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Have you ever heard the saying “presentation matters”? Can the way you present food really make a difference in how it tastes?

What would you rather eat?

Oatmeal #1 or oatmeal #2:

Oatmeal #1 image: Lynelle McLean

Oatmeal #2 image from Bing search

I find joy in arranging food so that it looks beautiful. It may not change the way the food tastes, but it does make a difference in your culinary experience! When I put these bowls together I was remembering the delicious acai bowls we had in Barcelona – food comes loaded with associations, good or bad, and this one was associated with a very privileged memory that I treasure.

One day I was at home and quickly made some grilled cheese with some leftover salad.

Wait…….. before you scroll down, what do you imagine that would look like?

Was it like this?

Image: homeade grilled cheese sandwich – gross looking – Search (bing.com)

Maybe this looks good to you – it’s not bad, but the recipe uses mayonnaise, which I really don’t like. But why not make it fun and feel like you’re going out for a fun lunch with a good friend even if you are working from home all day and eating by yourself? Here’s a picture I took of my lunch:

I felt special (my mom’s homemade bread helped) but the point I mean is how we arrange our food creates an experience that can add to our enjoyment of the simple pleasures (and necessities) of life. So, make it fancy; have fun; and enjoy whatever you create!

Thank you for reading my blog! It’s been a fun process. I learned that food planning is way more important for me that prepping; that new recipes light a fire of inspiration; batch cooking saves so much time and makes lunches healthier; and that presentation also brings me joy! My top recommendation is to have fun and find a grocer that you love – The Rootcellar and their weekly newsletter makes grocery shopping and food planning with new recipes that incorporate sale items fun! 🙂

It’s such a novelty! This has such positive connotations, yet when it comes to cooking, we often slide into a rut or a routine. So, I decided to try something novel! My partner’s sis sent pictures of this fabulous looking cornbread in a cast iron skillet. I couldn’t get it out of my mind, so I asked for the recipe!

I thought I really needed some chili to go with it so i searched for a 5-star vegetarian recipe and here we are!

And yes, of course, I made it a batch cooking project. The cornbread went quickly, but luckily veggie chili goes splendidly with corn tortillas too. It served as dinner X 2 nights and lunch X 3 servings!

Just to show you the nitty gritty, here’s a pic while it was still all on the stove:

And here’s the cornbread recipe by Jaclyn at Cooking Classy! Enjoy!!

I grew up with my mom saying, “I’ll put a chicken in, it’s the easiest dinner!” There is a catch though – you have to be at home in time to put the oven on and put the chicken in! If the chicken is frozen, you need to have the forethought to thaw it.

So, chicken dinner is still my favourite, but it’s not the quickest think to make shortest cooking time. This night we had chicken dinner at 9pm. But oh, it was so good! This was a down home meal on regular dinnerware.

But why not give it a fancy feel of family dinners on my great-auntie Eileen’s Royal Albert China? (She would love this)

We did get cutlery on the table eventually – this was the really late dinner.

And VIOLA!!! Chicken dinners make chicken sandwiches and chicken soup when you boil those bones!! One little chicken can go a long ways, and somehow, it feels like the right thing to do – use it all and use it gratefully!

No recipe this time – just call your family, friends, or google. All the recipes are good – the ones with lemon and garlic in the cavity and squeezed on top just might be my favourite.

Photo: Butter chicken, panner, rice, Syrian bread, arugula, and cilantro.

We eat everyday… 3 times. When the going is busy, we lean on habits and in this case eat the same thing often. Batch cooking is great and an efficient use of time, but sometimes we need to spice things up! Here’s an example of a couple of grocery items that helped me enjoy cooking and eating.

This week I found this amazing bread at The Root Cellar. It is the longest flatbread I’ve ever seen! It paired well with butter chicken and panner (you can see it in photo 1). We toasted it in the oven, so it was crispy but still tender!

Photo: Scrambled eggs with arugula, purple onions, avocado, babaganoush, and Syrian flatbread.

Here it is again for a 5 minute lunch! We also went to the Thursday night Esquimalt farmers market and picked up some babganoush made by Syriana. Read their story here. Having the arugula and bread on hand made it a quick and easy – and delicious – lunch on my marathon homework weekend!

Photo: Apples, red pepper, broccoli, carrots, and lime with arugula, purple onions, avocado, babaganoush, and Syrian flatbread.

And here it is again!! I love making a quick dish that feels so gourmet and it takes less than 5 minutes. This one has fresh basil and I love it!

So, just a few different ingredients really changed the game this week. So even if you get the same old staples, it’s a fun twist to throw a few game-changers in and it adds some inspiration and deliciousness!