“When Christ said, ‘I was hungry and you fed me,’ He didn’t mean only hunger for bread and food; He also meant the hunger to be loved.” – Mother Teresa
Those were the first lines of LeAnn Rice’s The Loving Kitchen. This book especially stood out to me when I was scanning through the books that I can request to review from Thomas Nelson. My being the point person in the kitchen might have a lot to do with that. But more than just acquiring for myself a good cookbook, I meant to pick the mind of a fellow blogger who is also a follower of Christ, who spends a lot of time in the kitchen like I do.
Book Description
The Loving Kitchen is a collection of comforting recipes straight from the kitchen of popular food blogger LeAnn Rice.
You know the feeling you get when you’re an overnight guest in someone’s home, and you awaken to a hot-off-the-griddle breakfast? Or when a coworker brings in a pan of her famous brownies to celebrate your recent promotion? Doesn’t it feel great when dinner at the neighbors’ house includes multiple courses of scratch-made recipes and conversation that lingers beyond dessert and that last cup of coffee?
For many of us, these are the moments in which we feel most loved. That’s the idea behind The Loving Kitchen. Get your family’s day started right with LeAnn’s fluffy Pumpkin Spice Pancakes, or a bowl of Almond Coconut Granola and yogurt. Keep your favorite sports fans fueled through the entire game with hearty servings of Hot Sausage and Spinach Dip, or toss together a Grilled Chicken and Berry Salad for lunch with your dearest girlfriends.
Want a signature dinner you can serve on those special occasions? Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Orange Cranberry Glaze with Creamy Smashed Baby Potatoes is the perfect meal to celebrate a milestone. LeAnn’s sunny narrative and ideas for bringing people together will remind you that the best meal you’ll ever cook is the one you prepare as an act of love.
Admittedly, one of the reasons that I got a hold of LeAnn Rice’s The Loving Kitchen, is my heart to keep my home a loving place even in the midst of chaotic chores piling up every single day. Our family enjoys our privacy too much to welcome a helper to take care of the chores. I have a cleaning lady come in from time to time but that’s it ever since my reliable helper left in 2012. With all the things I do around the house and an 8 hour job a day as virtual assistant the past year, things can get really overwhelming.
The commentaries of LeAnn in her book are plenty encouraging and only someone who repeatedly does the same task over and over again can truly understand how this feels. The tips, oh the kitchen hacks are just invaluable! Thank you, LeAnn! They all make sense. From now on I will not add oil to my pasta when I boil them. Apparently, this keeps the sauce from clinging to the cooked pasta. Totally makes sense. But that means I will have to use a large pot to keep the pasta moving around as it boils. 🙂
As LeAnn invited her readers “to her table,” she summoned us to go beyond merely serving food but lovingly being at it every time.
Disclaimer: This book was given to me by Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.
