So it happened.  Family Day weekend and I didn’t get to the grocery store.  We had what I called Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard and I was in trouble for our little guy’s lunch.  It was afternoon, hubby had the car and ordering out wasn’t a great idea, as it was too early for most places. Plus, while it’s an option, it’s expensive.   Another choice was going out – also expensive and it was -25 degrees; I frankly didn’t want to go through the snowsuit/hat/gloves/wind protection/stroller battle.

So, I looked at what I had:  Grapes, blueberries, apples and chicken (naturally). 

I smashed the apples and the grapes. Using my trusted indoor grill with a flat plate, I cooked the chicken, sliced it into strips and put it back on the grill.  Then I added the fruit. I sprinkled the fresh blueberries on top (thought the colour from the blueberries would make it look weird) Altogether, it was a colourful, gooey, wonderful and, dare I say it, delicious mess. It was hardly gourmet, but it was certainly a functional way of getting the protein and fruit into the day’s diet.

Which led me to thinking:  I haven’t had the time or the energy to be inspired by my cooking lately.  Sure, I’m dedicated to the point of obsession about getting everyone the right nutrients and making sure they enjoy their meals, but where has my inspiration gone?  Oh, right, I have a toddler.

Still, I’m trying to get inspired again.  When I first started to cook, I used to read recipes, follow the recipe exactly as written just once, then dream about how I would adapt them for my own use – and then, I’d do it.  Soon, I was experimenting with my own flavours and getting all kinds of adventurous initiative to try my own thing.

Maybe, once in while, you just have to go back to the basics.  Maybe, sometimes, you just have to go back to the habits you had that inspired you in the first place. That’s what I’m going to do.