Kitchen Gadget # 11: Get out of the kitchen!

Sometimes it's nice to just get away. I spend my days with my little one, in the kitchen, on the laptop, busy, busy, busy. So, getting out of town (even if close by) is a pleasant experience.

The hubby and I realized we haven't been away together since right before we got married, 3 years ago. That's a LONG time!

For the past 19 months our lives have revolved around the little one. Infant to toddler takes a lot of effort and time. We also haven't wanted to leave her. And, until 17 months I nursed her daily, leaving wasn't an option.

This past weekend, we did it. We left town. We drove an hour and stayed in a lovely cabin off the beaten path with a couple of our close friends. We were, essentially, off the grid. I must admit, before I left I had a bit of a break down.

We stayed in the top two floors of this cabin. The bottom floor is the gift shop.

What if my little one wakes in the middle of the night and needs me? What if she hates the fact that we are gone? What if something terrible happens? What if she is suddenly unruly for the In-laws? Some many questions and concerns. I cried, I contemplated not going, I felt stressed and frazzled.

But, I did it anyway. Knowing I needed it, the hubby needed it, and to be honest the little one needed it too. She was in fully capable hands! I knew this.

The, what I called, "The Alice in Wonderland" flower.

I'm so glad I went! It was the most relaxing weekend I've had in a long time. Sitting on the porch of a beautiful cabin for basically an entire day is unheard of and fabulous! Playing board games, chatting, and enjoying great food with friends was amazing. The weather was beautiful, chilly nights, light days. I had such a wonderful time!

So, not necessarily a kitchen tool. But, getting out of the kitchen, sometimes,  brings one back to the love of being in the kitchen. In my case it did anyway. Monday was my "cook for the week," day, I felt refreshed and ready to go. I missed the ease of my kitchen therefore felt more connected. Gosh, I hope this doesn't make me sound weird!

Time away to rejuvenate is what I needed. The very best kitchen gadget is to get out, get fresh air, have fun, enjoy life, love, live, all those wonderful things we often don't have time for with our busy day to day lives. I even got to see a plethora of hummingbirds which was quite an unusual sight for me as I don't see them much at home. Many other birds were around, so many the small gift shop has a daily sign highlighting the countless birds you will most likely see.

Each evening right by our cabin the wild turkey's walk down the street and take a path up through the trees to a "take off zone" of sorts. They then coast down to perch on the trees for the evening. I never knew turkey's would fly like that. Such a short distance to keep them out of harms way each evening. What a sight to see.

When we returned we were greeted with the biggest smile on the little ones face. She was so happy to see us. With the mood she was in (very happy indeed) I know she had a blast with her Bubbie and Zehdeh! She missed us for sure but had a fun and exciting weekend. She went to the Botanical Gardens to watch the butterflies, played, read books (lots of books!), went for walks, and got a new toy car. She loves cars!

The place we stayed had a kitchen so I can't actually say I was completely out of the kitchen, but I did prepare food ahead of time to just take some time to reheat. I made a warm lentil soup (up in a chilly cabin, so devine!) with yummy bread on the side. The next night our friends brought up Lasagna, which was excellent! The cucumber salad was a simple side that tasted so good! Breakfast was provided by the B&B (we brought our own almond milk) and lunch was sandwiches. A little Tofurky, tofu cheese, avocado, and whole grain bread makes a great lunch.

After a hike, lunch was yummy! We hiked a smaller trail (we are all out of practice), the views were spectacular. Then we just hung out on the porch. I couldn't even read much into a book because I was so distracted by the chirping birds, beautiful landscape, and the people who biked, walked or drove by. What a lovely Saturday!

Monday, I got back in the kitchen. I tried a new recipe out of Let Them Eat Vegan (I know, I've had so many out of that book!) which was excellent. I can't believe I didn't try it sooner. Maybe going on vacation opened my eyes to what I have yet to try. I made the Cauliflower Chickpea Pumpkin Curry. I served it over rice. So tasty!

Was it hard the first time you left any of your children to take a much needed spouse vacation? 

Cheers and happy eating!