Friday, July 8, 2011

Getting Inspired

So the world seems to have turned to food.  Not just particular types of food, but just in general.  People are looking more at their food, trying to spend less, eat fresh, cook simple, and have fun.  More and more people are tuning into food network, cooking from scratch, canning and freezing fresh, local produce, etc.   You can find everything from books, to internet sites, to TV shows, to magazines that will teach you how to cook, bake, and preserve.  Why all the fuss?  I think that as the economy still holds steady in its rather large slump, people struggle.  They want to save money, yet get it done fast.  Others want to just have fun and eat well.  I myself, find joy and freedom, and relaxation in my kitchen.  Anything from cooking, to preserving to making fun and decorative deserts, that's become my passion.

So, what do you do when your passion tends to become your obsession?  I go with it.  I went to the library and checked out books on canning and freezing.  Then I bought the equipment to get it done.  Now, I'm working on doing it.  Who would have thought that preparing produce and even meat ahead of time, and preserving it, would make cooking so much easier, and cheaper.  You may ask, what do you mean?  I went and bought some meat, mixed it in a marinade and then froze it.  That way when I decide that is what we are having for dinner, I don't need to worry, it won't be undermarinated, and it won't be a rush to get it around.  All I have to do is unthaw it.

I've also rekindled my love for baking.  Thank you cupcake wars!  I have recently taken on the chance to teach others how to decorate cakes.  So in order to practice, I'm trying new recipes outside of the normal plain jane realm of baking and finding that there are some pretty good things out there.

What got me started on this new obsession?  I'm really not sure.  I think it is a mixture of things.  I watched Julie and Julia the other day and that inspired me to get my butt back in the kitchen.  Then cupcake wars was on, and my creative genius stepped up.  Then I decided we really needed to find a way to save money on groceries, and what a better way than to preserve everything possible!  I'm sure with the kids being with their mom for the last few weeks, giving me a lot of extra time on my hands, has aided in that decision to spend almost every waking moment in my kitchen.  And I'm loving every second of it.

So I ask you, what inspires you?  Do you love your kitchen as much as me?  All of this inspiring, and I may just have to add a new section to my blog on my kitchen adventures...we shall see :)

2 comments:

  1. You know what inspires me? My boss and his obsession with having a nice lawn. As silly as it sounds. I am not talking about just at home but his business as well. He has no problem in dropping 3000-4000 dollars a summer just for his business lawn. Who knows what he spends at home. Anyways it inspired me this year for my own personal lawn. After three big bags of fertilizer and two bags of grass seed I now have a nice green and thick lawn. Sometimes it is just the little things. By the way good blog.

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  2. I think that getting inspired is just the first step, that creative spark that's necessary for lighting the fire. I like how you took initiative and did what needed to be done to make your yard your own. I find, especially recently, I'm using new methods of doing things to inspire myself to go further. For instance, I was inspired to start saving money on groceries, which led to preserving and freezing foods, and that is leading me into becoming smarter both before and while grocery shopping. It's fun to watch how one inspiration can lead to another and then to another.

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