Tag Archives: foodie

Nudged: Make a pie or tart

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Backstory: The full Nudge I created for myself reads:

“Surprise Thor with a pie or tart”

I couldn’t have picked a better Nudge at this time. If you’ve been following this blog, you know that today marks my return to nudging after “The Appendix Adventure.” I am happy to report that I finally–finally, after two months–feel good again. Not quite 100%, but figuring out what that means for me and getting there.

It’s so appropriate that this week I will do something special to thank my darling husband for his support and devotion these past couple of months (and always, really) with one of his favorite treats.

If you have someone special you’d like to thank, consider surprising them with a treat — homemade or store-bought. Or maybe this is a Nudge to treat yourself to something yummy. Have fun with it!

What Happened: I love how baking is a combination of science and art. Flour, sugar, cherries, butter…voilà!

Almost ready for the oven.

I don’t know why I don’t do this more often. It took little time, the ingredients were cheap, and it was fun! What is it about rolling out dough that is sooooo satisfying?

The best part was seeing Thor’s smile when he walked into the kitchen at the end of a long day and discovered his surprise, which made me happy. Nudge accomplished.

The Ah-Hahs: No Big Life Lessons here, just a reminder of how good it feels to mix together a few humble ingredients and create something beautiful.

Nudging: Make a pie or tart

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Backstory: The full Nudge I created for myself reads:

“Surprise Thor with a pie or tart”

I couldn’t have picked a better Nudge at this time. If you’ve been following this blog, you know that today marks my return to nudging after “The Appendix Adventure.” I am happy to report that I finally–finally, after two months–feel good again. Not quite 100%, but figuring out what that means for me and getting there.

It’s so appropriate that this week I will do something special to thank my darling husband for his support and devotion these past couple of months (and always, really) with one of his favorite treats.

If you have someone special you’d like to thank, consider surprising them with a treat — homemade or store-bought. Or maybe this is a Nudge to treat yourself to something yummy. Have fun with it!

P.S. And while I’ve been out, my team has continued to work on the new (and so much prettier) 52Nudges website. We will be launching it soon!

Nudged: Clean out the pantry

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Backstory: Gack. I kinda don’t want to know what’s hiding in the dark corners of my pantry. But it’s time to pull everything out, wipe down the shelves, and toss out anything that has expired.

This might be lacking the “fun” element I want most Nudges to have, but this task has been on my decluttering to-do list for years.

If your pantry is ship-shape, accept this Nudge to attack your linen closet, china cabinet, CD collection, or anything else that needs attention.

Here’s my before photo, to keep me honest:

Let’s do this.

What Happened: I had such good intentions for this Nudge. I was going to break this down in to doable parts by tackling just one shelf each day.

But then I got busy—with work, with life—and I put it off. Which is exactly why I’m facing this mess today.

Early this morning (Saturday), I finally dove in. With everything out, I wiped off the shelves (yuck), then put on my glasses and started reading the fine print. “Expires 2017.” Dear heavens. “Expires 2016”–seriously?!

After taking out a very full trash bin, I considered what made sense and put items back in categories: refill items, ingredients for savory dishes, ingredients for sweet stuff. Looks good!

The Ah-Hahs: This Nudge was very calming. Does that sound weird? There’s something about being able to see what I have, find what I need when I need it, and see what I don’t have that I need to get. In the mix of expired items, I also discovered items from recipes I haven’t made in a long time—like lentils for soup, one of Thor’s favorites. A fresh bag of beans went on my list for my next shopping trip.

As I admired my display, I also realized how satisfying it was to “reclaim” this space. Which kind of inspires me to tackle the next closet. 😉

 

Nudged: Check out the local specialty cheese shop

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Background: I’ve lived in my current neighborhood for over a decade, yet for some reason I can’t explain, I’ve never stepped inside the specialty cheese shop across the street from one of my favorite restaurants. I’ve walked and driven past it a million times. I’ve even parked in front of it and peered in the front window. Friends rave about this place, about its offerings and its owners. What’s it going to take to get me in the door?

This week’s Nudge.

As always, make this your own. Maybe this is the week you visit a new-to-you branch of your local library, or the knitting shop that seems to call out to you, or the tiny historic building you’ve always meant to explore.

I wish you a fun adventure!

What Happened: I was so pumped for this Nudge, I even got dressed up to go out! I arrived at the shop just as it was scheduled to open at 10 am on Monday, only to discover that they are closed on Mondays. Phooey. And pivot! I decided instead I would check out a tiny wine shop on the way home, only to discover there was no parking in that area from 10 to noon on Mondays. Re-pivot. 

Tuesday morning I got in my car with fresh intentions, and my efforts were greatly rewarded. As soon as I walked across the threshold, I knew I was in a special place. More than just a cheese shop, it was a tiny grocery with a spectacular array of cheeses, sandwiches, and gourmet offerings.

That wasn’t all. I spotted a sign that advertised “We have French butter.” Oh. Mon. Dieu!

After a lovely chat with the proprietor, a man with whom I hope to be on a first-name basis one day, I left with a small slice of Manchego cheese and a $7 package of butter. An extravagance, perhaps, but my total cost came to less than $12 and my mouth watered all the way home.

I treated myself to a lunch of kings and queens. Not fussy or expensive, but oh-so-very-special. Every single bite was delicious.

The Ah-Hahs: A delight for all my senses. The “discovery” of another neighborhood treasure. The possibility of more culinary adventures in my future. It took me only 10 years to make it happen.

This is why I do 52Nudges. 

Nudging: Check out the local specialty cheese shop

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Background: I’ve lived in my current neighborhood for over a decade, yet for some reason I can’t explain, I’ve never stepped inside the specialty cheese shop across the street from one of my favorite restaurants. I’ve walked and driven past it a million times. I’ve even parked in front of it and peered in the front window. Friends rave about this place, about its offerings and its owners. What’s it going to take to get me in the door?

This week’s Nudge.

As always, make this your own. Maybe this is the week you visit a new-to-you branch of your local library, or the knitting shop that seems to call out to you, or the tiny historic building you’ve always meant to explore.

I wish you a fun adventure!

Nudged: Make and decorate a cake

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Backstory: I am a huge fan of baking shows, which is ironic because I don’t like eating most baked goods. What I love is the mix of art, creativity, science, beauty, and nerves of steel. I hold my breath as I watch home cooks–like me!–test their skills and push beyond their boundaries and create things that inspire my imagination.

One of the skills I am not naturally gifted with is piping. I would love to learn how to make those fancy borders and swirly tops and pretty edible flowers and…. This is my chance to try it all.

What Happened: I went to the market three times this week, each time with the ingredients to make a cake and icings on my list. And three times I couldn’t pull the trigger. What the heck?! I just…I just didn’t want to.

At one point I tried to talk myself into this because I was pretty sure the photos would show results similar to my latte art nudge. (My attempts to create a frothy “heart” were hilarious–see the nudge here.) Yes, that would have made for a funny post, but it wouldn’t have been true to the intention of 52Nudges.

Why didn’t I want to make and decorate a cake?…. How about…because I don’t like cake.

For real. Simple truth.

On my last trip to the market I picked up some whipping cream thinking maybe I’d just do some practice piping on a board and call it a day. But I didn’t even want to do that. So I put aside this nudge for another day and went into the kitchen to make something I truly enjoy making: All-American Apple Pie:

All-American Apple Pie

I should note that I don’t like eating pie any more than I like eating cake. But Thor loves this, and I love making it for him.

The Ah-Hahs: When I created my list almost a year ago, the nudges all appealed to me for one reason or another. I can also give you reasons for why I feel I should do some of them. But as I progress through this nudging process, what I’m really learning is what feels right for me right now. How do I want to spend my time and energy and creative gifts? What makes me happy? What fills my soul? I’m still going to nudge myself to try new things, especially things that push me out of my comfort zone, but as I do them, I’m paying closer attention to what I feel is “100% Kath”.

I refuse to have regrets, but I imagine my life would be quite different if I’d figured this out in my 20s. But–hey–imagine how authentically amazing my life is going to be moving forward. 🙂

Nudged: Wipe down the kitchen cabinets

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Backstory: Our kitchen…sigh. It is not in any way a passionate home cook’s dream set-up. It is oddly configured and even more oddly decorated. We have an old miner’s inspired lamp hanging in one half; a bare bulb hanging in the other. The decor dates back to the 1970s and features worn linoleum that…wait for it…some previous creative (and cheap) owner decided to use bits of extra to run up sections of some of the walls. I dream of our home being selected for one of those great makeover shows where a team comes in and redoes everything in just one week! (Notice I did not say a “reality” show.)

What is often my greatest challenge with this heart of our home, where I make almost all of our meals, is that my only work space is a cramped 20″ x 30″.

But…I have a kitchen. I have working appliances. I have money for food and skills that make it possible for me to serve up more than mac ‘n’ cheese from a box every day. I also have friends who create gourmet feasts for parties of it in a kitchen half the size of mine.

So it’s time I shift my perspective and show this room a little love, starting with cleaning the grimy (and good grief, they’re disgusting when you really look) kitchen cabinets.

What room in your home could use a little TLC this week?

What Happened: All the fingerprints, splatters, smudges…gag. I spritzed, I scrubbed, and I buffed.

Cabinets Before 2

Before…

Cabinets After 2

…and after.

It took me less than an hour to get the whole room done, and while my work wasn’t perfect, it was progress. I notice the difference.

The Ah-Hahs: After the first couple of cabinets, I started looking around at the rest of the room. The floor is clean, though it would benefit from a deep-cleaning. I really should use a mop to wipe the ceiling and take down some of the cobwebs in the corners. (When did those take up residence?) And I should also tackle cleaning the doors throughout the house that show signs of dirty hands and noses (thanks, Louie). But I stopped myself from pulling an all-nighter. Those tasks can be future nudges.

The real ah-hah though was that as I worked, I found myself appreciating all that I do have. See that list above: home, actual kitchen, food. I remembered back to when I moved apartments many years ago and a friend who helped with the unloading showed up with a blessing. We asked that my new space be filled with friends and love and laughter. So I did something similar this week. I thanked my cabinets for all they do, and I blessed this space that–despite my complaining about its flaws–makes it possible for me to receive a lot of joy.

Nudged: Bake cookies

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Backstory: This nudge came from some brainstorming I did as I thought about what to include on The List. I devoted some time to recall “Things I loved doing when I was a kid.” I loved baking! I loved being creative in the kitchen! In elementary school, my best pal (Hi, Krista!) and I did a lot of experimenting and even had our own sort of “signature” chocolate chip cookie recipe.

So this is my nudge to get back to doing things that feed my soul. The “uncomfortable” part? Well, I don’t really like eating most baked goods. (I know, crazy.) I’ll give them a taste, then I’ll give the rest away in care packages. Feels like a win-win!

As always, you can do this week’s nudge with me or pick something that speaks to you. What did you love doing when you were eight years old? Here’s your excuse to do it again.

What Happened: I chose a new-to-me recipe–for apple+raisin+oatmeal cookies–and tried it out. They were…meh. About as exciting as they look:

But I enjoyed the experience, and that’s what counts!

After I delivered care packages to a few neighbors (with promises to share samples of my next experiment–I hope it’s better!), I sat down and looked through the rest of that particular recipe book. I’ve had it since the mid-1990s! There were notations of hits and misses, suggestions for future improvements, and tags on recipes to try. I got kind of a tingly feeling as I flipped through. Anticipation, excitement. I marked a couple of other recipes I want to try and some I want to revisit, and I’m thinking maybe I’ll work my way through the rest of this book over the next few weeks. I’ll make copies of the recipes I want to keep, then share the book with someone else. Baking, creativity, care packages, decluttering. Fun!

The Ah-Hahs: I’ve noticed recently that baking/cooking is a theme in my life. Many of the TV shows I watch are either competitions or lessons. I love novels that include recipes. Even when I go to the movies, I like scenes about preparing and sharing meals. When I watch period movies or documentaries or take tours of historic homes, the rooms I most want to study are the kitchen and dining room. I don’t think I need to unpack this much further. Ever since I was little, baking has made me happy.

Baking + creativity + care packages + decluttering = FUN!

Nudging: Bake cookies

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Backstory: This nudge came from some brainstorming I did as I thought about what to include on The List. I devoted some time to recall “Things I loved doing when I was a kid.” I loved baking! I loved being creative in the kitchen! In elementary school, my best pal (Hi, Krista!) and I did a lot of experimenting and even had our own sort of “signature” chocolate chip cookie recipe.

So this is my nudge to get back to doing things that feed my soul. The “uncomfortable” part? Well, I don’t really like eating most baked goods. (I know, crazy.) I’ll give them a taste, then I’ll give the rest away in care packages. Feels like a win-win!

As always, you can do this week’s nudge with me or pick something that speaks to you. What did you love doing when you were eight years old? Here’s your excuse to do it again.

Nudging: Learn something from a YouTube video

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Backstory: This nudge is inspired by part from when I taught myself how to whistle through my fingers by watching YouTube videos. My main inspiration, however, came from our friend, who we’ll call “Mr. Fab.” A few years ago, in his late 50s, Mr. Fab decided to learn how to cook. His wife is an excellent cook, so he had no need to add this to his skills set, he just wanted to try something new. And not just “How to scramble eggs.” The first meal we had with him was a roasted suckling pig. Bam! He learned how select his protein, prep and cook it, and carve it, all from watching videos online.

When I drew this nudge early this morning, I didn’t have to think long and hard about what I might like to do. I want to learn how to make pretty patterns in our coffees, like those cool people do at cool coffeehouses. So here’s this morning’s cup, as a baseline (i.e., just a mocha).

Tomorrow I’ll set aside time to search for and watch instructional videos. Fun!

What might you learn this week?