number 4.

I often go through phases when it comes to cooking. In phase one, cooking is fun, peaceful, and a well-planned activity. Grocery shopping is relaxing; a time to walk casually down the aisles exploring new bottles and boxes as I imagine all of the scrumptious possibilities. Dinner is fun to make, as I dance around the kitchen to music, adding spices here and there…..not following recipes, but instead just following my heart. My heart loves garlic, by the way.

And then there’s phase two, where cooking is a total and complete nightmare. Where all of our food is expired and there is no time to grocery shop and I am so exhausted that the mere thought of using a stove makes me want to cry. Nothing sounds good, nothing looks good, and all I can do is think about how much I want Chipotle to feed me instead.

My life constantly bounces between these two phases in an ongoing battle. Meal planning vs. spontaneity. A fully stocked pantry vs. moldy bread. The grocery store vs. takeout.

Here’s the thing. I LOVE to cook. I find it extremely satisfying to enjoy a home cooked meal after I’ve spent 45 minutes making it. The problem is—I don’t have 45 minutes to cook. Hardly ever.

Or, do I?

I haven’t lately, but as I mentally prepare myself for the Greatest Timeout That Ever Was, I am going to focus on making cooking a priority. Because truth be told, while daydreaming about the future, I always picture myself as one of those moms. You know the types. The ones who make their own baby food and always have freshly baked treats on the table. The ones who cook all organic and raise their children to appreciate a good vegetable (please stop judging….a girl can dream, right?) I can’t possibly be one of those moms unless I practice while it’s just the two of us.

But I digress.

As some of you may recall, I recently gifted Brett with crossing number 4 off our pre-baby bucket list. Saturday night we took our very first cooking class together, and it was amazing. Five recipes, four couples, and three hours later, we feasted on homemade pasta, roasted veggies, garlic bread, and Tiramisu. It was absolutely positively delicious. I learned some nifty tips for my food processor, as well as some sweet knife tricks (also good in case Brett gets out of line…kidding, SO kidding). We even got to take home the rest of our homemade pasta, which we cooked last night with veggies, home grown basil, and alfredo sauce. The only downside? I’m officially a homemade noodle snob. I might just have to invest in a pasta maker now….