Never Enough Time

Cooking and I have been on the outs for several years now.  To be blunt, I’ve called the whole thing off on several occasions.  Our commitment has been on-again, off-again at best.  We had a thrilling affair in my 20’s.  It was exciting!  It was new!  We had many fun adventures, and I learned so much.

Then, at age 30, I gave birth to twin girls.  In the blink of an eye my family of four became a family of six.  What an exhilarating transformation it was!  Many aspects of my life changed.  Some subtle, some more drastically.  To say my relationship with cooking suffered is an understatement.  I grew to hate and resent the constant pressure of “What’s for dinner?”

With both my husband, Jason, and I still working full time, it felt like there was never enough time.  I over committed, I over did, and I burned out.  I remember thinking if I could just create enough balance, I could do everything I was passionate about.  I could have it all!

I am passionate about so many things – hiking, traveling, my work, my home and gardens, reading, entertaining friends, time with my family, trying new restaurants, and preparing really great meals.  What I’ve learned though, is that time is precious and always in limited quantity.  My struggle wasn’t with balance.  It is with the fact that I will always be limited by the number of hours in a day.

Today, I want to be more mindful and realistic about how I juggle time.  What I spend it on and in what quantities.  The twins will be eight next month, and my last step-daughter at home is moving out and starting college.

Over the last year, I have been finding myself drawn back to my kitchen more and more.  To play, to learn, to create, and to enjoy great food.  I want to seize this energy for cooking and focus it, here on my first blog.

I won’t become the woman who masters a perfect meal every weeknight.  But for right now, I’ll be satisfied to create one or two memorable meals a week.  I am going to try new recipes and recreate my favorites – and share them all here with you.  I want to build a community with individuals who value the time they spend creating a good meal.  Simple or complex, but really good food!

I hope you’ll stick around, and be a part of what unfolds here.  Leave me a comment, I’d love to hear how you Juggle Thyme!

Jenny