With the holidays upon us, I wanted to share some words from an article I read recently by a wonderful writer and photographer, Rachel Ballard, featured in one of my favourite magazines, The Farmhouse Movement.

"It is that love - while alive today in a portion of homes across America today - that is dwindling away for many families. Time at the diner table together has been replaced with a pace of life that's exhausting for booth parents and children, and sit down meals have been dissolved into convenience eating just so we can keep going - not a way to slow down.

I have long believed that cooking is not the drudgery, marketing messages and infomercials make it out to be. It is instead an opportunity for us to love our families by giving them nourishing meals that fuel their minds, support their health, and help them be their best each day. It is a privilege, an honour, a form of love.

How we extend that love to those around us will never look the same for all families. Some of us have an hour to make a meal - some only a few minutes. But it's the decision we make in that time that makes all the difference. To be intentional, to put down our phones and take time to plan meals, to build a base of recipes that everyone likes and fits our schedule, to keep trying even when it feels hard. 

I want to encourage you to come back to your table if you've left it. Even if it's just a few times a week, every moment matters. Are you ready to come along with me?"

I hope this was an inspiration for all the struggling parents who get trapped in the big mad "Rush of Life". Believe me, I get it! Some days, my brain can't think of a single meal to make, but my husband has been a wonderful inspiration and my mind just doesn't feel creative, I think of how much Love he pours into everything he does, especially cooking. The kids tease him because he gets so excited when they enjoy food the he has so lovingly prepared.

As parents, we want to give our kids so much, but in the end, they grow up so fast and meals that you prepare for your kids will be some of their fondest memories, I promise. 

Please seek nutritional truth, eat lots of plants, & strive for optimal wellbeing. You Got This! 

Michelle Mohan, NBC-HWC, CNWE