Influencing with Jam

 I want to be an influencer.  One of the worst things I can imagine is to live a life with minimal impact on the world around me.  There are many areas in which I hope to make a difference, one of the chief being my faith.  Along with breastfeeding, birth, child rearing and husband-loving, food is an area close to my heart.  Not only do I like to eat it, I'm also passionate about eating sustainably, ethically and well.  I'm definitely a foodie.

 After a cooking experiment went wrong(quiche without a crust), my father banned me from further experimentation.  Although I still carried out my cooking chores, I stopped trying new things.  This effectively stunted my progress in the kitchen while encouraging me to believe that processed was best.  Several years later, as a new bride and young mom, I started wanting to cook it all myself.  It's an ongoing journey, with the end many decades down the line.  I will most likely still be experimenting in the kitchen as long as I can still cook.  My love for food and for making it myself is something I want to pass down to my children and to those around me.

 Yesterday we went strawberry picking meaning that today was jamming time.  After rising leisurely, I headed outdoors to hull, slice and smash my berries.  Shortly after setting up shop, a neighbour girl came by on her bicycle.  She was pretending to be a police officer on her rounds through the complex.  We chatted for a bit.  I shared my strawberries with her.  It may have been the conversation, curiousity, or simply a desire to eat more strawberries, but soon my little friend became my little helper.  She was impressed at how easy it was to make jam.  As we worked, we chatted about school, family and friends, but I also explained cooking concepts like a cup measure to her.  About halfway through our work, she commented that she now understands why Aris likes cooking so much.   It was a pleasure to jam with this little girl, but even more of a pleasure to open her mind to new ideas.

 While it may be many years before my influence bears any fruit, my labours today definitely did.  As I write jars of jam gleam on my counter, while the ice cream maker whirs its load of strawberry rhubarb sorbet.  Shortly before putting my daughter to bed, my friend popped by to try the strawberry vinaigrette I made to top tonight's salad.  It's been a good productive day.  Perhaps tomorrow we will buy peas. :)