My New Years resolution this year is to get back in the kitchen.

We are almost done January, so most resolutions are already forgotten. I am posting mine here to see how well it ages. Over the last couple of years, the amount I cook has drastically declined. This year we are going to address that situation.

There are several reasons I cook less. Some of them are that I don’t the time, I don’t have a place I enjoy cooking, and probably the biggest reason is that cooking started to be more draining for me than fulfilling. It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the reasons not to cook. Recently, I’ve had the bandwidth to be able to push back on those reasons. Making changes to my habits has created a much different situation. I think powering through, and resurrecting good habits may be a game changer. The new year is the perfect time to thoughtfully prioritize the habits I want to cultivate.

I have always seen cooking as kind of a ‘use or lose it’ situation. If you don’t cook for a while there are some skills that start to go away, like speed and precision. You can get those back with time. That’s what I am hoping at least. Before too much time passes, I want to ensure I maintain my skill for the very least.

The plan is to keep it slow, simple and steady. Be more mindful of what I am eating. Don’t bit off more than I can chew. Enjoy the process. I love cooking, leaning into that is the biggest thing at the moment. Since the new year I have cooked more already. Just doing little things such as not buying food, eating what’s in the fridge and cooking simple have already yielded some changes. So far, I have made ribs, lasagna and stuffed sweet peppers. They have been delicious. The best part, I made them myself.

Enough about me, what are your New Years Resolutions? Anything food related? Any tips for getting back into the kitchen?