Experimenting in the Kitchen

Does this work with that?

Welcome Dear Loved Ones to a whole new world of adventure in living & learning, while creating successes and experiencing failures... in the kitchen.

I don't know about most people, but I started learning to cook at a young age.

Being a picky eater from the start—and often coming home after everyone else had already eaten—I learned to take care of myself. That included my own laundry around eight years old while still doing family laundry too.

Not only did I help in the kitchen, but I started making my own food for myself as well. Pretty sure scrambled eggs was my first success at around five or six years old.

Sometimes a meal was simply prepackaged rice, or broccoli with butter.

Other times, and thankfully fairly infrequently, it was a microwaved hot dog, Cream of Chicken or Lipton soup, cereal, or a tuna melt.

Then there were times when I would make myself what we called Girl Scout Soup—this was simply white rice, sautéed ground beef, and a can of the Campbell's vegetable soup. Another one was Chicken Divan—simple white rice again with sautéed chicken and a can of Cream of Broccoli with extra broccoli.

I know there were other things too, but hey they were quick, simple, easy, affordable, and what we had available. Don't worry, I ate fruits and veggies. My favorites were apples and broccoli. I ate them nearly every day.

Life is the greatest teacher.

And one of life's greatest classrooms has been the kitchen.

Fast forward a few years to apartment life with my now hubaliscious husband, and I'm making chicken and veggie soup, veggies and pot roast, turkey, mashed or roasted potatoes—all surprisingly affordable meals that create leftovers to last the week.

As well as rice and beans. Frequently.
Two young adults don't make much money after all.

Learning, Growing, Doing:

Over the years, my hubby and I have each tried all kinds of things in the kitchen. We've had many delightful successes. And, we've had our fair share of life lessons, struggles, and failures.

They felt especially difficult because I hate wasting resources—food in particular. Probably because it's so disappointing to have to eat crappy food you've made because you cannot afford not to...

Experimenting in life and in the kitchen is how we learn what works and what doesn't. What we do and do not like. We learn how well we practice grace toward ourselves and one another, and how willing we are to work on our relationships.

It is truly by God's grace that my hubby and I have always been willing to keep trying. To truly see one another. To support each other as individuals while learning how to become a stronger couple. That willingness has shaped not only our marriage but so much of who we are today.

We've had our fair share of challenges in this life—much like experimenting in the kitchen—and I am so very grateful for all we have learned and tried together.

One awesome example is our Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan. It's a favorite dish that we learned how to make together, and have perfected with love, joy, grace.

It has evolved with us over the years. We've cleaned up the recipe by tweaking techniques, adding fresh, often homemade—sometimes even homegrown—ingredients, and adjusting what we eat with it. The result is something we not only feel good about eating but also find somehow devastatingly tasty!

The recipe wasn't the only thing changing and adjusting. We were too.

Experimenting—that's how anything new happens.

Every recipe.
Every invention.
Every skill.
Every relationship.
Every dream.

Someone had to be willing to try.

Today, I make all kinds of yummy meals, and I continue to learn more while being creative and even playful with ingredients, flavor combinations, texture pairings, and new ideas.

Like anything, I'll never know or do as much as I'd like, but my husband would remind me that I've tried and accomplished many things—just in the last few years alone!

So Dear Loved Ones, if you are a curious and perhaps even a brave or bold soul, try something new in your kitchen. Maybe even invent a creation that is all your own!

Do me a favor, though, and have fun with the whole process. From idea to purchasing (or growing) what you need, to stepping into the kitchen for prepping and then cooking, to eating, savoring, and digesting.

Don't worry about the clean-up. If you're able to clean as you go, it makes life easier. If not... just buy a new house. 😜

My hope for each of us, Dear Loved Ones, is that we continue to approach life with curiosity, gratitude, and a willingness to try something new. May your kitchen become more than a place to prepare wonderfully delicious and inspiring meals. May it become a place of creativity, learning, laughter, and love shared with those around your table.

Blessings, Dear Loved Ones, and thank you so much for reading!