Breaking Through the Block

They say when writers have writer’s block, they just need to push through it. Just write, even if every last word is awful and you’re going to have to change it anyway. Cooking is very much like that, with an every bigger push: if I don’t cook, we’re not going to have dinner! 

I wrote previously about pushing through the annoyances of my current kitchen to enjoy cooking again. I’m really trying to do that. Two things are really helping me: 

I’m making a point to get to a farmers’ market every weekend – there’s such inspiration in the stands this time of year! Peppers, melons, tomatoes, blueberries, sweet corn, eggplant, squash! 

                I’ve found a daily schedule that works for us. I drop Caleb off in the morning and Brian picks him up in the evening. It means leaving Caleb at school almost 45 minutes longer than necessary, because I leave work earlier than Brian does, but it gives me a blessed 45 minutes alone to start dinner.  I put the tv or music, or call my parents, and start chopping. Often I’ve got dinner mostly done or at least well underway by the time Brian and Caleb get home and I can get some cuddles before Caleb demands his dinner. (And boy does he ever! His teacher finally told me yesterday that Caleb was getting really hungry an hour before his bottle time. !!! I sent real food in addition to his bottles today to help fill him up. No wonder he was eating like starving person at dinner.) 

Those 45 minutes  – they aren’t the best part of my day, that’s time with Brian and Caleb – but they’re integral. I feel like myself during that time and it's paid off big time at dinner this week. I've indulged myself in making food with great ingredients that inspire me. To that end, we had homemade pizza two nights in a row and on Wednesday I made Brown Rice Burrito Bowls. They were so delicious, I'm recommending the recipe to all my friends. Yes, the brown rice takes awhile to cook, but if you put it on first you need the next 45 minutes to chop and roast all your veggies.

Tonight I'm making Tortilla soup and I've got a list for next week that includes fresh spring rolls and corn and squash fritters. Normally I wouldn't tackle these but it's time to break out of my rut and make some good cooking memories in this kitchen. Hopefully we won't be here for long but I'll make the most of it while we hunt for our next home.