My kitchen is all clean and shiny until I decide to cook. 😂 Then the chaos begins! The Ninja gets pulled out, then comes my list of ingredients, getting everything ready, mixing my broth and A Spice Affair spices, getting my protein and veggies ready and then I start cooking. Honestly, my favourite part is the building. I LOVE watching it all come together! Starting with all these separate ingredients and then slowly building the flavours until you have an actual meal sitting there is just so satisfying to me. I love watching it happen, adding this, adding that, tasting things and seeing where it goes. And once I get into that zone, it is so peaceful. I know it sounds silly, but cooking is healing for me! Once I’m in that zone, everything else seems to disappear for a while. I’m focused on what I’m doing, thinking about the flavours and what I want to add next, and I’m not worrying about everything else going on around me. It’s an escape for me, and I always feel better after I’ve cooked.

One of the best feelings is looking at the finished meal and thinking, “I MADE THAT!” 😂 I’m proud of myself when I make something yummy and healthy, especially when I started with a bunch of ingredients and somehow turned them into something really damn good. My cooking has changed tremendously over the past year. I create all my own recipes now and I’m not scared to try new things. I’ve learned what spices work together and what ones don’t, how different things cook and how to make my groceries last longer while staying on a budget. I’ve also learned that sometimes you just have to throw things together and see what happens. Hello… weenie mushrooms. 😂 Don’t ask. Actually, maybe we should just leave that one alone. LOL.

On my really good days, I LOVE baking. That’s when I can really get creative and figure out what works and what doesn’t. I’ve surprised myself with some of the things I’ve made, especially my homemade Monster Garlicy Buns. I honestly amazed myself with those ones! And my Triple Berry Threat Muffins? DAMN. Those were good! 😂 On my crappy days though? The microwave and a freezer meal. Future Shelly LOVES past Shelly on those days. 😂 That’s exactly why I make freezer meals. Sometimes I don’t have the energy or don’t feel like cooking, and having something homemade already sitting there means I can still eat something good without having to do a whole damn production in the kitchen. If I could cook one meal for someone I love right now, I’d probably make my Sunshine Chicken with my homemade Monster Garlic Buns… or chili. Okay, maybe I can’t pick just one. 😂

And probably the best compliment someone can give me is, “Oh my gosh Shelly! YOU made this!” LOL. I mean, what better compliment is there? I want people to feel fulfilled when they eat my food. Full. Satisfied. Like they actually enjoyed what they just ate. And if someone tells me they can’t cook? Sure you can! It’s so easy! Make cooking your BITCH! 😂 Seriously though, just start simple. Pick your protein, pick your veggies and go from there. You don’t need to be some fancy chef or make a complicated recipe. Start with things you like and experiment. That’s basically what I’ve done, and I’ve learned that I don’t need to be afraid of cooking. Cooking is my friend! 😂

Cooking has absolutely helped me through some difficult times too. When I’m stressed or having a crappy day, getting into my kitchen and starting to cook gives me somewhere else to focus. I can put my music on, start pulling things out and just get into my zone. Before I know it, I’m feeling better. That’s what cooking has become for me. It’s an escape, a creative outlet and a place where I can relax, but of course it’s also the place where I can make one hell of a mess. 😂 If you walked into my kitchen while I’m not cooking, you’d probably think, “Wow, Shelly actually has a clean kitchen!” Then I decide to cook and suddenly the Ninja is out, ingredients are everywhere, broth is being mixed, spices are coming out, veggies are getting chopped and I’m building everything in steps, building the flavours and figuring out where I’m going next. That’s Kitchen Chaos!

My kitchen is small, compact and semi-organized. 😂 But somehow I make it work. And that’s really what this whole week has made me realize. I don’t have to be afraid of trying something new. I don’t have to get everything perfect. I don’t even have to know exactly what I’m doing when I start. I just have to start. Sometimes I make something amazing. Sometimes I make something that looks absolutely grosse but tastes fantastic. Sometimes something falls into my food. 😂 Sometimes I forget the damn eggs. And sometimes I create something that makes me stand there and say, “Holy shit… I actually made this!”

And THAT is probably the best part of all the chaos. I get to create. I get to experiment. I get to learn. I get to feed myself and the people I love. And somewhere in the middle of all that chopping, mixing, seasoning, dancing, singing and making a giant damn mess, I find a little peace. For me, cooking isn’t just making dinner. It’s something that makes me feel good, something that gives me an escape and something that reminds me I can actually do more than I sometimes think I can. So bring on the Ninja, the spices, the vegetables and whatever the hell else I decide to throw into the pot. 😂 Because when Shelly walks into the kitchen, you never quite know what’s going to happen.

But one thing is pretty much guaranteed…

Hurricane Shelly strikes again! 🌪️😂💜

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… it’s about finding reasons to smile while the rain is still falling.

Stay kind.

Stay grateful.

YOU Matter!

Shelly 💜