Did anyone notice that I haven’t posted in a while? My mom did. And my sister. I’m imagine very few of the rest of you spend your summers waiting for blog updates from anyone, especially someone telling you to go cook something.

But yes, my posts have been getting less and less frequent, and that’s for a couple of reasons. First, life. It’s busy. Time gets away from me. I eat peaches, play tennis, and drive my kids around all summer. Sometimes I do work that pays.

But those are just excuses. The main reason for my blogging slow-down is that I started questioning my message and even my online “persona.” Am I still the “Food Evangelist” whose helpful suggestions included making chicken soup from scratch (a recipe that takes about six hours; it was nice of me to include a list of farmers who could sell you the fresh chicken though) on a weekday, serving Burundian Spinach Stew for family dinner, and preparing homemade black bean burritos (but of course NOT using canned beans because BPA) for school lunches? I am. And I’m not. I’m still passionate about food and cooking, and I absolutely love making delicious things from gorgeous, seasonal real food (like my all-time favorite summer tomato sauce), but I am also not above tossing a bag of frozen chicken meatballs from Trader Joe’s into a pot of jarred sauce. Which I do more often than I care to admit in a healthy-cooking blog.

But here’s the thing: My kids have grown up. They can no longer be fooled by Newman O’s. They’ve decided that white bagels taste better than brown. The other day my son started high school, and when I asked him if he wanted me to make him a lunch, the look on his face said, “Who is this clueless creature and why is she talking to me?” And they don’t always have time (or interest) to help in the kitchen, or even eat. Don’t get me started on family dinners. We’re lucky to sit down at the table together 2-3 times per week. As much as I believe in protecting dinner time and treating it as sacred, sometimes writing a history paper or high school golf tryouts or the back-to-school dance — although not necessarily more important — have to take precedence.

However, I do feel that we have to keep trying, even when life gets in the way. That’s why I named this blog Real Life Delicious in the first place. The (sometimes small) successes keep me going. While my kids probably wouldn’t turn down Doritos or a Pepsi, they do know the difference between junk food and a healthy snack. They don’t go a day without vegetables. They prefer organic peanut butter to Jif. They like to share funny stories at the dinner table and compare notes on teachers, songs, and new Nike styles. They get excited about new restaurants and trying foreign cuisines. Lo and behold, they appreciate real food.

Even though my family’s eating habits are not cooking-blog perfect, I do still believe strongly in three things: 1) Having regular diners together is one of the most valuable things you can do for your family, 2) cooking is a worthwhile thing to do every day, and 3) real food is infinitely better than processed, packaged junk — even if your kids and your schedule don’t always agree. The key is finding ways to incorporate these things into your (real, busy, messy) life without driving yourself — or anyone else — crazy.

So, I’m not giving up. In fact, I’m going to step things up this fall. I’ve decided to make this blog more personal and timely — I’d like to share more of the “real life” that tends to interfere with the “delicious.” But I promise I won’t skimp on delicious. Or the real (food). Starting next week, I will be writing regular posts in a variety of categories, including (but not limited to):

• Family Dinner — Tips for making it happen, ways to keep it fun, meal planning.
• Ideas for Eating — Seasonal produce, easy healthy snacks, dairy alternatives, things to do over the weekend, etc.
• Recipes — Including the world’s easiest dinners, the “basics,” and delicious new vegetable dishes.
• Food-Related Issues — Toxic ingredients, GMOs, obesity, organic vs. conventional — this is where I tend to get a teeny-tiny bit opinionated.
• Product Reviews — Only featuring things we actually love, use, and eat; PR people, don’t get excited 🙂
• Salad of the Week — In hopes of inspiring you; I know I need it sometimes.
• Top Questions I Receive — By all means, send me questions!

The end of the summer is always a little bittersweet. I know as a mom, I’m both sad and happy about the start of the school year. But it’s also a time for new beginnings and resolutions. I’m resolving to share a lot more cooking and eating ideas, recipes, and news. Some of you have been reading these posts for five years now, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate every question, comment (either here, in person, or on my Facebook page), and share. (By the way, I also have a lovely Instagram feed if you ever just want to look at food photos from our daily life: @reallifedelicious.) I’d love to hear from even more of you about what you’re cooking or with questions about food, grocery shopping, picky eaters, weird vegetables, or anything else you’re dying to know.

I hope you enjoy the blog and find peace and love in the kitchen, at the table, and on your plate! Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. So let’s get cooking!

 

I will also be offering several NEW cooking classes starting in early October,
so watch out for those!