So at the beginning of this season, just a couple episodes ago, I shared my goals for the year,

and I told you that I had a feeling that 2025 and beyond is going to be a new phase of cooking focus for me, whether it's through the soda fountain, which we're really focused on right now, or meal craft, which is my meal subscription service or the new cookbook I'm writing.

I just have a feeling that food is going to once again take the forefront in my life.

Let's be honest, it never really went to the back seat because I really love food. I love cooking and everything that goes with it,

growing it. But anyway, so I've been thinking a lot about food lately, even more than normal.

And whether I'm at the soda fountain or I'm working on recipes for the cookbook,

one of the things that always comes up, especially in conversations with others,

is just the point of it all. Like, why bother cooking? Why does it matter? And I know that this

topic is a little bit preaching to the choir with this audience because you guys already

are well acquainted with the reasons behind why one might want to cook a home or grow their

own food. But sometimes, you know,

even if you already know those things, it's good to have a little bit of affirmation and solidarity

in this unorthodox path that we've all chosen because, as you know, we don't have to do this.

Cooking food, growing food is not something that's required of us in our modern day and age.

And so when we intentionally choose

this path, it puts us on a different trajectory than many around us. And sometimes that causes

questions. And maybe we even question ourselves as to why is it worth it? Why does it matter? Why do you

go to the effort of baking the bread or making the broth when you can just get it so easily at the store.

And so today I actually wanted to read an excerpt from Old Fashion on Purpose, the book that

publish, I guess it was not last year, but the year before now that we're in a brand new year.

And partially because this chapter that I wrote in old fashioned on

purpose really summarizes my thoughts on this in a very succinct way. And also because we're

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