Aran's gorgeous photo + recipe via design * spongeSo (in an attempt to go easy on myself) I'm going to chalk my forthcoming statement up to a sort of holiday food hangover...ok?
I'm not in the mood to cook. At all.
Not inspired, not dreaming up recipes, not thinking about what to make this weekend. Just plain not into it.
And yes, I really think it's partially due to all the heavy food we cooked in December. We were in the kitchen a lot the past couple of months...hosting Thanksgiving, dinner parties, Christmas Eve dinner, a Christmas day feast. Maybe I'm just burned out...oh and my jeans are awfully tight, so there's that too.
So we're not "cooking" a lot, rather we're preparing food. Simple pasta, lots of salad, big pots of easy white beans, hummus with crackers and celery, scrambled egg sandwiches, nothing worth blogging about, but it does the trick.
I'm trying to pull out friends, I am...I even spent Sunday afternoon pouring through kid's cookbooks with Audrey trying to drum up some inspiration.
So anyone else feeling this? Any tips for getting out of a January food funk?
Totally feeling like this recently. My recommendation is to cook some old standbys, maybe some comfort food. Sometimes I just don't want to put the effort into trying something new.
ReplyDeleteI hear you...breakfast for dinner has been a popular meal these days.
ReplyDeleteMmmm, how does a scrambled egg sandwich go, Joslyn? Sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI am right there with you. This week I did slow cooker pulled pork to do sandwiches with coleslaw, a baked chicken with rice casserole type thing and sauteed greens, and chicken noodle soup. All big batches to last all week, all one pot type dishes. 3 meals for one week, boring but so easy. Gotta get out of this rut.
ReplyDeleteOh totally! Sticking to easy basics. Just can't come up with a more original menu after so much menu-planning last month. It's kinda nice, but I'm sure I'll get back into the mood soon. We all deserve a break sometimes!
ReplyDeleteMost certainly. I've been getting take out and then 'doctoring' it. That's as close as I get to cooking just now. Great journal -- so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteMy tip: Wait until February. Or March.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you need to be inspired every day -- I think January & February are the months to be UNinspired. It's cold & dark [like I need to remind anyone] and it's definitely the time of year that comfort food is made for. As long as you are eating real, healthful food, don't worry. I've been eating tons of fresh eggs & using the slow cooker, and instead I have been inspired to knit & read (things I didn't have time for in the fall)
ok friends...thank you! this is good stuff. i just got a new slow cooker cookbook and plan on seeing if anything jumps out from that...but mostly i might be going with Raheli's advice and just waiting until next month to cook ;-)
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. We've made Smitten Kitchen's Huevos Rancheros about a gazillion times in the past few weeks. Anything to cut down on the time in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteBut I did feel inspired after watching Julie & Julia - you could give that a try.
I broke out of my rut by buying and watching Julia's DVD's, How To Cook...they are timeless and funny and I even managed to learn a thing or two! You know your rut won't last long - so I say enjoy it! xo, Nan
ReplyDeletei hear ya..we're all a little deflated and tired from the dec. festivities. with farmers' markets looking more bleak than usual, i sometimes find inspiration eating OUT -sampling a new delicious dish and then trying to recreate it at home!
ReplyDeleteWe just made something so scrumptious and new tonight -- and completely easy. Very thinly sliced potatoes (used a mandolin) tossed in olive oil & oregano were the base inside tinfoil packets. On top of the potatoes: a fillet of cod, and a tossing of sliced lime, olives, cherry tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. 25 minutes at 400 degrees. The kids LOVED layering everything together and deciding how much of each ingredient to put in each person's packet, and we had the bonus of cooking one meal for all of us but still being able to tweak it to tastes (no olives for one, extra tomatoes for another, etc.). Clean up was a breeze, and the 3 and 5 yr olds gobbled up everything in their packets. All we had to do was steam a green veg for dinner to be done. It was light and refreshing, and tasted soooo different than all the heavy holiday food and cozy homemade mac and cheese we've been eating to keep warm lately.
ReplyDeleteOh, I should have said: seal each tinfoil packet tight, and place them all on a hot cookie sheet in the oven.
ReplyDeleteI was also going to rec the crockpot thing. All prep and no actually 'cooking' And then the house smells heavenly for hours on end. I just posted a pesto layered potato thing. The kids loved it. I think it's the first time either of the girls had pesto or sun-dried tomatoes.
ReplyDeletethis is delicious from Cooks.com:
ReplyDeleteBUTTERNUT SQUASH AU GRATIN
2 lbs. butternut squash
1 med. onion, finely chopped (about 1 c.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. butter, melted
2 eggs
3/4 c. milk
3/4 c. finely shredded Swiss cheese
Peel outer skin of squash with peeler or knife. Discard skin. Halve squash lengthwise and cut into thin slices (cuisinart works great for thin slices). Place slices in bowl with onion, salt, pepper and melted butter. (*I also added sausage and green peppers, but you can add anything that sounds good, you can't mess this recipe up). Toss well. Spoon mixture into buttered 9-inch baking dish. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs, milk and cheese. Remove cover from baking dish and pour cheese mixture evenly over squash. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Makes 6 servings.
2 words Stir Fry. Quick easy and oh so fresh and healthy. It never fails to get me out the post holiday heavy butter laden food funk.
ReplyDeletei agree with raheli. embrace the rut. nurture other creative ruts. sounds like you are still eating healthy, whole foods. so, no worries. once that first sprig of asparagus hints as spring's arrival, you'll jump out of that rut with gusto!
ReplyDeletei meant to say "other creative outlets" - not ruts. i should really preview before i post!
ReplyDeleteBaked potatoes! We are obsessed with them lately. They are so easy and so good and satisfying. We load them with toppings (cheese, sour cream, chives, anything) and accompany with salad and red wine.
ReplyDelete