a little pick-me-up

02.05.2014

image by jonathan canlas

how many times can someone start a blog post? i've started this one 5 times in about just as many seconds. sometimes the words flow and sometimes, not so much. 

let's focus on this image for a bit...isn't it beautiful? this was a good day for both jon and i. the stars had aligned, fate was smiling down on us and we found ourselves in a beautiful pent house in the heart of honolulu. he was able to meet some important folks in his industry and i was able to feed them! but that's a story for another time...

today i found myself in the kitchen while kalani was taking his nap. i forced myself to go cook because i hadn't been feeling my normal self. i remembered a few years ago when i made a list (yes, on my phone) of the things i needed to do in a day to keep the good vibes flowing. and cooking was one of them! after this last shoot for the cookbook was over, i kind of took a bit of a break. i wonder if i needed to separate myself from the process to be able to keep creating. today was only the second day i've spent in the kitchen since then working on the next 47 recipes to the finish line. i only had an hour and a half or so before the kids came home, but man, did i need that time. just me, my ideas and some ingredients...it really did lift the clouds from my mind and i was ready to tackle the other not so exciting things of the day.

i'm really interested to know...what do you do when things aren't feeling quite right to lift the clouds in your mind? before you answer, here are some things i found that helped me in the "pick-me-up" department. enjoy my friends!

did you see this video back in december? it's probably the best reaction to a college admission letter you and i will ever see.

speaking of college, here's a chemistry lesson i think we all can get behind.

now i've got the munchies...this popcorn would totally hit the spot.

"L" is for longganisa. have you ever tried it? jon would eat this every day and be the happiest man alive. ooooooh. maybe i'll make it for valentine's day breakfast. there aren't many other things he would want more.

maybe i should ask him these questions just to make sure. (wink, wink.)

is your pinterest page drowning in chocolatey creations for the big ol' day of love? i stumbled upon this old post from "a cup of joe" that might make all your pins completely obsolete.

and if you're still going strong with any healthy resolutions from the new year here's a great list of dinner salads. 

and a carrot recipe that i'm overly fascinated by.

carrots make me think of the color orange. the color orange makes me think of this clementine quick bread. gotta make the most of the citrus while they're at their peak!

and then i'd ring this bell to call everyone in for a slice.

well, now i'm off to go cook something. i can tell i'm feeling more like my old self already.

and p.s. to receive a couple extra "if i were..." menu ideas and secret recipes every month that i only share via email click here. i'll also be sending out recipes every once in a while for testing and feedback. so fun, yeah?