I was recently telling a new friend about the idea of Cooking With Friends and her eyes lit up. It reminded her of when she was a little girl growing up on a farm, and her mother had a circle of friends who got together once a month. They’d do whatever the host chose, sometimes snapping beans from the summer harvest, occasionally quilting or sewing. More often than not, they’d cook. It was called “club” and the reasons to do it were profound. These women were mostly mothers who might otherwise feel isolated on their farms many miles apart. “Club” gave them a chance to connect, to talk and to do something nice for their families, and for themselves.
We know it’s good for us to spend time with friends. A recent study at UCLA published in the Psychological Review proves it scientifically, showing that when women spend time together, they produce more oxytocin, which induces a feeling of happiness and clarity of mind.
While we’ve had many male fans of Cooking With Friends, my friend’s remembrance of her mother’s circle from childhood goes to the heart of what we believe in here. Cooking With Friends is a sisterhood, a place where women in our modern times can all at once be creative, connect with others and nourish their families and selves.