LOOOOK! I made my family dinner. I know, nothing new. But still, it’s something, you know? Sometimes I wish every frazzled mom out there could have some pretty pictures of the meals she made her kids. To make art out of something ordinary. Because sometimes being a mom is a pretty thankless job. Sometimes you get through the day and think, what did I even DO today? Nothing I guess. And then you feel all empty inside.
My sister Nikki has 5 kids. One time her 2-year-old got a hold of some butter and smeared it all over the house. (E.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e.) She spent hours cleaning it up. Her husband was outside that day building a shed. What did he have at the end of the day? 1 shed. What did she have? 1 butter-free couch. The day ended exactly the way it started. No butter on the couch. Sometimes it’s hard to feel creative when all you are doing is hosing down the fire.
“All great works of art are trophies of victorious struggle.”
That’s a quote by Julius Meier-Graefe, found on this awesome blog post about the relationship between struggle and art. I think it could definitely be argued that children are works of art. Art from God, that we have a tiny bit of understudy influence over, because let’s be real, these kids have got minds of their own. Can you imagine if we really could shape them the way we wanted? Awful thought. I think our species would have died out by now. I’ve been working on this blog post for about 3 hours now (not including making/photographing the food). That may sound kind of crazy, but this is my hot air balloon, so to speak. Oh wait, I haven’t told you about that part yet:
My sister-in-law Sandi took that picture. It is the result of years of practice and hundreds of hours of mindlessly boring editing. Art, from massive struggle. Isn’t it breathtaking? I’m writing to remind myself that sometimes being a mom is a massive struggle. Being a mom who runs a food blog can be a massive struggle. And I’m really just starting out, so what can I expect? A perfect hot air balloon? No. I get a butter-free couch. But I’m hoping that all those butter-free couches will add up to something extraordinary. A mosaic of clean things that will eventually unravel into a breathtaking life. I edit Meier-Graefe’s quote: Beautiful, victorious lives are trophies of massive struggle, and yes, tediousness. What do you guys think? Is struggle prerequisite to beauty? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Real quick–these Easy Sausage and Broccoli Kebabs. It’s a great weeknight meal. Buy good quality sausage. Why have I never grilled broccoli? It masks the terrible broccoli flavor. Perfect for me! Don’t skip the roasted tomatoes, they are to die for! The White Bean Salad is quick and bright from the lemon zest. Change it up and add cilantro if you want, or all basil.
Do you guys give up? Or are you thirsty for more? Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter Use any kind of sausage you like. I think kielbasa would be good. Any kind of white bean will do.
The broccoli stems tend to split when you put them on the skewers. None of mine fell off though, so don’t stress about it. More easy dinners: Easy Cheesy Asparagus Tortellini Bake Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Spicy Honey Bacon Glaze Chicken Shawarma
Check this one out by my friend Andi over at The Weary Chef–it’s pretty similar to today’s recipe. Great minds cook alike! :) Meatball and Pasta Skewers
