Daily Eats: Do we really cook fancy every day?

The answer to that is NO.

This is so true! All the photos, posts, blogs, etc. about healthy food or healthy living that run through my Facebook newsfeed, Feedly Reader, and email on a daily basis can be discouraging rather than encouraging sometimes because I’m comparing those highlights from others to our every day.

I know that my blog projects the image that we cook elaborate meals on a daily basis. The truth is that we really don’t. We have a number of easy routine meals that we rotate through – taco salad, split pea soup, chili, stew, steak and salad, sausage and beans, baked butternut ‘lasagna’ to name a few. We are often looking for easy solutions, even when we try something new like this lettuce wrap style taco night, which didn’t really work all that well. Good flavors. But messy. LOL

This night we smoked our wrapped pork tenderloin, made mashed butternut, and sautéed cabbage.

It might look elaborate but it’s relatively simple; the most time-consuming item is the pork. It takes 3-4 hours to smoke and requires a little pre-planning to defrost and to start cooking early enough. But not every night looks like this. Far from it.

I get excited about recipes that Don creates, or when we try a new recipe that combines ingredients or foods in ways we’ve never experienced, and I enjoy sharing that with others. But the reality of our behind-the-scenes is that we aren’t always eating this way. We have plenty of other nights, especially lately, when we don’t even have the energy or time and simply grill some sausage or steak and make steamed veggies, or even pick up pizza or other take out.

If you are trying to make changes in your own cooking style or diet, don’t let the highlights of others (us included) overwhelm you. Make small changes. Get rid of things you don’t want in your kitchen. Start stocking it with the types of foods you want to be eating. Experiment. Try a new side dish like our mashed faux loaded baked potato with your next steak. Or try a whole dish that’s new, once a week; it doesn’t have to be every day that you try something new. Over time, as you learn new ways of combining foods or new cooking methods, you will find yourself incorporating them more and more without realizing it.

Each of us has the opportunity to change and grow until our very last breath. Happy creating.
~ M.F. Ryan

Related articles

• Daily Eats with JB (paleomg.com)
• My Special Ingredient (pricelessjoy.co)
• My Whole 30 Eating Log (goodcheapeats.com)
• The First Step to Reclaiming My Health…A Food Diary (ablogaboutlove.com)