Add a Little Spice to Your Life
Or maybe just your sandwich?
Life can be a little boring sometimes.
My kids tell me this regularly, because being bored is part of their job description as a kid. But when you’re a parent, complaining about boredom seems too whiny and ungrateful.
But just between you and me, the drudgery is real. Not all of the time, but sometimes the repetition of tasks and chores and schedules makes me feel like I’m sleepwalking through life.
When my kids were really little, I called this going into Robot Mode. You set aside the fact that you’re a human who deserves to enjoy life and who has feelings and needs, and you just get shit done.
Robot Mode is how you survive between the hours of 5am and 7am with a 2 year old. It enables you to get your little kids fed, bathed and tucked into bed all by yourself, even though you’re exhausted. It’s how you get through a 3-hour bouncy house birthday party, even though you’d rather be doing almost anything else. It’s how you get dinner on the table, when cooking is the last thing you feel like doing.
Robot Mode is an essential part of parenthood, otherwise we’d all be having emotional breakdowns all the time. But you can’t live in Robot Mode forever.
Even during the seasons of parenthood when you’re really in the trenches, it’s essential to find things that make you feel like a human.
I’m not qualified to give big life advice. What I’ve learned from my own life, though, is that little changes are surprisingly effective at disrupting boredom.
Something as simple as this recipe for horseradish aioli can be enough to make you actually pay attention and truly enjoy your sandwich, instead of just mindlessly eating.
It might sound like a stretch, but the zippy flavor of horseradish + mayo with garlic and lemon was a tiny revelation this week. Why would I spread normal mayo on my sandwich when it only takes 2 minutes to make a creamy, garlicky spread with a spicy, pungent kick of real flavor?
Horseradish aioli (which is really just horseradish mayo) is also an easy dip for raw veggies, a spicy dressing for roasted vegetables and potatoes, and quite good with french fries.
Horseradish is a gateway to other spicy condiments that might also bring a little joy into your life. Look for giardiniera at the grocery store, either in the condiment aisle or the fancier refrigerated fermented food section. Maybe some kimchi or pickled green beans?
I know that condiments aren’t truly life changing. But I also know that finding little bit of pleasure each day can change your outlook. It jolts you out of Robot Mode and back into human mode, where you can be more present and maybe even a little bit happier.
Dinner Last Week
I’m always curious about what other families are eating. Aren’t you? Here’s what my crew ate last week.
I’d like to start featuring other families in my weekly dinner report, so if you’d like to share what you’re eating, let me know! I’d love to hear from you. Email me at jenny@kitchenskip.com.
Monday: Kay Chun’s Sticky coconut chicken and rice in the New York Times food section, plus green beans on the side.
Tuesday: Tofu crumbles in tacos with the usual shredded cabbage, black beans, avocado, cheese and sour cream.
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: It was a fend-for-yourself night, because Dad had covid and Mom didn’t feel like cooking. My 12-year-old made “fancy ramen” for herself and her sister by following the recipe in How to be a Person by Catherine Newman. They were very happy to eat Top Ramen with tofu, spinach and egg and I was so happy that my kids cooked themselves dinner I almost cried.
Catherine Newman is a gem, as you can tell by her joyful house tour on Cup of Jo. All of her books, for kids and adults, are heartwarming, entertaining and funny.
Friday: My nephew was in town for the night, so we got tacos from our neighorhood taco truck.
Cookbooks
Continuing with the how to be person thread…I listened to an interview this week with Katie Morford, author of Prep: The Essential College Cookbook. This is a good cookbook for the teens in your house who need a little guidance in the kitchen but don’t want that guidance to come directly from you.
This cookbook has recipes, foundational cooking skills, knife skills and advice to help new cooks gain confidence.
That’s it for this week! We have a kite festival this weekend, kids sports, and of course, Mother’s Day. I’m planning on a good cup of coffee, a long run in the park and then a relaxed lunch out with my family.
Hope you all have a good weekend!
xo
Jenny