Project Food Blog Challenge #1- I do this for my boys

When I wrote on my personal blog for 5 years or so, I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. I went through so many seasons of questioning why I was doing it, what was the point, who really cares about this stuff anyway, etc. I felt both the freedom to write whatever I wanted and at the same time some strange sense of "bondage" to the thing.

Not so with A Time to Eat. It's a lot more focused, obviously, than just a bunch of random posts about my life. And food/cooking is a great topic. I am not alone. There are plenty of busy moms, dads, college students, singles, newlyweds and empty-nesters with the same issue- we all have to eat. And, if I'm not mistaken, we all want to eat something that tastes good. For most of us, we want to eat something relatively healthy for us as well.

That's what my blog is all about. I only post a recipe after I've tried it myself and I only tend to try things that are simple, made with real ingredients (avoiding processed, canned, boxed, pre-made, etc. whenever possible) that I can find in my grocery store. I have some favorites that I make on a regular basis, but I shoot for trying out a new recipe every week.

It helps that I love to cook and bake. I won't say it relaxes me, as it does some people, but I do enjoy it. I enjoy the planning, the process, and especially the end result. I try not to be too crazy about things, but I make things from scratch whenever possible. My boys have always had homemade cakes or cupcakes on their birthdays. I don't remember the last time I bought a pizza crust for pizza at home. It's not about feeling superior or trying to out-do anyone. It gives me peace of mind!

My cooking has changed as my life has changed. When I started blogging, I was working part-time and my husband was in grad school (therefore we were busy and had NO money). Now we have 2 boys and a third baby on the way (and therefore we are busy and have NO money).

I care about what I feed my family. I want my boys to try new things (all 3 of them!), but I still deal with picky eaters. I'm the only one in my house who will eat fish (therefore, we never have fish). I have felt a sense of accomplishment as I have watched my husband's palette grow from the canned green beans he grew up eating to embracing roasted veggies of any kind and, most recently- steamed! My oldest son never met a pizza he didn't like, refuses to eat anything green, and has recently shunned anything with melted cheese on it (with the exception of pizza...don't ask me). My little one is less picky than his brother, but seems to embrace bread, pasta, and chicken more than anything else (though he does love tomatoes!).

But I'm not willing to let them stay there. I keep trying, and I keep blogging the results. Along the way, hopefully you find something you like, something new to try, or inspiration to get into your kitchen and create something yourself.