Truth be told, I don’t exercise much. Ideally, I’d like to swim more and I’m working hard to incorporate an hour into my day to be able to get to the pool and swim laps, but realistically I just haven’t been able make it happen. Baby Evvie is nursing exclusively around the clock, and I’m just not leaving her side quite yet. She’s about three months old now though, and I’m starting to feel a little bit of wiggle room, something I need to grab ahold of and make time for myself to just do me.
No matter what, every day I try to cook. That time in the kitchen is just for me and I savor it, if I’m throwing together a slow-cooker meal or making an elaborate feast, cooking is absolutely a treasured capsule of my day and I make the most of it whenever I can. No matter what, feeding my family is a priority and I’ve been able to turn that time into my own as well. It’s the days that are too busy with carpool schedules, work, sports and other school activities that I find too pressed to cook that are the most challenging.
Around the holidays I tend to spend the most time in the kitchen, and I take it to the extreme because I actually really love it. I make my own turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and stuffing along with several pies including apple and the kid’s favorite, pumpkin. Over the years, I’ve gotten braver about making all components from scratch. The first year we lived in New York City, I bought a pre-made frozen piecrust and used canned pumpkin and condensed milk. I have since found a crust recipe that I love and have taken to making my own pumpkin puree and even condensing organic milk on my own in order to avoid using the canned alternatives. It’s a challenge for me, and one I whole heartedly accept because it means I can either put on my headphones and work diligently by myself, or I can invite the kids into the kitchen to help me. Depending on how much help I have with Evvie, spending time cooking with the older kids is one of my favorite things to do with them, even if it means a cyclone disaster of all ingredients, everywhere.
The kids aren’t huge fans of most pies, but they all love pumpkin pie with a big dollop of home made whipped cream and a small glass of milk.
This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart.
I don’t expect my children to love cooking as much as I do, but I hope that they will remember making their favorite pies with me, and all of the ingredients and processes that go into each lovingly prepared meal for our family during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cooking and baking are some of my most favorite things to do, and I hope that even that much translates to them. It’s how I care for my family, and how I care for myself.
Thank you to Real California Milk for sponsoring this post, and thank you for reading!
And you bake too! Looks divine!