Happy February, friends! How was everyone's January? Did anyone start a morning connectedness routine? Or perhaps commit to a new group exercise class (I'm still going to Barre, but I'm not going to lie, it's getting tougher!)?
We are thrilled to shift themes this month from Beginnings, to Belonging. Clearly, February is still a wonderful month to start new things, so don't feel bad if you are still slowly creeping toward those new year's resolutions (I'm still trying my best to crawl towards that Mindfulness app)! But no matter what new beginnings you have started, we are excited for you to join us this month as we focus our energy on increasing feelings of belonging as a tool to help lessen those feelings of loneliness.
We will have lots of ideas and suggestions as the month goes along to help boost belonging - so stay tuned! BUT -- we are most excited about belonging with ALL OF YOU in our brand new Cookbook Huddle! If you peeked at our Newsletter earlier this week, you might have seen our announcement - but if not, no worries - here goes!
We know that food is a wonderful way to bring people together. The smells, the tastes, the warmth of the oven. Food makes people feel loved and fulfilled - and is an easy way to bring friends and family together around a delicious dish! So we are excited to help make this 'togetherness and belonging' even easier by helping you create your very own Cookbook Huddle (we chose the word huddle instead of club 'cause it sounds much more active and a bit less exclusive!).
Each month, we will choose a cookbook that celebrates that month's theme - then you have all month to explore the recipes, and share your culinary creations with friends and family. This month, we are thrilled to have Trine Hahnemann's gorgeous book, Scandinavian Comfort Food - Embracing the Art of Hygge, as our selection! The Scandinavian countries do a wonderful job celebrating connection and belonging (especially in the winter months) through their focus on hygge, so this book is a beautiful tool to inspire delicious feasts!
So for now, grab your copy of the book! You can check your local library for a borrowable copy, head to your local bookseller to browse their shelves, or click the link above to order online. Then grab your whisk, and start cooking! You will notice that her recipes include measurements for European and American audiences, so use the one that works best for you. She also deliciously uses many ingredients that are central to Scandinavian cooking - feel free to make any adjustments that work for your tastes or are easier for you to find - that's the real pleasure of cooking!
We will start posting pics on our Cost of Loneliness Facebook page of our dishes, and we would LOVE for you to add yours as well! Post pics! Leave comments! Tell us who you have enjoyed sharing your treats with! For now, just play! Next week we will talk about how to create your 'huddle' for later in the month - but for now, just enjoy exploring all these delicious new recipes, and sharing them with your neighbors and friends (and maybe even your exercise-buddies at the gym!). We can't wait to belong together in this journey, and to hear and see all your delicious dishes!