He Runs, I Cook

I was having a conversation with my mom about her trying a new hobby and thinking about what new skills or activity she could learn.  We consulted Claude for help which was something new for my mom. Even before asking Claude, we were paralysed by choice. There are so many options and choices- it’s almost overwhelming.  Too overwhelming.  So overwhelming that it’s hard to pick something.  We all know that trying new things and pushing ourselves a bit is healthy– we’re always encouraging other people to do it.  If I had $1 for every time I encouraged Thomas to try something new, or every time my mom encouraged me to try something new, I’d be a trillionaire– just like Elon Musk (ick).   

But when it’s time to actually try something new, we forget how hard it is to take that first step out of our own comfort zone, out of our own habits, out of our own ideas.  Sometimes it’s fear, sometimes inertia, sometimes it’s just that change is hard.  But life is a process of change, and if we don’t change we stand still.  And eventually standing still starts to feel like going backwards.

And I do sort of feel like sometimes I’m going backwards.  I’ve recently taken a bit of a backwards career move, and it’s hard to reconcile that.  I haven’t tried something new, I’ve fallen back into something tried and true in the hope that it might lead to something different.  I’m having doubts that it will, and worry that I’ve really let myself down this time.  That rather than trying something new and different, I’ve fallen into my comfort zone, which is actually my discomfort zone- because I’ve outgrown it. Which isn’t a great feeling, but it is an important one to name.  Watch this space, there’s a lot of change happening around me- and the last few months have been a period where there’s been uncertainty in our household– and unfortunately that uncertainty is ongoing. So as we figure out what’s next and what’s new, it’s good that some things are constant.  Like cookies.

Although last week, I did change it up– I tried Cookie bars! Specifically Sally’s Cookie Addiction’s Super-Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars and WOW WOW WOW they were good.  I actually loved the bar form because they were slightly easier than a cookie – and you can cut them into smaller pieces.  They were EXTREMELY well received and loved.  Definitely one to add my my Cookie– and now Cookie bar rotation!  So So SO SO SO good!

I also made the Giant M&M Cookies from Sally’s Cookie Addiction Cookbook.  They were good… I mean they were outshone by the cookie bars but still good.

This week we have Bourbon Sables from Sarah Kieffer’s 100 Cookies cookbook and also Christina Tosi’s Pretzel Chocolate Chunk cookies from All About Cookies.  Neither are super exciting but they’re not bad either.   I ordered two new books over a month ago and I’m patiently waiting for them- and also wondering where they are!  How have they taken SO LONG to get here??  Oh well- patience is a virtue I suppose and the best things come to those who wait!