Do you ever find yourself in a cooking slump? I know I do! Right now in particular- but that could just be because I’m almost 35 weeks pregnant and the fatigue is REAL.

But pregnancy aside, there are just times I feel like my creative juices aren’t flowing. I have little desire to spend time in the kitchen, and it feels like just one more chore that I wish I could avoid.

But then there’s times I LOVE being in the kitchen- I feel excited, rejuvenated, and I look forward to the time I’ll be spending in the kitchen. It’s truly a hobby and a delight!

Maybe you’re in the middle of a cooking high, thriving and loving every minute in the kitchen. Or maybe you’re like me- feeling unmotivated, uncreative, and just not interested! If you’re in a cooking slump, here are a few tips to help you get excited again!

• Clean your kitchen. I’m not just talking a quick wipe-down, I mean a deep scrubbing from top to bottom! Re-organize your drawers, wipe things out- make it brand new! There’s something so inviting about a clean kitchen. You just might be tempted to spend some time in your newly cleaned kitchen!
• Find someone to cook for. Sometimes it helps to do something out of the routine. Invite a new family over for dinner and challenge yourself to make something really delicious! It’s much more fun cooking good food for a group of people, rather than just yourself. (And even if you regularly cook for your whole family, sometimes it’s nice to have a different audience try your recipes! Especially if you have a few picky eaters...).
• Watch a cooking or foodie show. There’s just something inspiring about watching other people cook! Whether it’s the Great British Baking Show or The Hundred-Foot Journey, watching something centered around creating tasty and beautiful food might get your creative juices flowing again!
• Buy a new cookbook. I love books, so maybe I’m partially biased, but I love a new cookbook! I love looking at the pictures and finding a few favorites that I’m excited to try. Nothing gets me excited to cook like a couple new recipes! Cook’n always has lots of awesome options if you’re not sure where to start! And obviously you don’t need to buy a new cookbook- look through your current stash and see if something sparks your creativity!
• Spend some time on pinterest or Cook’n! Again, a new recipe can do wonders to get our creative juices flowing and get us excited about cooking again! Pinterest can be a great resource, and so can Cook’n! I love seeing which recipes are the most captured in the past 7 days or the past 24 hours. I love to see what is Trending Today in Cook'n. It’s fun to see what people are interested in! And, the new Recipe Recommender in Cook'n has me intrigued. It's fascinating and fun to see the wonderful recipes that Cook'n recommends. Being part of a cooking community can sometimes be enough to make you want to get in the kitchen again!
• Challenge yourself with something you’ve never tried before. Sometimes a challenge can be overwhelming, but for some personalities, it’s just what they need! Never made a souffle? A roast duck? Cinnamon rolls from scratch? An angel food cake? Now’s the time to give it a try!
• Give yourself a break. Honestly, we all get burned out sometimes. If you feel like you need a break, don’t feel bad! No one’s gonna die from a week of cold cereal and take-out for dinner. In fact, a week of fast food might be just what you need to crave cooking again! But in all seriousness, if you feel like you need a break, give yourself some grace and take it. You’ll be back in the kitchen soon enough!

What do you do to help yourself get out of a cooking slump? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below!

    Camille Hoffmann
    Monthly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com