As we begin to gear up for holiday dinners and do our best to make sure our neighbors have food to eat, it's easy enough to get caught up in the here-and-now demands and anxieties. 

(Related content: "Ditch the Potluck Stress" from the November 2025 issue of UMAmi)

But in all of the hustle and bustle, take a moment to breathe, relax your neck and shoulders, unclench your jaw. If you need something on the practice of cooking as therapy or spiritual practice, there's some pretty nifty reads for that.

Now, let's take just a moment to consider the ways that our history contributes to what we bring to the table. 

I'm not just talking about the long-term stuff, as fascinating as that is -- did you know that pepper (the kind that goes in a grinder or shaker) comes from a flower? Because until I read Sarah Lohman's book Eight Flavors, I did not. 

Right now I'm talking more about the kind of history that doesn't make it into textbooks (often my favorite flavor of history). 

The kind where my family almost always makes "Aunt Nene Salad" for big meals -- never mind that the story of that particular dish is that my great aunt had it somewhere and liked it enough that she asked for the recipe, we still remember it as her salad and make it fairly frequently. Or how I rarely eat eggs most of the time but when I visit my parents it's a regular part of my diet because my dad often shows love by offering to make omelets for breakfast. Or even the time I discovered that at some point one of my siblings treated my cat to enough salt and vinegar chips that they created their own little tradition of shared expectations and delight.

Whether you're cooking, baking, shopping, cleaning up, or chowing down (while complimenting whoever did the rest), the sharing of food and fellowship is a fundamental part of how we build and maintain connections with each other. Whether your family is biological, found, chosen, or any other genre, it's nice to make and share something together -- even when that involves plenty of messes and work in a literal and/or metaphorical way. 

Need some inspiration? Check out our Community Cookbook collection (there's one where all the illustrations are by elementary school kids!), take a look at our current window display in the Oklahoma Room, mosey through the library stacks, and maybe try a delicious memoir. There's also plenty to savor in fiction, whether you're in the mood to sink your teeth into some fantasy, science fiction, a movie, or a cozy mystery.

And, of course, make sure that whatever family recipes, traditions, and food stories are saved in some way (recipe cards, voice notes, whatever is easy to hold onto). Because your stories are history, and history is made to keep and to share with others.