I, like many of you, have spent the last several weeks working from home. This is week 10 for me, and I still don’t want it to end. Spending these last several weeks in this house has made me really love my house. I am learning to see it in a different light.
I’ve often sneered at my wallpaper ceilings and the wallpaper coming off my bathroom walls. I’ve complained for hours upon hours about my chipped, cracked, dirty baby blue tile countertops. I’ve spent many an hour bitching about my lack of countertop space in the place I enjoy being the most.
And now, 10 weeks later, I have learned to see it all in a new light.
Has that happened for you, too?
Are you finally enjoying your kids again? Are you enjoying the dingy floor or the cramped spaces? Are you learning to look within as the complaints begin to come out of your mouth, that maybe this little life isn’t so awful after all?
That’s what I’ve noticed about myself. I think I’m not the only one.
If you’re not yet there, here’s something that worked for me, that you might enjoy, too: change one little thing.
Just one.
Case in point: I have a few select cookbooks that I cherish, and they are normally stacked in the bottom of my pantry. As much as I love cookbooks, I don’t use them too often, as I prefer to just make what I can come up with. However, the teachings behind my cookbooks have changed me for life: I am most definitely a better cook thanks to all who have come before me. Those books shouldn’t be shoved in the back of a pantry.
In my little kitchen, we have a cabinet above the stove. That cabinet gets pretty warm, as it’s directly above the stove, with no vent in between the two. So baking supplies don’t work there, and I’m not the type to have a ton of extra mixing bowls or china or things that need to be stored and not used on a regular basis.
So I took the door off, which took approximately 3 minutes, and now it’s the space for my cherished cookbooks:
Wa-lah!
My dingy little kitchen just got an upgrade, one in which I love, and one in which I smile at every time I walk by.
That one little thing, it changed my outlook. I reset my focus from: I must renovate this kitchen, to: hey, my kitchen’s kinda cute.
So – What’s the one thing you can change?
Is it taking a breath every time your kid asks you for another snack?
Or changing the sheets on the bed you say is so uncomfortable?
Or simply walking out of the room each time you begin to crave a glass of wine? (I’m currently working on that one)
Whatever it is, I hope this time has allowed you to look at life a little differently.
Love, Jen
French Toast: why have I never made you before?? So simple and quick to throw together. Way faster than pancakes – who knew!? Enjoy!
See it differently, and French Toast
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons flax seeds, ground
- 9 tablespoons water
- 2/3 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 slices ciabatta or sourdough bread
- maple syrup, if desired
- blueberries, if desired
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the flax with water, whisk and set aside. Remember to whisk every minute or so - do this about 3-4 times total.
- In a shallow bowl (I use a pie dish), add the milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir in the flax mixture.
- Heat your frying pans over medium low heat - I use 2 to speed things up. Add 1 tablespoon of butter onto each, and let melt.
- Dunk both sides of the bread into the mixture, then place it onto the frying pan. Fry both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
- Continue with the other slices, then plate, top with maple syrup and berries. Dig in!