I have the most precious in-loves. They live in England. Many of the homes in the UK have a name embossed on the home and their beautiful home is called Stoke Gabriel. I've always loved the name of their quaint English home.

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A while back, we lived in a cozy one story home embellished with white stone in a little country town outside of Austin, Texas. I knew as soon as we bought our little Texas home that it would be named Stoke Haven Cottage. For two years, I prepared warm, home-cooked meals in our kitchen and in my mind, it was named Stoke Haven Kitchen. I had ideas of eventually creating brass plaques with the name I had envisioned for our little home and kitchen, but God had different plans and we ended up moving out of that sweet house. The name never left me, though. 

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My husband Jordan travels frequently sharing the beautiful message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We love the Lord with all of our hearts; loving Him and others is our sole purpose here on earth. So how does that translate to the kitchen? The Bible actually talks about doing everything unto the Lord. When we grasp this mindset, everyday tasks become a little easier knowing the Lord is pleased when we fulfill them. I believe wholeheartedly that a purpose of mine is to create a loving environment for my husband and our two sons, Theo and Gabriel, where they feel at peace, full of joy, and excited to live this life for Christ. I believe this is your purpose, too. Whether you are preparing for loved ones or for yourself, you are diligently taking care of what God has entrusted to you.

 

When my husband returns from his many trips, I always desire for our home to be a haven for him. Ministering and giving so much of himself on a constant basis can oftentimes drain you mentally and physically, so not only is our home a haven for him to come back to, it is also a place to feel replenished and revitalized. For the passion and fire within him to be restoked, hence the name Stoke Haven. ​

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If I ever ask my husband where his favorite restaurant is or what his favorite dish is, his answer is always the same - he enjoys my home-cooked meals. Seeing my husband's face light up after his first bite of his beloved Sticky Toffee Pudding, or our little man enjoying Beef Stroganoff for the very first time; hosting loved ones in my kitchen is certainly a love language of mine. There is a sweet comfort that comes from a meal cooked with love. 

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So why have I decided to start Stoke Haven Kitchen now? Recently a very dear and special friend of mine passed away. Her name was Ashley. She created a planner a few months before she suddenly passed. When she shared it, I congratulated her and she said, "Thank you... I've been holding off and I'm like, Why?! I need to just put it out there." She went to be with Jesus just 5 months later. When several of my friends encouraged me to start a way to share my recipes, I thought of Ashley's response to me. Why wait? I need to just put it out there. Part of my reason of starting Stoke Haven Kitchen is out of honor for my sweet friend who is now loving every moment with Jesus. I believe in acknowledging the Lord in everything we do and I've felt such a peace about starting this now.

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Many wives, mothers, husbands, dads, or single people feel a daunting pressure by 5 PM each day to figure out what on earth they are preparing for dinner, but my hope with Stoke Haven Kitchen is to relieve you of this stress. Feeling prepared is a wonderful thing, and I hope this is a place of rest for you where you can know each week what you are able to prepare for the ones you love and not carry the frustrations that the kitchen can cause for so many. We already wear many hats, and overwhelmed and stressed in the kitchen shouldn't have to be one of them.

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Hopefully, your kitchen can become a haven for you rather than a place to fulfill a chore. A place of warmth, happy memories, belly laughs, comfort, and lots of love. 

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From my kitchen to yours,

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Kelsey