Pushing Forward

In the spirit of thinking about self-care and practical applications, I wanted to share one of the things that is most important for me when it comes to self-care.  It is practical because, well, it’s cooking and we’ve all got to eat!!  

I’m no Master Chef or anything but I found out a while ago that I enjoy cooking for some reason.  I like to try new recipes, modify them to fit my needs, and there’s always a tangible reward at the end…sometimes it’s even tasty 🙂

I see this as one of the most important pieces of my self-care routine because it is something that serves many purposes.  I enjoy eating good food, so there’s that.  However, I’ve found that following a recipe and focusing on preparing a dish is a really good way to take my mind away from the stresses of work.  In addition, I almost always strive to make healthy meals that taste good (because how many “healthy” meals taste good?!?).  Finally, when it is all finished, I can sit down and enjoy the fruits of my labor…something we don’t get to do very often in education! 

Cooking has become a bit of a hobby for me.  I’m not going to be inventing dishes or even thinking off the cuff too often, I’m mostly just a recipe follower.  However, I do modify and change recipes as I make them over and over.  I listen to feedback (mostly from my wife) and try to improve the dish each time I make it.  So, over time I’ve built up a sort of “go-to” list of meals that I prepare fairly regularly.  I’d like to share one with you today.

This particular dish has become a “go-to” because it is quick, easy, relatively cheap, and yummy!! I can put this dish together from start to finish in less than 30 minutes and with a little help on one or two tasks I can even sneak a break to enjoy a sip or two of a beverage while I’m preparing…enjoy 🙂