My Kitchen is My Happy Place, Even If I Mess Up a Recipe

On Sunday I gave in to my craving for lemon pomegranate cookies and used almond flour, just to experiment. I am here to tell you that the cookies are delicious, but more cake-like that cookie texture. I tried, right? Now I have a few dozen of chewy, soft lemony cookies that melt in my mouth. Great for consumption but not for gifts as I had planned. However, if you happen office at the Downtown Keller Williams Realty Boise location, you will be in for a treat! Just bring me an Americano, please.

I have learned that it’s perfectly okay to make mistakes in life, particularly in the grieving stage I found myself in. The point is to try again, and that is exactly how I pulled through to where I am now.

As I look back at a very difficult year in my life, and I am surprised at how I muddled through it all and yet kept my sense of humor. I have also learned just how strong and resilient I am as a woman, a sister, a friend, a mentor to those who have watched me in my process called grief. It wasn’t easy but I was determined to not hold on to the anger of grief that would have been so easy to succumb to.

I tried to be Super Woman, but that was just too tiring. I cried and I cried hard. I tried to be positive, which I am anyway. But it took real effort to make myself move on some days. I tried to work as usual but came to the realization that I needed help. Not an easy thing to admit for a doer like myself! The help was so welcome that I was relieved and ever so grateful. I tried to go out and about, but all I wanted was to go back home and just be with my dog, Zeke.

Eventually, I found a tiny cottage to live in and made this place a home. This new place gave me the wings to fly again, to breathe peacefully and with purpose. My happy place, a small kitchen has the least amount of counter space I have ever lived with. And yet I have been cooking and baking up all sorts of goodies this fall! Canning tomatoes, marinara, tomatillo sauce, and tomato paste. Making my garden herb salt. Those lemon pomegranate cookies I mentioned? Total flop but still so darn good! I tried banana nut bread last weekend with that same almond flour. Don’t try it! Save yourself the trouble and use regular flour. But darn it, it sure was good to nibble on, despite the fact it fell apart.

Being in my kitchen and trying recipes reminds me of that trying effort in life. Yeah, some things just do not work out. Learn from it and try again. Some flavors just don’t mix. Eliminate them and try again. Some ingredients are like water and oil. Switch them out and find the right mix.

I am ready for that bigger kitchen in life. I am truly looking forward to the coming year!

#grief #tinykitchen #recipes #tryandtryagain #lifelesson