These make me want to laugh and cry at the same time. Why is it so true??

I actually do enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing delicious food for my family- but let’s be honest. Sometimes it is exhausting! (Especially when you have a house full of picky eaters). There are times when calling in a pizza is just in order. It’s totally fine to splurge every once in a while! But what do you do when you’re in a funk and just can’t get motivated? Here’s a great list to help you get out of your cooking rut!

1. Invite someone over. Not a huge fancy party, maybe just some close friends. You’ll get a push to cook something nicer than your day-to-day, and it might just be what you need to get out of your rut!
2. Read books about cooking!. I’ve read a few food novels and I’m always inspired afterwards to spend more time in the kitchen! (One of my favorites is called Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist).
3. Watch movies about food. Is it just me, or does anyone else get this desire to make your fanciest meal after watching something like Ratatouille? A movie or two about food will really get your cooking creativity going!
4. Try a new recipe that you’ve really wanted to try. Do you have a recipe that you’ve wanted to try, but just couldn’t justify it? (Too expensive to make, too many calories, etc.). Well, just go for it! Make that recipe!
5. Choose a cookbook and make it a goal to cook through the entire thing! Sometimes we just need to not have to think about the meal plan. By choosing one cookbook to cook through, you’ll have several meals and desserts lined up and you won’t even have to think about it! Maybe you even splurge and buy a new one!
6. Make cooking dinner a special self-care time. Put on an audiobook, listen to your favorite CD, light your favorite candle, put on your favorite show, indulge in a favorite treat while you’re cooking- make it a time to look forward to!
7. Recruit help! I don’t always get help in the kitchen from my husband because he’s usually helping with kids or working, but when he is able to help- I love it! It’s fun to spend that time together and it definitely makes things go faster! Talk to your significant other and see if you can work together in the kitchen to make it a more fun (and bonding) experience!
8. Subscribe to a meal subscription box. They’re definitely pricey, but if you’re just needing something to help you get out of a rut, having some help with the meal planning and ingredient shopping can be a great way to give you just enough of the break you need to recharge!
9. Splurge on a new tool to make things easier. Maybe you need a sharper set of knives. Maybe a new cast iron pan will inspire you to make all kinds of seared meats and veggies. Even an immersion blender can be an exciting new tool that you’ll want to try out. Sometimes a new tool just inspires us to cook again!
10. When you are feeling motivated, make freezer meals or double the batch of whatever you’re making so that when you (inevitably) have those nights that you just don’t feel like cooking, you’ve got a homemade backup plan. It really can be such a help!

What do you do to help you get out of cooking ruts? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below!

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