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Things Julia Child has Taught Me

tsl-julia-child-advice
TSL Julia Child
Isn’t that the BEST pic?
(Original image by Paul Child)

I’m a little bit in love with Julia Child. You could say I have a girl-crush on her.

Don’t know who Julia Child is? – Where have you been?

In a nutshell, Julia was a TV chef and author. She is most famous for adapting complex French cooking for everyday Americans, in a time when cooking was not in vogue, with her groundbreaking cookbook ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’.

Mainly, I love the paradox of Julia – so very sensible and yet, at the same time, so wonderfully kooky and eccentric.

And, I love that she was middle-aged before she found her true passion. She may have started cooking in her thirties (like me!), but it was much later that this became her driving force. And, she found such joy in her cooking.

Julia Child gives me confidence that I can change direction. In a big way, too.

So, today’s post is a celebration of Julia…

TSL Julia Child Quote

I totally relate to this. I didn’t really start to cook until my thirties, either. But I have always loved to eat! And if you haven’t yet really mastered cooking, it’s never too late to learn!

And, it took me a while to find my cooking mojo. Like any craft – learning to cook takes practice. It’s only by trial and error that you gain confidence.

But, the really great thing about being able to cook is that everybody has to eat.

Sure, some people enjoy food more than others, but everyone eats… And, it’s a skill that will ensure you never have to eat another take away meal again (unless you really want to!).

TSL Julia Child Quote

I’m not a fancy cook. Nuh-uh! In fact, my preference is to keep things pretty simple. Unless it’s a special occasion, of course.

But I do insist on good ingredients. The best I can find. By this I mean – as Julia says – as fresh as possible, minimally messed with (preferably organic), and locally grown if I can get it.

That also means I head to my farmers market every weekend. LM comes with me. So does Bella. And, anyone else I can drag along. I love it. I talk to the farmers. I buy what’s in season. And I get ideas for my cooking experiments. LM is a willing subject!

While I’m a big advocate of keeping things simple, I have learnt that some level of planning is key. Having a good stash of homemade stock (bone broth) at the ready in my freezer means I can always whip up something healthy and tasty, even on those nights I can’t face cooking from scratch. Once a month, I make a big jar of fermented vegetables (TSL’s House Kraut), which keeps my gut happy! And, I’m a fan of batch cooking.

You’ve heard me say it before – Cook once to eat twice or thrice. That way, there’s always something in your larder as back up.

TSL Julia Child Quote

I’ve discovered that I’m really passionate about getting healthy. I’ve been doing this by applying the principles of Sarah Ballantyne’s Autoimmune Protocol.

Over the past two years, I’ve changed the way I eat. I’ve changed the way I approach sleep (hint: it’s a priority!) And, I’m pretty committed to managing my stress levels, too.

Along the way, I’ve been voraciously reading, learning and trying out realistic ways we can apply healthy changes to our every-day lives.

And, it’s been so successful for me that I now want to share that knowledge by working with others to effect healthy changes to their lives. I’ve recently qualified as a Health Coach. I’m in the process of designing my website. And, this blog will eventually migrate over to the new site.

So, you’ll notice a few changes heading this way at Casa TSL in the coming weeks. More on that in a later post. I hope you’ll stick with me…

TSL Julia Child Quote

The more I explore this healthy living gig that we’ve adopted here at Casa TSL, the more I realise that I will never know everything there is to know about it. Impossible.

And, I’m not alone. New discoveries are being made every day.

For example: – even five years ago, we had no idea just how important the health of our microbiome was to our general well-being. We hadn’t made the connection between gut health and how it has the capacity to affect such diverse aspects of our physiology as our mental health and our immune system.

And, I’ve discovered I really like learning about health. It’s such a positive topic – especially when small changes can have such dramatic effects.

So, the wonderfully ebullient Julia Child has taught me a lot. I’ve followed her advice and found something I’m passionate about. And, I AM tremendously interested in it. It’s inextricably tied to cooking real food well. Which is mighty convenient – because that’s also a passion for me. 

Have you found something you’re passionate about?

 

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Comments (12)

Fabulous. This really resonates with me. Apart from the basics (toast, lasagne, ready meals…), I didn’t learn to cook until my 40s (Mum was, and still is, a superb cook, so I had no need). But how I have missed out! I am enjoying the journey so much!

Sarah – I have a couple of good friends who just don’t cook. I suspect some of it is fear of the unknown. If they only knew just how easy it is!

I actually feel ridiculously grateful that I get so much happiness out of such a simple pleasure now.

I love all of the quotations you have cited. What an inspiration she has been.

I aspire to be as ‘windswept and interesting’ as the gorgeous Julia! 🙂

Congratulations~! I am so happy that you have found the thing you love. You will be an AMAZING health coach (I’d say you already are).

Thanks, my friend 🙂

…just got to morph TSL into my health coaching site and we’ll be away!

Wow, Sydney… what a GREAT post. Julie Child was a bit odd, and a genius. We both grew up watching her – back in the days when there were only four TV channels and our mothers were glued to her. It was a long train coming, but more than any other person, she changed the way we Americans view food. She paved the way for people like Craig Claiborne – my guru in my early days of trying to figure out cooking theory. For both of us, we see her as a person who gave thousands, or hundreds of thousands, or millions of people the courage to get in the kitchen and start experimenting. And it’s no coincidence that Julie Child bursting on the scene coincided with the development of California viniculture. The “follow your passion” message resonates. JD

Hey Jack! I think Julia inspired many to cook, and I love that about her. But, what I REALLY love is that she was a bit odd – and that this was almost celebrated. I love her high quirk-factor!

I agree with the others! What a great post. What GREAT news!! Bravo on following your passion. You’ll be a great coach. Heck, you’ve been teaching on this site for over a year now. And Yes! I’m also a Julia fanatic. I’ve read her “Life in France” book numerous times. It never fails to lift my spirits. I also use her cookbook! After the meal or shindig, I usually pen a little passage about the experience and guests in the well-loved book. Again, BRAVO!! ~Theadora

I’ve read ‘Life in France’, too T.

…and, thanks for the vote of confidence. You’re great for a girl’s ego 🙂

Lovely post – and we share many similarities – I made 4 litres of bone broth just yesterday with 3 organic chicken carcasses, some for dinner, some has been frozen and the dogs enjoyed the remainder. Great to learn more about Julia Childs too. Happy Easter!

FW – She’s worth looking into. Fascinating woman – and such a delight!

It’s been a bone broth weekend over here.

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