery, carrots, green beans, just once. It’s a good idea to have at least two or three plastic tubs marked “VEGGIES ONLY” in your kitchen under the sink or somewhere easily accessible. Organic veggies and products are fresher, healthier, and they taste better!
  5. FIVE
    Your table should always be open to guests as well as family. This means you should aim to create something delicious and fantastic always. You never know who will be walking in the door. When you aren't in the mood to cook, don't. This is when you get out the frozen pizza or burrito that you have on hand, or when you make macaroni and cheese.
  6. SIX
    Get into your food! Wear an apron, make a huge mess, touch everything, smell everything, get very familiar with your food. Make it yours. Love it and kiss it. If you’ve never kissed a ripe tomato fresh off the vine, or if you haven’t peeled a mango with your hands and kissed it and gotten slurpy mango wetness on your face, something needs to change now! There is no judgement here. This is just a playful invitation to create a deeper relationship with your food. GO PLAY!!!
  7. SEVEN
    There is no point in trying to create a meal/work of art in a cluttered or dirty kitchen. So, if you are using my recipes, clear your counters first and find a way to have more counter space, not less, for your kitchen adventures.
  8. EIGHT
    Keep your knives sharp and have different sizes. It makes everything easier.
  9. NINE
    FRESH LEMONS should be available at all times They are essential ingredients in everything I cook.
  10. TEN
    Give some form of thanks before eating. You can say any kind of blessing you wish or just sit in silence; even if it’s just a brief moment. If you let yourself feel grateful for what is in front of you, it will change every meal you ever eat. The best thing, from a traditional Jewish perspective, is for you to actually acknowledge out loud the Creator for blessing you with the apple, or the rice, or the bread, or the mixed wonders on your plate. There are many teachings about how an essential spark of holiness is dormant in our food, and it cannot be awakened until we acknowledge it and give thanks. I often teach the young children I work with to imagine that inside every grape, inside every drop of food they eat, is a tiny fairy, who is asleep, waiting to do a dance and be free. If they don’t sing a song to her, she won’t wake up. This is a magical explanation, but it helps the children understand that there is something precious in every plant and every fruit, and that they can participate in enriching their food and their food experience. It makes no difference to me how you give thanks. You can imagine a fairy dancing in joy because you’ve awakened her inside your lettuce leaf. You can give thanks for the long journey that same leaf of lettuce has gone on to get to your plate. You can just sit still and recognize how truly lucky and blessed you are to have a full plate. This is your invitation to experience grace, and whichever way works for you will make me happy. And, who knows, I may even do a little dance!

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