I feel the motivation

creeping back. Maybe January is my primer button... hopefully. 

So, I mentioned the cutting back on eating out and making more meals at home. We'd started talking about that last year, and we really started acting on it at the end of November. I think it all started when I bought an extra turkey so we could have sandwiches. Trying to keep it going, I decided to try a recipe for a meal that I've always hated.

Chicken pot pie. I've never liked them, but they kept coming up in conversations. Then a video for recipe popped up. It was this one HERE. Guess what. I'm totally a fan now. Well, I'm a fan of these chicken pot pies. I'll definitely make these again.

I was immediately inspired to start cooking more. Right after that was Dad's birthday, and he requested biscuits with sausage gravy for breakfast. I tried a recipe for 7Up biscuits. They were awesome.

I was on a roll so I decided I needed a new dutch oven for Christmas. I picked out this Le Creuset and it's so pretty.

I knew the first dish I would make would be coq au vin because it's been a while since I've made it.

Next up was a copycat recipe, ish. I wanted the mushroom sauce from La Madeleine. I went ahead and pan fried chicken breasts to go with it.

I forgot that I was trying to get into the habit of taking pictures of things I'm making (to help with the motivation) and it was almost gone by the time I remembered. oops.

I stepped aside and let Cosme make something that he'd been wanting, and it was something that I'd never had. He made butter chicken and we all liked it.

Next up was something I'd been seeing on Pinterest and it didn't go over so well. I made orzo with roasted vegetables. I thought it was decent.

I went into the next one from Pinterest and wasn't expecting much after the orzo, but it was surprisingly good. Let me clarify. I hoped it would be good. Once I started mixing and sampling, I had doubts. It called for roasting strawberries and rustic bread. I had a loaf of brioche and a loaf of sourdough. I decided to sample each. I tried whipping the ricotta with honey as instructed, but it wasn't enough and I pulled the powdered sugar out. That did it. The brioche tasted better, but the sourdough's texture worked better. I'd probably stick with the brioche. I also learned that I'm not a fan of roasted strawberries. I will keep them plain and sweetened next time.

First with sourdough,

and next with brioche.

Anyway, since I feel the motivation coming back, I figured I'd post all of this to help keep me on track.

Now I've got to get a grocery order placed because I'm planning on red beans and rice today or tomorrow.

That was

then, this is now. When was that last post? October? I am not motivated right now. Total 180. Physically, creatively... I've got nothing. I'll blame it on the weather for now. Maybe not right now, but it was 39 degrees when I woke up. It's 58 now, definitely warm enough for a walk. Completely unmotivated. I should be doing something. It's a pretty day. It's Sunday. I'm sitting here. I've made lunch and cleaned the mess.

Oh, well. Welcome to 2026. I think I need to declutter and close some of the tabs in my head. 

Some of the things keeping my mind going:

- We've cut out most of our eating out. I've been thinking a lot about meals and ingredients. I should probably think about making more of those meals a little healthier. When we first started, I felt like I had more energy. I didn't know if it was home cooked meals or the routine.

- I need a creative outlet. More specifically, I need to make myself stop and take the time for a creative stuff. Take right now for example. I could be reading a creatively inspiring book that I've been trying to finish. I could be sketching. I could be out taking pictures. I could start a craft project of some sort. I'm sitting here on the computer, writing about how I need to be doing something.

- I'm thinking about chores. I'm thinking about the chores I need to do and how I don't have time for a hobby because I've got cooking and cleaning to do.

- What seeds should I start? Where am I going to put them? How will I organize things now that my gardening area has moved?

- There's also the usual worries and anxiety that come with being me, a natural worrier.

So that's what's going on.

I asked Chat GPT for a photo challenge. I guess that's a start, right?

Last weekend we took the grandkids to Brazos Bend. The two of us had planned on going back last night to the observatory, but it wasn't a very clear night. I'll add a picture here from that outing. 

You know what? I think I might go for a walk.