Weekend Awareness: Creativity in the Kitchen

I recognized some time ago how therapeutic crafting...creating...is for me.

There are plenty of days when I feel like turning in as soon as my evening chores are done...and sometimes even before then. While the extra rest is certainly a good thing, it's easy for me to start to feel like I'm in a rut if I do that too often.

I know I'll feel better if I can break out my scrapbook papers, my funky scissors, and my pretty ribbon. I can so easily get lost in that little world -- a world that is so different from playing puzzles and washing dishes and folding laundry -- it's truly good for my soul. I usually wake up the next day feeling refreshed, inspired, a bit more in touch with "me".

I recently joined Pinterest, after waiting months and months, fearing it would be a huge time-suck. I am proud to say I don't feel like it is. And further, I've truly gotten so many great ideas.

Over the past week or so, I've made a number of things I've pinned. I haven't acted on any of the crafts, though...all my creations have been in the kitchen.

I've been reminded -- made once again AWARE -- how much I enjoy being in the kitchen...that, for me, creating is not just about scissors and glue.

I feel very alive when I'm in the kitchen. I love making good food for my family. I love the tactile nature of measuring and mixing. I love the smells. I love the hot, hot oven and the ice cold ingredients from the refrigerator. I love knowing I'm cooking...just as my mother, and her mother, and countless generations before me cooked.

Here are the "keepers" from my recent Pinterest finds, in addition to the Pretzel-M&M clovers and S'meeps...

Make-Ahead Stuffed French Toast. I used whole wheat loaf bread and fresh strawberries. This was definitely a hit at our house on Saturday morning!

Carmelitas. Thank goodness I made these to take to my girlfriend's house on Thursday...it got at least a few of them out of my kitchen. I swear I could have eaten the ENTIRE pan. Chocolate, caramel, oatmeal, brown sugar...oh...my...so...amazing! And easy, too!

Bird's Nests. I made these for our MoMs group meeting on Sunday. I used Cadbury mini eggs and made them in my mini-muffin pan.


Get it? Two eggs...twins??? Note, I used natural peanut butter, and these didn't set as much as they should have. Next time I'll buy the regular stuff.

I'll confess these are all sweet treats. (I did make one chicken recipe which was not a keeper. I have since un-pinned that sucker!)

I promise I've been cooking more than chocolate and cream cheese for my family! But being energized by butterscotch chips and strawberry syrup reminds me to savor steaming my broccoli and zucchini.