Labor Day is our chance to kick back, reflect on all the progress we’ve made since the year began, and fire up the oven or barbecue for some satisfying holiday weekend dining. To make the most of this All-American tradition, we invited acclaimed lifestyle, food and travel expert Gigi Wilson to share with #SeeHer members her appreciation for the power of food and its ability to nourish and even enlighten us.
When I started my lifestyle and food blog a couple of years ago, I was thinking about the message that I wanted to share. It was simple, but powerful:
Live well, love well, eat well!
Food is the universal liaison, bringing people and cultures together the world over, whether you’re making Labor Day memories with family, friends, and even strangers. Food is not just essential to our own nourishment, but the nourishment of our culture!
This phrase has helped keep my perspective and message clear, but it wasn’t until recently that I found the true secret ingredient to living my best life after reading this beautifully introspective passage by English author and screenwriter, Neil Gaiman:
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So, write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can. The moment that you feel that just possibly you are walking down the street naked…that’s the moment you may be starting to get it right.”
A true “aha” moment. You are the essential and only true ingredient needed to create the recipe for the journey to your best life! You are your greatest gift.
What are you doing in your life that makes you feel most unique, most true to yourself without outside influence or direction? For me, it is in my kitchen and studio, when I am most naked and most creative. I love the freedom of a blank canvas with no script to follow, where I can create anything that organically comes to mind, or to taste! But the passion lies in the joy of sharing with others.
And, since we’re talking about fulfilling recipes this Labor Day weekend, here is one of my favorite dishes for bringing people together from my new lifestyle cookbook, “Fun & Simple Gourmet.” I hope you enjoy sharing it as much as I enjoyed creating it. You can purchase your own copy of “Fun & Simple Gourmet” here.
