Better Together – What’s on the barbecue?
The 4th issue of ‘Better Together’ brings us near the end of August. In July, we heard about the summer activities members enjoyed while joining with others. The common thread seemed to be time spent with others. It helps to take our mind away from what is negative in the world – or we can laugh at it or debate it with others.
Read to the end for our September Better Together prompt!
Everything that Threads of Life does is led by our vision, mission and values. One of our values is ‘sharing’ – We believe that ‘sharing our personal losses will lead to healing and preventing future devastating work-related losses’. We may not always be able to get together with other Threads of Life family members, but we are certainly able to gather our family and friends together. When we gather others to share a barbecued meal, the time together usually lifts our spirits.
How many recipes are there for barbecues? How many different types? The traditional charcoal, gas, electric, smokers – just to name a few. Can you smell what is cooking?
Leica speaks for many of us:
“I know that I am not alone in feeling that when we lose someone so special in our lives, some of the most routine tasks become difficult, and the enjoyment of doing these tasks changes. For me, this is cooking.
Jordan was the “master chef” in our house. When he was a young man, he expressed an interest in cooking, and of course, I seized the opportunity to teach him everything I knew. He would call me at work, I would give him instructions and he would be off preparing supper for our family. His first love was cooking but he was so involved in our construction business that becoming a chef was pushed aside. Jordan was very good at utilizing spices and tenderizers to make everything taste top-notch.
In the summertime, cooking involved the barbecue and his favourite meal was one that he could cook everything at once on the barbecue. He would often say how he was a much better cook than me and I would have to agree. He was a better cook and I will never challenge that.”
Elisa shares: “One fond memory I have was coming home from work and my kids already preparing dinner. They were more exploratory than I ever was, so I am not sure where they got it from. Soups were a staple in the winter, however BBQ’ing veggies became this fun little game we played. It was my turn and asparagus was on the menu … game on! Despair on my face, the kids’ reminder was to stop complicating the task, as things would be smelly enough afterwards!
Happy BBQ‘ing!”
Recipe:
- 1 lb asparagus (clean and trimmed)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil (dash of Balsamic Vinegar is yummy)
- Salt and Pepper
Toss then grill at 350-400 degrees for 6-10 minutes or until tender
Kim shares: “My favourite is sliced potatoes with onions wrapped in tinfoil. It is comfort food for me. All is well in my world. It reminds me of the many camping trips I was privileged to go on with my parents as a child, and secondly, as an adult – it brings fond memories of weekend family get-togethers filled with so much love and laughter. A time when all the stress of the world – all issues in our lives – and anything bothering us just melted away. There was laughter, tons of unconditional love and just pure happiness of being together in one place that melted and soothed your soul. Everyone felt loved. Nothing like family love and I am blessed to have that.”
Susan shares: “I love any barbecues, but you can’t beat a simple hotdog, just charred on the outside and starting to split a little, with some spicy mustard and home-made relish. It brings back memories of my kids’ birthday parties, canoeing trips with my husband, community parties. Yum. Maybe that’s lunch.”
For our next Better Together, how do you cope with the busy-ness of September – back to school and back to work time, on top of everything else you’re dealing with. Or is it a slower time for you after the summer? What do you reflect on in the fall? Email me at [email protected].
Read the other blogs in our Better Together series: