Chicken on repeat

Do you have a chicken nuggets kid? They literally refuse to eat anything that’s not a chicken nugget? Ugh! that was not a fun stage.

The picky eater gene was strong in both my kids. Not necessarily at the same time but we always had the skeptic at the table. Luckily as they grew up they became more tolerant of new foods. Now they have their favorite foods mom makes. My daughter loves soups, specifically broths & any form of spicy chicken. My son loves my meatloaf, homemade chicken wings & fried chicken. They act like they would probably live off spaghetti sometimes.

There’s days I’m absolutely insistent my kids eat fruity pebbles but mostly I enjoy being in the kitchen!!

I love cooking. There’s a creative aspect tied to it. & I’ve always loved the quote “Food is Love made edible.” It translates to me that I can show that I care by feeding you. There’s a bonding that is tied to sharing a meal together.

I feel creative and expressive when I’m cooking something. Especially trying a new recipe or making over a new one.

Sometimes I can build a whole meal inspired by a single flavor that triggered me to try putting something new together.

Sometimes I’ll plan out a new recipe over a few days, similar to a writing project.

There is something exciting about knowing what I’ll make & looking forward to it all day. I picture what flavors will be there. What will I put together to hit that “mmmm” feeling. I love having control of the outcome & seeing it have an immediate exciting response when the kids push their way to the stove to make their plates. When I nail it & feel good because I know I got it just right. When I watch the people I cook for get that first bite. It’s an achievement that feels so personal.

One of the first recipes I took on that made me realize there were endless possibilities to cooking was chicken lasagna. We are almost always eating some form of chicken these days. But back then, this was very untraditional & something nobody in my family had tried. I will always remember this specific recipe because I was a young mother & for the first time I was in charge of my own kitchen. I was starting to break away from boxed dinner mixes.

I thought about the levels to the flavor. From the chicken to the layers of cheese and the sauce.

I boiled the chicken in chicken broth, onion, garlic and pepper. Shredded it and mixed it with Italian seasoning.

I liked the basic jar red sauce from Bertolli.

The ricotta cheese was something I had never used and I knew by taste it could be elevated. So I added shredded Parmesan & black pepper.

I layered sauce, noodles, sauce, cheese, chicken, ricotta, sauce and repeated.

At the time it was a huge deal & I loved the feeling I had from everyone enjoying it & it started my journey with cooking. This dish built my confidence.

Another adventure I really enjoy is recreating something delicious I tried at a restaurant. It never comes out perfect the first time but it definitely teaches me about how the flavors come together and things get better the each time til I make it my own. (See the picture of my not so great attempt at drunken noodles)

There’s a therapeutic aspect to allowing yourself to be creative. I think this is even one of my forms of self care. Listening to music, dancing around the kitchen, stirring and chopping. I definitely enjoy it

Remember - do whatever it is you love.

Kids can eat cereal for dinner & sometimes if you need to: know when it’s a better idea to just order the pizza!

Xo

Taryn