It's What I Do When My Head Gets Restless

The last couple of days I've been doing something I don't usually do a lot of. No, not exercising. No, not cleaning. No, not parenting.

Cooking!

I mean I usually cook dinner, most nights. Really, I do. But I don't usually really cook. I mean, I'll heat up some chicken nuggets and a can of beans and a box of rice, and then I'll make some honey mustard dip or Ultimate Dipping Sauce, but that's about as gourmet as I get.

These last few days my head had been restless. That's the only way I can describe it. I have a lot going on, and I don't deal well with stress. I have a big party coming up for Activity Days, I have the Primary Program coming up, and I have to teach and review and encourage and teach some more for that, and I have people around me that are struggling with depression, and that alone brings back so many emotions of what that feels like.

So I started cooking, and it felt good.

First I made Pioneer Woman's Tres Leches Cake.

If you haven't tried TLC, you are missing out on pure bliss. There is a little scary Mexican restaurant near my house that has it, only occasionally, and when my mom and sisters were here, we were able to try it. They all loved it. And PW's version is better than that! It's not an easy recipe, meaning there are a lot of steps, but it's not too bad.

Next I made Avocado Ranch Dressing.

I love this stuff. I could (and do) eat it straight out of the bowl. Last night I heated up (see, cooking!) some chicken fried steaks, sliced them up, and put them over a yummy salad of green leaf lettuce and sliced carrots. Add a dollop of the dressing, and it's lovely bliss.

This makes my head calm. Keeping my hands busy doing something, and then being able to enjoy the fruits, or veggies, of my labors is very cathartic. I think I've always been like this, which is why I blog. It's just what I do.