There’s something about monasteries that stays with you long after you’ve left their quiet grounds. I think once you’ve experienced them—even just for an afternoon—you begin to recognize that gentle rhythm wherever you go. It’s in the way the doors open slowly, the way voices soften without being asked, and the way even the simplest things—a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese, a jar of honey—seem to carry a deeper meaning.
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Table of Contents
- The Quiet Gift of Monastery Visits
- Handmade Goods with a Deeper Meaning
- Cookbooks That Teach More Than Recipes
- Monastery Recipe
- The Monks of New Skete: Lessons in Patience and Care
- What Dogs and Sourdough Starters Can Teach Us
- Creating a Kitchen Rooted in Intention
- Lessons in Simplicity from My Parents
- Carrying Those Lessons Into My Kitchen Today
- The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
- The Modern Pioneer Pantry
- Start Your Traditional Foods Journey
- Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
- Kitchen Academy Videos
- Shop for My Favorite Items
The Quiet Gift of Monastery Visits
Growing up Catholic, those visits to monasteries were never grand events, but they were always memorable. Tucked into the hills of New York, scattered across Connecticut, and stretching up into the peaceful corners of New England, each one felt like stepping into a world that moved at a different pace.
Handmade Goods with a Deeper Meaning
My parents and I would wander through small gift shops filled with handmade goods—items crafted not for show, but for use. Jams, honey, cheese, breads, fruitcakes, cheesecakes, candles, and always books—each one offering a glimpse into a life rooted in the Catholic faith, hard work, prayer, humility, and the quiet purpose that comes with a contemplative life. And it’s those books that over the years have had a way of finding their place on our shelves—and many on my traditional kitchen bookshelf.
Cookbooks That Teach More Than Recipes
When you open a cookbook by someone like Father Dominic Garramone, Brother Rick Curry, Brother Boniface, or Brother Victor-Antoine, you quickly realize you’re not just reading recipes. You’re being invited into a way of living. There’s no rush, no unnecessary
complication. Just flour, water, time… and a sense that what you’re making matters, not because it’s perfect, but because it’s made with care.
I’ve always felt that cookbook author and founder of Brother Juniper’s Bakery, Peter Reinhart, belongs to this same circle of “brothers,” even if his path looks a little different. There’s a shared understanding among them—that bread is more than sustenance. It’s nourishment shaped by hands that have learned that love can come in many forms, including feeding your family and friends with a loaf of bread hot out of the oven.
Monastery Cookbooks
- Twelve Months of Monastery Soups: International Favorites by D’Avila-Latourrette, Brother Victor-Antoine
- Baking With Brother Boniface
- The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking
- Breakfast Breads and Sweet Treats
Monastery Recipe
Legend tells us that in the year 1510, a Benedictine Monk named Dom Bernardo Vincelli lived at the Abbey of Fécamp on the Normandy coast in northern France. Through his studies, he knew that herbs and spices had many medicinal properties. To extract their healing essential oils, he created what was known as a medicinal elixir.
The Monks of New Skete: Lessons in Patience and Care
This will not surprise those who know me well; there are, quite wonderfully, the Monks of New Skete. If you know them, you probably first think of their dogs—and for good reason. They’ve helped so many people understand that training a dog isn’t about control, but about a relationship—About patience, consistency, trust, and most importantly, loving leadership. They speak deeply to my hundenarr* heart!
*dog lover
But I digress. Let’s get back to bread!
What Dogs and Sourdough Starters Can Teach Us
What’s so beautiful is that the Monks of New Skete’s work with dogs mirrors their work in the kitchen. In both places—the kennel and the kitchen—the same lessons rise to the surface.
You can’t rush the process.
You must be attentive.
You show up each day, even when it’s ordinary.
Whether it’s tending a sourdough starter or guiding a young dog, the principle is the same: steady, patient care over time leads to something good, something reliable, something full of life.
Dog Books From the Monks of New Skete
- Let Dogs Be Dogs: Understanding Canine Nature and Mastering the Art of Living with Your Dog
- Divine Canine: The Monks’ Way to a Happy, Obedient Dog
- How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners
- The Art of Raising a Puppy
Creating a Kitchen Rooted in Intention
And isn’t that what we’re all trying to create in our kitchens?
Not perfection.
Not performance.
But a place where food is made with intention. Where meals are prepared with love. Where even the daily routines—feeding a family, caring for a home, walking a dog—become meaningful in their own quiet way.
Lessons in Simplicity from My Parents
Those monastery visits from years ago weren’t just little outings. My parents knew instinctively that they were providing me with gentle lessons.
Lessons in simplicity.
Lessons in doing small things well.
My father once had a little chuckle when he came across those “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” books lined up on the shelves of a local bookstore. It struck him as odd. While most of us understand there was a certain rhyme and reason behind those books, at the time, my dad simply couldn’t quite make sense of it.
He looked at me and said, “If you tend to the small things, you’ll never have to worry about the big things.”
Carrying Those Lessons Into My Kitchen Today
Now, as I grow closer to 70, his words carry such weight. They’ve settled deep into my heart, and I find myself returning to them often—especially in the quiet, everyday moments that make up my life.
And all these years later, the life lessons my parents blessed me with, grounded in simplicity—the small things—still find their way into my kitchen…and into the way I care for those I love—two-legged and four. 😊
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The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.
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Simple ingredients, timeless techniques, and a well-stocked pantry. Discover over 100 nourishing recipes to preserve food and turn pantry staples into homemade meals. Build a wholesome, traditional pantry—just like a modern pioneer!
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For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
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Kitchen Academy Videos
Baking with Whole Grains: The Maslin Method, Grain Mills, and America’s Bread Basket
Explore whole grain baking with The Maslin Method, fresh-milled flour, grain mills, heritage wheats, and more.
A Sweet Season of Celebration and New Beginnings with The Maslin Method Baking School Series
Celebrate the close of a heartfelt book tour and the exciting launch of The Maslin Method Baking School for traditional baking.
Why We Should Incorporate Mackerel Into Our Diet
Easy and nourishing ways to enjoy mackerel into your meals.
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