I’m laughing to myself because who starts their food and family life blog when they’re  burned out and dreading dinner time and school days? Me. I do.

The reasons for my burn-out are myriad and I’ll get into those, probably over the course of a few posts. Maybe it’s not as entertaining as I’m hoping, so maybe one post, how should I know?

Having my 6th baby this last year did not make me more energetic, surprised? It’s a lost Newton’s law, or Newton’s wife’s law, that energy production is inversely proportional to the amount of humans you have produced and/or must care for. And square that by the your increasing age at the production of each additional human. So, I think I’m at a -37692 unit of energy. Write it down. It’s a fact.

But, I am cooking short ribs right now in my Instantpot, you know, the miracle working machine we all got on sale from Amazon. I’m doing it now, at 8pm, so I can put it in the fridge over night in order for the fat to solidify on the top, therefore affording me 5% less complaining at the dinner table tomorrow evening when I serve short ribs, sans fat, over cauliflower rice. I won’t say I haven’t reached a certain level of expertise. Don’t you say it either.

Cooking has become a chore to me. I’ve been overwhelmed by the increased demands on my time. Homeschooling has become a full time job with unpaid overtime, and I mostly love it. But the time and schedule and need to get everything done is different when there is so very much to get done. Living in the moment is relegated to living in the millisecond, hurry! On to the next thing! It all must get done! And by “it all” I’m only talking about the necessary things, not quilting and scrapbooking and nail polish and baseboard dusting and telephone calls. None of that. Just people learning, laundry washing, baby nursing and the intermittent shower. Oh, and dinner. See, afterthought already.

I’m hoping to reawaken some joy for the menu and cooking and planning now that my baby is 6 months and I’m (hopefully) simplifying things this year; reinvesting my time this year in the things that bring the greatest yield: my family and their development. That’s what I hope to keep track of here. And just to be as cheesy as possible I’ll say, join me, won’t you?