Simple Ingredients

I recently got a brand new cookbook, thanks to a Barnes & Noble gift card I received for my birthday, and I have been having a wonderful time trying out new recipes from it! It has been a lovely reminder that cooking and baking with simple ingredients is an exercise in wholeness. It nourishes the body with God-given nutrients, stimulates the mind with creativity, and uplifts the soul with beauty and deliciousness. Approaching cooking with the mindset of “I get to” rather than “ugh, I have to” takes some forethought, but when you embrace it, it offers valuable lessons in living with intention. Cooking slows you down, brings you back to the present moment, and draws your attention to little miracles right in front of you—like flour, baking powder, and Greek yogurt transforming into bagels, or the insides of a squash turning into spaghetti when baked in the oven. 

Simple ingredients not only make our meals feel sacred, but they also enrich our days with a sense of wholeness. What do I mean by "simple ingredients"? Reflect on your past week: what activities or experiences slowed you down, brought you back to the present moment, and drew your attention to the little miracles or blessings right in front of you? For me, those simple ingredients included hiking with Troy in the Dunes, reading in bed with a cup of tea while diffusing lavender oil, early morning prayers when the house was quiet, knitting my scarf, going out to lunch with my mom, and spending hours with Cynthia working together to create uplifting and encouraging resources. Simple ingredients foster calm instead of confusion, promote fruitfulness rather than busyness, and provide meaning instead of aimlessness, along with delight, gratitude, connection, and stability.

Approaching growth and repentance with the mindset of “I get to” rather than “ugh, I have to” also takes some forethought, but when you embrace it, it offers valuable lessons in seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven. Intentionally detaching from earthly cares and distractions that lead to stress and fragmentation, and designing a simpler way of life, opens up space and energy for healing and salvific inner work and actively doing good. 

Choosing simpler ingredients to nourish your mind, body, and soul each day may initially feel like swimming against the current in a society frayed and burned out from inhabiting an online and in-person world simultaneously. However, with practice, you'll rediscover how to fully inhabit your own little world and engage with the divine opportunities within it to commune with Christ through love, stillness, rest, worship, beauty, creativity, and meditation on what is lovely and eternal.

This week, brainstorm some simple ingredients for building a nourishing and more meaningful existence. What would you love to add to your daily routine? What would you need to release to make room for it? Visualize a day in which you are present, attentive, engaged, and mindful of your blessings. What time do you get up? What are you eating for breakfast? What are you prioritizing? What is bringing you joy? What is your ideal schedule? Allow this fun exercise to inspire some refreshing new habits and rhythms you can implement right away! Never underestimate the power of simple joys to rejuvenate a weary spirit.