no more "surviving"...and a recipe!

Am I the only one who ever feels like she is in a rut when it comes to cooking? 

My dinners tend to be the same rotation of dishes all.the.time. 

After having G-man last year, I was really just in survival mode much of the time. We were lucky to have dinner over the last year...let alone have something fancy, different, or creative! I've felt this way about many aspects of my life the last year. The initial adjustment to two children was hard, but the entire last year has been difficult for me to feel like I'm doing any more than surviving. Because of that, I have done the minimum in so many areas which absolutely drives me crazy. I want to do my best, but sometimes the energy and motivation just isn't there...and neither is the time. 

Now that I recognize my mindset over the last year, I am making it a goal to get out of survival mode and thrive. One way I can simply and practically do that is through my cooking. The goal is to make a new or different recipe once a week. By "new" I don't necessarily mean totally and completely new...something I've never cooked. I mean more like something I haven't cooked in a while or something with a new twist to it. I'm going to put those Pinterest recipes to work! :) 

This week, I made Paella. I didn't put shrimp in mine (which I hear is a more authentic version) because Hubs has an allergy. I found a great recipe for Simple Chicken and Sausage Paella and it was a hit! 

I made oven roasted brussels sprouts and broccoli to go with it.  

It was a delicious dinner and the whole family enjoyed it. I think this will become a regular around here. Its easy, quick (about 30 minutes), gluten and dairy free, and not expensive to make. And did I mention it makes a TON? Seriously, Hubs has lunch to take with him to work for the next several days...and that's always a plus in our house!

I have a couple more recipes on the menu for the next few days that are new to us and I am excited to try them. Check back next Thursday to see what some of those recipes are and how they turned out.