Day 5: Happy in the Kitchen

One of my happy places is definitely in the kitchen. When purchasing our home, the size of the kitchen was important to us, because we use our kitchen. Yes, we enjoy eating out, but both my husband and I enjoy cooking (I also love to bake). At times I would definitely rather have a home cooked meal versus getting organized to go out, but I do also appreciate when someone else does the work (and cleans up!).

We gravitate to the kitchen when we entertain, so it's helpful that we have lots of counter space and an island. We got used to this sort of set up in our old loft, so it was important for the house too. Many of our friends and family know that we enjoy food and I'm sure they know that I like to experiment.

In my attempts to live a minimalist lifestyle, I also have to be aware of the items I purchase for the kitchen, not just the food. I could probably spend a lot of money on props to help with presentation or the food pictures that I share on instagram, but I'm trying to be aware and stick to a few simple, quality items.

A few of our pieces are well researched by my husband, some were gifts, and others are items we collected on our travels. So there are many reasons to enjoy our kitchen beyond being able to nourish ourselves and hopefully help our daughter have a positive relationship with food and acquire cooking skills. There are so many ways she'll be able to help in the kitchen even at a young age, and it's about more than just the food.

I am grateful for: Time to prepare and enjoy meals with my family

Since I mainly work from home, I have the ability to spend time in the kitchen (somedays). Sometimes I get overwhelmed trying to get a meal organized or feed our daughter and plan our supper too. I often have ingredients for a few meals so that I at least have ideas of what to throw together. Sometimes I need something quick and other times I can enjoy preparing a more complex dish. I definitely have days where I make my husband decide on supper; the days where I've had to make too many decisions already. However, when I am able to enjoy a meal with my family, possibly pack up leftovers, and clean the kitchen, I find that I feel content. Taking a few moments to put a dirty plate in the dishwasher does help me sleep better at night though.

Our kitchen will likely always be a place of experimentation, but it's a place where all type of food can be enjoyed. We have the ability to keep it stocked with healthy and tasty items, and I never want to take that for granted.

Go create something!
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com