Resolved

Not me, I don't make resolutions. If I need to do something, I don't linger over it, I just do it. Easier that way. 

So a few months ago when I needed to step away from this blog for a while, I gave myself permission to do just that, knowing that if and when I was ready to come back, I would. I took a much-needed perspective break, and stopped seeing every meal as a project, every moment in the kitchen a bloggable one. Dinners were eaten hot, messy, and not photographed. I wore in (and almost out) a pair of gym shoes. I almost let my sourdough starter die from neglect. 

But then something happened. Todd walked into the backyard and asked if we could expand the garden. I saw a neglected patch and suggested it might work for bees. And that little sunny spot in the living room? How about a little indoor citrus tree, just to see if it would work? 

Yesterday I went into the kitchen to play. Just a little, just baby steps. By the end of the night I'd made my grandmother's turnip cakes, GF pecan fudge cookies (doo-doo piles, really), candied tamarind, and a raw chocolate mousse made with avocado, cocoa, and coconut oil. I had a good time, I really did. I tried to make smaller amounts, and I'm trying to give away a little of each thing so my months at the gym don't all go to waste at once. 

This is not a resolution. This is the way it will be, starting now. Slow down, enjoy life, share it with others, do good. Hide out when necessary. 

***If you really want to see some of the unpolished things I've been doing, here's a gallery. I have learned to love my phone camera, and will catch things when I remember to do so.