When my son, Luke, asked for help planning meals and feeding his family, the request brought together two of my favorite things: passing along something I love to someone I love.  Preparing real meals—real delicious food—is not burdensome.  It’s an act of loving care, of personal discipline, and of artistic expression, feeding the whole person, not just the stomach.  But not everyone has time or interest to be deliberate about meals, and that’s why Luke’s Apron quickly spread among our relatives and friends.

My own mother made good homemade nourishing food for a family of nine.  I picked up her interest, built on that foundation while living in Italy and later finagled a tight budget for a family of six in small town Kansas.  I was working outside the home too, serving as the primary “chef,” AND creating, sampling, experimenting, and enjoying the world's foods.  

My goal for Luke was, and still is, to keep meals manageable and affordable, to provide delicious recipes that are not too “out there,” to supply a comprehensive shopping list that includes everything needed for a week, to show how to cook smart so that every meal does not have to start over at square one, and to plant the seed that food is an avenue for creative expression.  This is what Luke’s Apron is all about.

- Joni