Our Blog
Time and Wobbly Brain
Date
11/11/2015
Post
You're busy right?
I don't know about you but I expect you also wear many different hats each and every day....I'm a mum to 3 little crazies, wife, daughter, class planner, party entertainer, recipe creator, entrepreneur, boss, cleaner, accountant, chief pot washer and Aldi's most frequent purchaser of ludicrous amounts of eggs and flour.
I'm busy - ALWAYS. But the last few days I've had to slow down. I've got a case of 'the wobbly brain' as my 5 year old calls it (labrynthitis) and although I'm going crazy with frustration - I think stopping is quietly doing me good. Amongst a billion other thoughts, such as why am I suddenly finding Phillip Scofield attractive and what was the meaning of life before Netflix, I've also been pondering other burning issues. Like all great philosophers before me, I have been thinking about what it is that I love doing (I'm keeping this clean - promise). I have been thinking about how I can do more of what I love doing and more interestingly (she says stroking her chin) I've been working out what is stopping me.
So anyway 3 days later, one middle aged woman bored out her mind, in mismatched pj's, taking up all the sofa has the answer. TIME. T.I.M.E is the effing jeffing issue. I don't have enough of it. I want more of it. I have wished since I was a child that I didn't have to sleep - frankly it still infuriates me that I have to. There are of course other factors that stop us doing more of what we love - fear, money, broken bodies, other responsibilities, guilt over being self-indulgent, blar blar.... but let's not take on the world, I just want to crack this 'time' one for now.
I LOVE cooking. LOVE it!! I love cooking because I love eating. I love eating because I think larger thighs, hips and tummy are what I need (no?!). I don't find making week night tea much fun though...that's more functional cooking in my mind. Trying to squeeze cooking into the kids ever increasing chaotic after school timetable is not what I love. In fact it can sometimes feel like a chore as much as doing the laundry.
What I do love though is a bit of food porn and spending time eyeing up a tasty recipe or two. Ironically before I started Cook Stars over 2 years ago I used to have much more time to cook and experiment in the kitchen. It was my escape and my way to spoil my loved ones. I used to flick through recipe books and each week without fail I would pick a new family recipe and also a weekend 'date night' recipe for the hubster and me. I would find time to shop, find time to put some music on and cook whilst swigging back a good wine and have a dance around the kitchen. It was FUN!
Last night my eldest did what I always used to do and reminded me of how exciting discovering something new is. He told me he wanted to make a chocolate fondant, I moped on the sofa some more being useless, he rolled his eyes at me and took himself off to the kitchen. He found a recipe and just did it....and it was all prepped in just half an hour, between his two music classes! Of course I think he's brilliant, he's my boy - but it really got me thinking that if a 10 year old has the initiative and determination to find that elusive 'time' I'm waffling on about then surely I can too.
So here it is, my pledge to anyone who cares! I am going to start doing what I used to do - one family recipe and one date night recipe each week. I am putting it on here so I feel some sort of obligation to do it! I WILL find the time! I will post the recipe and pics each week and you can join me if you fancy? I will pick lovely recipes that don't require 10 hours of prep and a huge bank balance. We are all real people, not masterchefs so I promise there will not be any truffles, culinary foam or liquid nitrogen. Who knows you and I may discover or re-discover a new family favourite to get out of the tea time rut. Or, can you imagine....we may actually eat a good meal with our partners / friends without watching x factor...and even talk (gasp!)?!
So thanks Charlie, I am feeling very excited about my mission! When mummy's wobbly brain has gone you will find me in the kitchen. Can you please go and tidy your room though because I haven't got time for that too?!