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last words of advice
keeping Calm through the Chaos
Back in the USSR, there was no Christmas. It simply was not a thing. Not only were religious
celebrations discouraged, but poor families also had to make do with what (very) little they
had. Despite the hardships, the Christmas holiday was one of the most joyous celebrations
in Russia. My grandfather would miraculously find an unfinished wooden post and drill holes
in it. My mother and her siblings would attach various leafless tree branches on the post until
it resembled a Christmas tree. It may have resembled Frankenstein’s monster more than an
actual Christmas tree, but the children all looked forward to it every year. It meant they got to
make Christmas ornaments, and—for the first time all year—have some candy.
Of course, this is taking the minimalist lifestyle trend to a whole new level. Here, in this
country, minimalism is a choice rather than a basic survival tactic. One that’s often made only
by people who have a stable income and a cushion of cash in their FDIC-protected bank
accounts. All that aside, at its very core, minimalism embraces simplicity. Minimalism can be a
lifestyle choice that enables you to find freedom and joy by removing the extras—the clutter—
that complicates life. This makes it easier to focus on what’s most important—the people
around you.
While we’re not trying to convert anyone to the minimalist lifestyle, we do encourage
everyone to embrace simplicity. Make a deliberate decision to focus on the joy of sharing a
meal with your friends and family rather than worrying if the food will be Instagram-worthy. At
the end of the day, listen to your gut and do what works best for you and your family.
As authors of this book, our goal is to put your mind to ease by giving you permission to
ignore unrealistic advice. We even encourage you to change our recipes and make them
your own. After all, that’s exactly what we’ve done after making them, year after year, for our
own friends and families. Goodness, we’ve been using some of these recipes for so long,
we’ve committed them to memory. Oddly enough, we don’t remember where many of them
originally came from or have any idea how many times they’ve been altered to fit our tastes.
(Now, that’s a sign of a good recipe!) So, relax. When it comes to cooking, there’s usually no
need to follow an exact recipe. We’re not going to judge you. So, go ahead…mix up an adult
beverage and cook irresponsibly.
The truth is, following someone else’s rules in your own kitchen is only going to keep you
from being as successful as possible. Something has to give, and there is just not enough time
for the important things if you worry so much about the small things. You may just find that
changing these recipes to meet your needs, and ignoring those over-the-top standards, will
empower you to break a glass ceiling. So, keep calm, and conquer the homemaking façade.
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-Inessa