There’s something healing about being back in the kitchen again.

Not “Pinterest perfect” healing.
Not “everything is magically fixed” healing.

Real healing.

The kind where you throw your hair up, turn the music on, grab your spices, and start cooking because sitting in your thoughts all day just isn’t helping anymore.

That’s where I’ve been lately.

I’ve been depressed. Really withdrawn. When I get depressed, I tend to disappear a little. I pull back from people, from things I enjoy, and honestly… from myself too.

So getting back in the kitchen this week mattered more than most people probably realize.

And let me tell you… I went FULL meal-prep mode 😂

Soups. Veggies. Rice. Ribs. Chopped celery. Mushrooms. Containers everywhere. At one point my freezer turned into a game of freezer Jenga and somehow I still managed to make it all fit. Barely.

Honestly, I surprised myself.

I’ve also been trying new things lately, which is huge for me right now. I decided to try making creamy soups from scratch and had SO much fun doing it. Tossing ingredients into the Ninja, blending everything up with my immersion blender, tweaking recipes as I went… that kind of creativity lights something up in me again.

Of course, it wouldn’t be one of my kitchen adventures without chaos.

Picture this…

Music blasting. Me dancing around while stirring soup. Feeling great for approximately 12 minutes before moving the wrong way and ending up sitting on Frieda saying, “why did I do that?” 😅

I almost forgot my spices a couple times too, which honestly should be illegal in my kitchen.

But even with the pain, the exhaustion, and the chaos… I was happy.

That matters.

Cooking has always been more than just making food for me. It’s creative. It’s comforting. It’s healing. It keeps my brain busy in a healthy way and gives me something positive to focus on.

And truthfully? Being back in the kitchen brought back memories of Nicole too.

What I wouldn’t give to cook with my sweet girl again. We used to laugh so hard in the kitchen. Those are the moments I hold onto tightly now.

I think that’s part of why this week felt so important.

It reminded me that I can still do things. I can still try new things. I can still enjoy things again.

My body may protest loudly sometimes 😂 but I’m still getting things done one step at a time.

So if you’ve been struggling lately, maybe this is your reminder to bring a little fun back into something you love too.

It doesn’t have to be perfect.
It doesn’t have to be fancy.
It just has to make you feel a little more like YOU again.

For me? That starts one spice at a time 💜

So tell me…

What’s your go-to spice that somehow ends up in almost every meal? 👀

(We all already know mine is A Spice Affair Garlic Magic 😂)

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💜 Thank you for being here and spending a little time with me today. Whether you’re healing, rebuilding, grieving, growing, or simply trying to get through the week… please remember you’re not alone. One small step still counts.

#LiveBetterTodayShellyRand