Happy New Year!
I can hardly believe that the holidays were here, and now done and gone.
I don’t know about you but it seems to me that the past few months have just flown by. My grandma always says, “The older you get, the faster time goes.” I guess I’m now experiencing the truth of those words.
It’s been way too long since my last blog. I’ve missed it. To be honest, the busyness of the holiday season did play a part but the real reason I haven’t blogged is because I haven’t had any good food photos to post in a blog entry.
As some of you may know, I’m not really interested in food if there aren’t any photos of it. Yes words do matter, whether they make up the body of a blog, a magazine article or an actual recipe, but the photos are what really draw me in. On most days photos are what will determine if I try a recipe or not.
Although I have no photos of food to offer you, I have been busy in the kitchen these past few months and so I thought I’d share that with you.
My Saturday morning routine goes something like this: wake up without an alarm, pour myself a cup of freshly brewed Starbucks coffee (thanks to my hubs!), grab my copy of Bon Appetit, head to the couch and cozy up. It’s a great way to kick off the weekend. A gift of space and time. Thank you Lord!
As I read I take note of recipes I’d like to try, and as you can imagine after doing this for several Saturdays, I’ve collected quite the stack.
A few months ago I decided I needed to do something with this stack that was only collecting dust in my cupboard. I pulled it out. I also pulled out a few dusty cookbooks in hopes of using them too.
In the midst of my sifting and sorting, I felt inspired to create a wish list of recipes.
I got creative with the idea.
I grabbed my computer and typed a list of recipes (note, I did include some old favorites). After making the list, I categorized the recipes, decorated the list and hung it up on the inside of my kitchen cupboard door.
Boy, has it been fun and such a blessing!
I look to it when I need a little inspiration. It keeps me accountable to be the creative person God made me to be. Because of this list, I made Ina Garten’s beef stew (a totally time-consuming dish but absolutely worth the effort), I poached eggs for eggs benedict (nailed the first one, needed help with all the rest), sautéed side dishes, whisked up three salad dressings and baked a dark chocolate bundt cake (a beloved recipe).
Each time I create something that appears on the list, I check it off. I also add the date created and a little comment or two.
The beauty about this list is that there are no conditions that come with it.
I don’t have to create so many recipes a week or finish creating everything by a certain date. It’s not guilt producing. In fact, it does just the opposite. Each time I see what I’ve accomplished, I feel super proud.
What do I have left to do? I still want to grill a head of romaine, create fresh pico de gallo, my dad’s teriyaki-cream salmon and homemade bread.
I’d like to encourage you to try creating your own wish list of recipes. Here’s to risking, taking small steps and being in the kitchen creating something delicious in 2013!
Such a good idea! I’m inspired to do the same thing!
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