Is anyone else getting sick of cooking?

Brooke Schuldt

When the nationwide lockdowns started, I enjoyed having more time to experiment with new recipes as a way to cope with the 2020 blues. I made a sourdough starter and named him Graham, researched new recipes, baked up a storm, and found interesting ways to use my pantry staples.

Yet, after a few months I started to get really tired of spending so much time in the kitchen. My sourdough starter became too complicated and needy (it wasn't you, Graham, it was me), my grocery bills were going up, and my feet were sore. My kitchen had burned me out. I went from posting a picture of a brand new bake every day to eating peanut butter straight out of the tub and calling it lunch. There has to be a happy medium, right?

No matter how sick of my oven I am, I still need to eat. That's why I've been pairing down my weekly meals from over-the-top photographable masterpieces to simple meals that are delicious but never find their way onto Instagram. Like these zucchini fritters, which I can eat any time of day, and the perfect omelet, which can make a great breakfast or dinner and is 100% customizable.

Going back to the basics and cooking classics can help, too. Try this French macaroni and cheese when you really need some comfort food, or whip up a chicken curry, pad thai, or an easy pizza dough when you're in the mood for takeout. I still like to bake, but instead of banana bread, I'll be making this bright and summery strawberry bread.

Maybe one day I'll restart Graham the sourdough starter, but for now, I'm perfectly fine buying my bread from the store.

- Brooke Schuldt
Social Media Editor, The Spruce Eats

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