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OUR STORY
A tisket, a tasket, the heart of a picnic basket...
As a young girl, I remember going to the park with my mom, sister, and Duane...my step dad. We had music, cooked out on those rusty old permanent grills, played frisbee, and lounged in metal folding chairs. When I became a mother, mostly a single mother, we had little money to spend, and food stamps were the only way we ate many months. Sometimes, I could not afford to take my kids to movies, to the swimming pool, or out to eat at a restaurant... but I could make a good picnic basket. I would tend to each detail.... cookie cut out sandwiches, real mozzerella with basil and tomato salad, fresh cut vegetables, and those dainty little fancy cookies from Sweden. We always spread out a large antique quilt, cloth napkins, and ALWAYS used an old picnic basket. I had two that became my favorite. One belonged to my Grandma and one my sister gave to me as a Christmas gift. The value of these are immeasurable, the memories contained within them. More than 20 years later, I still cherish them.
I would collect menus from restaurants all over. Before the internet, I would have them mailed to me, or have friends and family pick them up. I would copy their sandwiches or salads. Most of the food was a complete splurge and I had no business buying....but our picnics became our tradition, our most favorite thing to do together. In a small town in Illinois, with only a couple parks safe for picnicking....some of my most treasured memories.
Times have changed....I live in a beautiful community and there are so many opportunities to share a picnic with our friends and families. These are still treasured experiences to be had. I share my love of food, love of connection, and love of picnics with you all.
-Tobi
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Preserve the Past... Continue Politeness... Extend Grace.
The term Goodness Gracious dates back to the 1700’s. It is used as a way to show excitement, surprise, or even replace cursing. It is a term of endearment, a politeness, a love language, a way to express yourself, and a way to express the goodness of grace. The universality of the term can be used however you see fit. It is a connection to the past, the days gone by, a mutually respectful term, that can dissolve any disdain or soften any hardships. With a smile and a giggle, “oh goodness gracious…” provides jovial moments among us.
Goodness Gracious strives to preserve the past, continue politeness, extend grace through our food language and food legacy.
Food Language is the passion and the exchange. What is your favorite food? Where are your favorite restaurants? What should we do for dinner? Our food language occupies our days, dreams, and service to others. Who is your cook? Who do you cook for? It is gifting to our loved ones with special meals on birthdays, beyond our holiday traditions. Goodness Gracious loves to know more about the food language of our community, and customers.
Food Legacy is the story, the memory, the inheritance of a recipe, the connection to the past, the honoring of your family, and sharing it with others. Quite simply, preserving the past. Goodness Gracious welcomes your stories and your recipes here. We are dedicated to food legacies. We are dedicated to preserving the past through food communion. We are dedicated to preserving old traditions through our personalized picnic service. We preserve the past by using iron skillets, placing doilies, wearing frilly aprons, and providing you opportunites for your own food legacies. We give new life to old china by repurposing it for use in our private tea parties, and soon to be restaurant. We share our favorite products in Gigi’s Cupboard…an online store full of eclectic and farmhouse kitchen and housewares.