She Let Me Watch Her Cook
By Beth
When you’re running programs for women, the kitchen is a really important component. A group of women were engaged in a variety of projects; studying for their G.E.D., participating in empowerment programs, etc… when one of the particpants came in carrying sacks of groceries. She announced to us all that she would be preparing Jamaican Chicken and Rice for us that day. Since she was a native of Jamaica we were pretty excited! By lunchtime the smells coming from the kitchen were powerful when we were invited to the dining room for the feast. I don’t have to tell you how good it was to share that experience with a diverse group. On my way back to my office another woman stopped me and said “she let me watch her cook this morning!” I wasn’t sure of the significance of the comment and asked why that was so exciting? The answer: “I wasn’t raised by my mother and I always wondered what it would be like to be in the kitchen with her watching her cook. Today I know the answer.”
Perhaps as women we overlook how important the daily routine is and how grounded it can make us. Whether or not we were raised by women who could share the simple things with us, we can embrace those things now. When women share themselves with each other a creative energy comes into the room. An energy that can inspire, heal, or quiten fear.
My own mother says I was her only child that even wanted to be in the kitchen with her. Many times I was definitely in her way and would receive a thump on the head with a request to get out of the way. But when I was eight I received an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas. She let me set it up in a corner and would give me small portions of whatever she was cooking - everything from biscuit dough to cake mix. Amazing what creative dishes can be prepared over a light bulb!
Years later I find myself compelled to create this same space for women. Elizabeth’s House is in it’s third year now of helping women of all faiths and backgrounds renew their spirit and reinvent their lives. The funny thing is we don’t have a “real” kitchen. A small room with no stove and a very small sink has become a makeshift space where we turn out amazing things using what we have. We call it a “one-butt” kitchen as space only allows one person at the sink, handing off dishes to another, who hands them off to yet another to be put away. Meanwhile, put on some rockin’ music and we are little girls again - a simpler time when women gathered for the simple things.
change , empowerment , reinvention , wellness 
November 6th, 2009
This author published 6 posts in this site.Share
Louise Kahle
November 6th, 2009
I definitely feel my creative juices flowing when I cook from scratch. While some women may find it tedious, I love measuring out the ingredients and stiring them together in a little bowl before I mix them into the main dish.
Bringing a big pot of left-over chili to Elizabeth’s House yesterday and sharing it with women who have become friends was more than just eating – - it was sharing a piece of myself with them.
Monica Buckley
November 6th, 2009
I would love to go to Elizabeth’s House and share some of my Mexican food with all of you even though I haven’t been there in a while due to family or work duties. I really think that this place is the best place to hang out where women listen and are understood by other women.
I have to say that Beth helped me in a lot of personal issues and made me a better person and I think that by giving us the oportunity to share our feelings and experiences in any case is always helpful to other women.
I really think that I need to make more time for mayself to learn, enljoy and grow as a woman, mother and wife. Thank you Beth for this wonderful place and for all the people you have with you to make this place so beautiful.
love, Monica
I will try my besto to schedule some time to be at elizabeth house with a good mexican recipe for you to enjoy.
Global Toni
November 10th, 2009
Miss your energy in the house. Bring a friend when you come. Awesome things are happening…..we’re expanding perspective. Getting back to “me” & living it!!!! Never going to give it up again & open to going where it takes me. Hope I’m there when you bring the food. I’m sure it’s going to be a delicious experience. Have a fabulous day!!!!
Cheryl
November 16th, 2009
Cooking is such a creative and organic experience for me. I was blessed to have a mother and two grandmothers who shared in the instruction of cooking. My grandmothers were very structured and organized. My mother preferred “routines”: a regular menu (like hamburgers on Saturday). All of them encouraged me to be active in the kitchen with them, and on my own. I have recipes from all of them, and now my children cook, as well. My older children are quite accomplished cooks, because I let them “play” in my kitchen. Encourage your children when they are young, and they will naturally gravitate to where you are and what you are doing. Fours, fives, and sixes are great helpers and thrill at the thought of making scrambled eggs (and adding anything that that they like that is in your fridge). If you missed the opportunity with your kids, there are always new generations coming that could benefit by your wisdom and encouragement. Creativity grows in many ways.