Inclusion All Year Round

 Today we remember those who were lost nineteen years ago. We came together as a country. There was a sense of unity and fidelity to our country and neighbors. We are apart now, thanks to beliefs , prejudices and Covid 19. Yet there are ways of coming together and standing as one. That involves one of our  most basic needs - cooking and nourishing each other,

We can still cook and bake for each other despite social distancing . Isolated neighbors will appreciate a loaf of homemade bread or a casserole. It's even easy to create a meal box , full of ingredients and instructions and leave it on a neighbor's doorstep. You could add fresh produce from your garden along with spices and extras. Keep it simple. A jar of homemade sauce and a box of any kind of pasta is simple enough to make and reheat but nutritious and filling for a lunch or dinner. You could also include the ingredients for a tasty hero, with cold cuts and cheeses along with a small container of dressing. Have a dessert of some fruit , whether an apple or pear. You could also include a baggie of grapes or cherries too. For fun, add a small jigsaw puzzle , puzzle books and magazines. If the person is celebrating a birthday, find out their favorite meal and make that. Include a small cake or cupcakes along with a small gift.

Inclusion also means bringing kids together despite the social distancing. There can still be get togethers but  on Zoom . Parents can get together and create the same dinner that everyone can share on this modern meeting medium. A truly inclusive idea is having Thursdays or one day of the weekend saved for different recipes from different groups. It could be a Nigerian beef and spaghetti stew or chicken with plantains. It's a great way of expanding family palates as well as the family cookbook. Cooking other classmates' family recipes brings new spices and flavors to the kitchen pantry. Parents can also write down their recipes in a class cookbook that can be published on Nook or Kindle. How to photographs  can be included too to show how a dish is made. Stories of everyone's ancestry and homeland can also accompany the recipes. Of course there could be virtual lunches too with everyone enjoying a shared peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a tomato soup in their individual houses. 

We need to be more inclusive despite our distancing. If we can honor the ones we lost, and our country, let's try to be more unified. It can easily be done through cooking and baking for each other.