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I am a believer that even the best of cooks need to refresh their recipe routine. We all have staples that we default to in the kitchen, especially if you cook for a picky audience. Recently I’ve been deviating. My routine has gotten a bit boring, even to me. This deviation has come with a pleasant surprise – my kids are eating it (full disclosure: they may have a meltdown at first, but after they come to grips with their reality they actually eat it). And one more thing, both times this has happened they have actually liked it! Now, I’m not saying this isn’t difficult or annoying, but ultimately I think it’s worth it.

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Realizing that our next few months will include dining at home night after night, I thought it seemed appropriate to get the blog back into circulation.

I have struggled the last month to successfully cook three meals a day, plus snacks for my littlest (and yes, we’ve been eating in, at home, for a month now). The challenge? To come up with creative ideas that hit all the marks: healthy, delicious, and edible for my bipolar, I mean, picky eaters. Just in case you’re wondering, I mean the kids. My husband continues to be either a particularly considerate customer or maybe he’s just happy to have a hot meal served to him? Who knows! Either way, his enthusiasm about my cooking is one of the many reasons that I married him.

On a more serious note, I recognize I’m lucky that this is my challenge, cooking meal after meal for my family. How fortunate to be annoyed by this small inconvenience! Some out there are worried about the health of their family or friends, they are sick, or they are caring for the sick. I’m lucky my people are healthy and I thank God for his blessings everyday. If you’re like me and this is a challenge in your life, you’re lucky too!

One unique thing about living abroad is that you can’t get access to the same long life items (think frozen foods, canned beans, long life prepackaged items or just your default favorites). In addition, fresh meat and produce just don’t last as long, which makes it tricky to keep the groceries going for seven days. How I long to cruise the frozen food aisles at home (a sentence I never imagined myself saying – EVER). The truth is, sometimes I feel tired or burdened by spending most of my time in the kitchen, which is really something given my love of cooking. It’s made trickier by the fact that my kids are little, this means that one night a meal could be, “the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted.” And the next night, the exact same food, reheated, will be, “Ew, gross, I hate said entree/vegetable/meat.” Oh and then there’s the fact that I’m supposed to be homeschooling them both?🤷‍♀️

So, to kick us off with my virtual reboot, my goal is to help combine my two loves, the welfare of others and cooking. I want to help you maintain your mental health as best you can. What can you do in the kitchen in order to preserve it? Here is my list of suggestions.

Embrace….

Leftovers – Yes, that’s right. Put away that frying pan and open your microwave. Reheat it and eat it, people. If you liked it the first time then it’ll be better tasting than you remember!

The Freezer Aisle – Take advantage. You have companies like Annie’s and other health food companies who are just determined to get you to fall in love with their healthy food options, so preheat your oven and try some new products. Enjoy special treats, think French fries (balanced with unprocessed healthy food) once in a while. Don’t fool yourself, you’d be eating those fries if you were dining out as much as you used to! So why not buy some and make them at home. Your kids will love you and so will your spouse.

One Pot Wonders – Ah, the one pot wonder. I love the one pot wonder. She’s my BFF. Tonight I made a yummy meal that was sure to be a failure but somehow made everyone happy – pasta bolognese. How I love to make just one item that hits all the marks.

Cold Dinners – Oh the beauty of a cold meal! Our kids loved these because they could serve themselves and felt in control of what we ate. Basically think a lavish healthy appetizer spread. It is both delicious and easy. For those of you raw fruit and veggie lovers you are going to love this one! We used to do this once a week at home – especially in the spring/summer months. Typically for us a cold meal would be cheese, crackers, a salad, maybe a pate?, a smoked, canned, or jarred fish item, a cold soup, a specialty healthy dip (think hummus or white bean dip). There are just so many ways you can do this. You could also do a huge fruit salad!

And best of all, yes, I’ve saved the best for last….

A Messy Kitchen – Yes, that’s right, I said it. I should probably be ashamed for admitting it, but the truth is I’ve let some things go. With no dishwasher in our apartment that means we are the dishwashers. That’s right – me 🙋‍♀️. And despite my OCD tendencies, I’ve really gotten over how important it is for every dish to be washed immediately. Fact is, you just can’t cook every meal from scratch, and clean your house and homeschool your kid and do all the dishes. I literally was spending most of my day in the kitchen. So do it. Let them slide. Don’t do the dishes after each snack or each meal. If that helps bring you calm, do it. Maybe go green and set up a plastic bin in your sink so dishes can soak and you can lower your water bill. Note: If this suggestion causes more stress or tension between you and your partner then I suggest you drop it in an effort to preserve your marriage. Some things are just not thaaat important.

I would argue any other tactic that allows you to feed your family what nutrients they need while also preserving your mental health is worth considering. The one thing ny husband I changed in the last month is we both get time to exercise everyday, no matter what. Even if it is just 30 minutes. I think since the onset of this nightmare it has helped us both maintain more sanity. Note, I did not say keep us sane, after all reacting to this is part of the normal mental health process. I encourage you to have your fear cry in the shower. You must carve out your world. List what you can control and control it.

On that note, I wish you luck. Next week, if I can get my act together, I’ll assemble some of my social “distancing” favorite suppers thus far. In the meantime, love your roommates (if you have them), big and small, and try to find as much joy and laughter as you can. Stay home. Stay safe. Stay healthy. ❤️