Cooking Routines + Many Food Photos For Inspiration

This past week of cooking wasn't unlike any other with the exception that I realized a few things about my routine. Over the last 17 years I've created a routine that I so steadfastly maintained to keep up my health, happiness, cooking curiosity and weight loss. After 3 months of teaching, 5am wake-ups and getting home at 4pm I now know that I don't need to apply my old routine from my old life to my new life. In my old life I got home most evenings stupid late and then I checked emails to even more stupid late hours (part neuroses, part necessity). I didn't have time or energy during the week for much of anything but boozing and walks, so I did my best to batch cook on Sundays to get me through lunches and freezer meals for dinner when I wanted and needed. My food budget during those times was way different than now as I decent amount of money went towards eating out, steamed chicken and broccoli and wonton soup and pink wine in the Spring time.

I love meal prepping, roasting and spending a few hours on a Sunday cooking, but I now get home early enough to cook every evening. I can even stop at the grocery store on the way home without it being a nuisance. I can't believe I'm even typing this. My sole responsibility is to make sure I have groceries on hand, some fresh produce to make mealtime magic. And I also understand that as a single woman, my sole responsibility is to myself - so I have the flexibility to make different choices.

But ...

We all have these choices, right? Prep, cook, commit to feeling good? It's really finding the strategy or style of doing so that works for each of us. Couple that with making food decisions, cooking and building a routine and it can be tough.

What I can say is ...

Start somewhere. It took me 3 months to shut old Tina habits down. Actually, more like 13 months. I love you guys and I love cooking and writing about it, but I've been going nutso with the cooking and volume of food I'm making and, again, I'm only one woman. While you're learning, I'm learning too.

Below is a sneak peek in my fridge for the week. I may prep again, I may not. But I do know I can help you figure out your needs, physical and emotional when it comes to food - and that's what I'm here for.

If I can offer anything after start somewhere, it's roast a vegetable or make a salad.

Or make one of the many dips I post on here.

Pretty food photos below of what's been going down in my kitchen - with a hope to inspire you to get in yours.

Strive for five (fruits and veggies a day) so you can eat and live in color!