How sharp is your knife?

An hour of prep time to cook...OY!

And let me begin with this, I have a deep confession to make...I have fallen away...from my passion for food...or at least cooking it.  Or at LEAST that is how I feel...or have felt....BAH! If I give it due thought and consideration (inserting moment of reflection...meditation...internal searching...)  Actually, it s because it has become an obligatory task of ONE, instead of a collaborative dance and excitement from the whole family.  It used to be an ADVENTURE!  Travelling around the world with our palettes and enjoying the new and exotic recipes...it was almost blissful!  And it sparked my passion for food.  And this was during a time where life was given to me once again to live, so I was happy for the exploration...

...but now, I have let my knife get dull and the thought of food and cooking is becoming a turn-off.  And I literally mean that my knife has gone dull.  WOW!  It was a battle to cut things into smaller pieces without losing my fingers and at the end of it all, I resorted to using my kitchen scissors to cut the rest. But the immense frustration that I experienced in that hour (thank goodness for grinding spices to give me a break from cutting) I learned something...or rather, remembered something.  I used to sharpen my knife each time I began my prep work and sometimes I would even sharpen it after washing it and before putting it away.  I was diligent!  And the main reason was because I wanted to keep my fingers AND wanted to enjoy the ease of prepping with a sharp knife.  It's FUN|!  And it took me years to get the technique right (or at least close) to how the chefs cut on the Food channels on TV.  I felt like a PRO!  And it showed in the meals I cooked.  All the love and enjoyment of the process could be savoured in each bite. Mmmmm.  The exploration and the discoveries were amazing and my family enjoy the variety of it all.

And the take away from this all (and no, I am not ordering out...the meal is cooking as I type)?  Is that WE are knives and the process of prep and cooking is our lives.  Have I been keeping my knife sharp?  In what areas of my life have I let myself go "dull"?  How can I sharpen these areas to allow for more ease in my life?  Where do I notice frustrations in my life?  And what do I need in order to be sharpened?

The process of asking these questions is also a form of sharpening.  Now of course, this is done for observation,...to take notice and become aware of what is happening or what is being missed in the journey. And then to apply the sharpening tool that would best fit.  In this case, I actually do need to get back to the diligence of not only sharpening my knives, but also maintaining an inviting space to cook in.  Perhaps picking a cuisine to explore through and search out some recipes to try and get everyone on board for the journey,which includes washing dishes, sweeping floors, putting things away.  What fun is it if you can't travel with the ones you love, right?  Having meals to eat is important for a growing family and just because I lose sight of my desire for it doesn't mean that it should become a need that goes unmet.  Staying sharp is living.  Allowing yourself to go dull...well, is just dull.

Well, the food is all being cooked now and I am off to finish it up before heading out to get sharpened by a wonderful course that I am currently taking.  I get the opportunity to learn and be reminded of some of the best of information from some really great people.  I will share more of what I am learning in posts to come.

Great day to you <3 br="">