At the End of the Day

I'm not the perfect parent. But at the end of the day, I feel like an amazing mom.

My kids make me proud, and I know they are young, and I may sometimes wear "mom goggles", but they truly are amazing kids. It's fascinating to watch their personalities emerge and grow into beings, it tingles my heart when they call me, and it warms my core each time they just want my embrace.

Having a 1 and 3 year old is not easy times. I deal with tantrums and chasing them for baths or nap times constantly. Oh...bedtime can be the worst. Sometimes I am exhausted and spent by bedtime that I actually pray they go to bed with no fuss that night. Seems silly, but in that moment I feel just desperate.

But then they close their sleepy eyes, they sleep with all the day's excitement and play behind them, and they both love cuddles. As I kiss each in their sleep, I fall more in love with them. 

At the end of the day, love for our kids outweighs all the stresses and tiredness it takes to raise a family. 

At the end of the day, they don't care if we got that promotion, or if we made the best lasagna, or if we got that house, or even if we didn't feel well enough to go to the park. Their only concern is feeling loved and happy and safe.

We do that moms and dads. 

At the end of the day, that is all that matters. 

I Am By No Means A Chef.

I recently discovered that I do love to cook. Not just occasionally, and not by following recipes, not creating something great, and not "having to", I actually like to cook.

What may happen when I cook, will it turn out, what am I even making? All these questions are generally (not always) unknowns when I cook...how I cook.

Afterall, I am my no means a chef.

I am not claiming to be. And that is OK. I hear so often people ask "can you cook?" The answer is an expected yes or no, sometimes the no response yielding laughter. However, cooking, to me, isn't something you have to be "good" at to do. Like working out, I may not be an expert but I still do it (ok that part I do need to work on).

When I cook, I generally do it to control what we are all eating and putting in our bodies. I do it because I love to create without judgement in the kicthen. When I cook, I rarely follow a recipe...but just go with the flow. Having said all that, I do:

• generally know what goes with what
• plan what I want stocked in our fridge
• aim to be healthy and nutritious
• focus around creating balance for my kids diets 

When I prepare meals for my family, I add what I can to add nutritional value, as I mainly know what they have eaten through the whole day. I want to ensure they are getting enough protein, fruits, vegetables, calcium and fibre. I also want them to have a varied diet, so not always eating the same things. 

Having all this in mind, pushes me to cook as often as I can.

Back to me not being a chef. I really feel like cooking does not have to be complicated. It can be trial and error. 

• I see fruits, so I try various combinations of smoothies.
• I see produce so I saute different ones with either shrimp or chicken to make a "sort-of" stir-fry.
• I see enough recipes that I kind of play with what I have on hand and just "remix" it to my liking.

At the end of the day, that's what makes it fun for me. Knowing I serve my family wholesome foods (at least 80% of the time) and playing around with food. You will notice my recipes are not complex, they are simple and easy, and kid-tested. 

So don't be afraid of cooking...it's what you want to make of it.

I am by no means a chef, I don't have to be...neither do you.

Happy eating.