the kitchen island… breakfast, after school snack, homework and supper all revolve around it and it has been privy to many a good discussion…
the latest involved some deep insights from a 15 year old teenage boy… he was telling his mother how he saw her… and it was hard for the kitchen island to hear…
you have to understand – this island has seen it all… the early mornings where this mother has provided bacon, smoothies, oatmeal, chia seed/hemp heart muesli, teff seed pancakes and almond butter bananas…
the island has seen the after school muffins, cookies and buns….
it has witnessed suppers full of laughs and math competitions and steak and noodles…
so it has a bit of a soft spot for the mother… it has been there for the preparation and aftermath of every meal and has seen the mother listening to her podcasts… elbow deep in the sink scrubbing the burnt pieces of egg off of the pan…
the island watches as groceries are set down beside it and slowly designated to the areas that they belong…
it feels the food fall on to it and then as everyone leaves it feels the sudsy, warm cloth held by the mother scrubbing and gathering the crumbs….
the kitchen island will always believe that the mother is in the right…
but this day… this after school conversation… the boy has actually spoken some truth to the mother….
this day had involved an angry phone call from the boy to his mother… he screamed at her on the phone and she hung up and cried…
the tears fell onto the kitchen island…
when he got home from school… the mother was sitting beside the island with her tea and asked her boy to sit and chat….
the island knew she was at her breaking point with this child… she was hurt and angry…
and then he said, “you make me feel bad about myself… you make it seem like my school work is not as hard as what you did and yet you expect me to do well… you are condescending about my workouts and make your workouts seem way harder…”
the island cringed as the mother replied “well someone learnt a new word….” (it was intended as a joke but didn’t go over very well)
the truth is… the mother needed to hear this… even though the island knew she was being manipulated ever so slightly by the teenage son….
he kept going and told the mother that he had gone through some rough days at school lately and totally took it out on her…. but also pointed out that when she went through rough times she tended to take it out on either her children or husband…
this is what the island knows – we have to let go of our frustrations…. and that is what loved ones are for…. you should never feel more loved than when someone is letting go of every frustration on you… it means you are the closest love they have in their life…
the island could tell the mother was upset… and humbled… it was the truth… she had a way about her that was giving but with so many strings attached … do this, be this, accomplish this and succeed at this…
guess what… the old kitchen island got to witness something truly transformational that day… the mother told her son she was proud of him, loved him and was completely confident that his future was bright and full of possibilities…
it’s a shame kitchen islands are not capable of writing…. oh the stories they would be able to tell… there are tears, triumphs, laughter, studying, writing, planning, Amazon packages, potlucks, parties, decorations, water bottles… the list is endless…
they know a family perhaps better than the family knows itself…
lately this mother has been insisting on meals at the island, not in front of the TV…. mostly because she values what the island is more than she values the TV….
the island is therapy…. more time spent with it the healthier your family will be…
coconut curry
Ingredients:
- 2 cups basamti rice
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced or spiralized
- 1 head garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 2 cups carrots, diced or spiralized
- 4 cups broccoli, cut into small pieces
- 4 cups cauliflower, cut into small pieces
- 2 medium zucchini, diced or spiralized
- 6 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- juice of 3 limes
- lime zest
- 1 1/2 cups grated coconut
- 1 cup water
- 1 (15 oz) can coconut cream
- 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Directions:
- cook rice according to directions
- prep all the veggies
- in a wok or large saute pan, heat oil and add onions
- add garlic and jalapeño
- one at a time, add carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini
- add spices and lime zest and juice
- add coconut, water and coconut cream
- serve curry over the rice and top with cilantro and a lime wedge
i feed a farmer 
Very touching! Brought me to tears.
From: i feed a farmer To: beth@creightonfamily.net Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2017 8:51 AM Subject: [New post] the kitchen island #yiv7057984332 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv7057984332 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv7057984332 a.yiv7057984332primaryactionlink:link, #yiv7057984332 a.yiv7057984332primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv7057984332 a.yiv7057984332primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv7057984332 a.yiv7057984332primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv7057984332 WordPress.com | catherinemariekelly posted: “the kitchen island… breakfast, after school snack, homework and supper all revolve around it and it has been privy to many a good discussion…the latest involved some deep insights from a 15 year old teenage boy… he was telling his mother how he saw her” | |
LikeLike
I have not had time to try the recipe yet (which I am sure is up to your usual standard), but your column is outstanding.
Everyone should follow this blog, she is a very good writer and I have never been disappointed with the recipes. You can get to it at ( ifeedafarmer.com).
LikeLike