Cooking as Therapy

I've been working a lot.  We're understaffed.  I did six days last week, and I'm doing all seven this week.  Some are very short shifts, but it still involves going down there and clocking in.  My manager is hiring, but it will be a while before everyone is trained and up to speed.

When I get home, I don't always feel like cooking.  I just made food for people all day, and end up getting drive-thru or microwaving something.

Last week, I was having one of those tired days.  I had the makings for clam chowder in the fridge, but no urge to cook, even though I knew it was an easy recipe.  I forced myself to pull out the cutting board and got started.

Before I knew it, I was making very pretty diced vegetables.  Energy returned as I happily stirred everything together in the pot.  That night's dinner made me feel good about myself, and I was not nearly as tired as when I began.  This happens to me whenever I tackle a culinary project harder than toast, once I make myself start it.

The point of this (aside from apologizing for so few recipe posts) is that we all have stress in our lives.  We all have tired days and too many demands on our time.  Find your happy place.  It can be an activity or a favorite book.  There is something out there for each of us that brings us back to normal.  Mine happens to be cooking.  Whatever it is, it doesn't have to be expensive or require a lot of time out of your day.  It just has to be yours.