In almost two years of blogging I’ve never once missed a week, seriously— never. Even when we were in Disney I gave you the House of Mouse, so imagine my dismay when it dawned on me this past Tuesday that I didn’t have anything prepared for this weeks post. You see I recently went back to work and while it’s only part-time, working a few days a week has altered my free-time, big-time! I’m thrilled to be earning a paycheck again, to be valued for something other than my mothering skills and to get the chance to routinely flex my creative muscles (that’s my cluttered desk below). But…

As a result there are always baskets of laundry waiting to be folded, the fridge is never fully stocked and I have far less time to whip up that recipe I’ve been meaning to try. Believe me I’m not complaining, just trying to explain why I don’t have much to offer you. I really do apologize. So instead of my typical rambling tales and a tasty recipe, this week I thought I would instead share with you a brief list of lessons I’ve learned over the past two years as a food blogger. Okay, ready? Here goes…

• If you think about, cook and enjoy good food 24/7 you’re bound to gain weight. Get over it, donate those skinny jeans and go grab yourself a snack.
• Wet dish towels conduct heat far better than dry. I know this. I know this. I know this.
• When you accidentally omit a key ingredient in a recipe and only realize it when it’s too late to fix, do the following: Proceed as if nothing is wrong. Admit your mistake to one person and one person only. (A true crime always requires an accomplice!) And if anyone questions the “correctness” of the dish simply claim that you were experimenting with a new recipe. They’ll continue to think you’re a cooking genius, talented enough to go all avant-garde with the meal.
• There is no shame in boxed cake mix or jarred pasta sauce as long as your meal is being made with love.
• If you happen to be taste testing cocktail recipes and start drinking gin in the afternoon, plan on ordering out for dinner.
• Everyone enjoys being cooked for, even food bloggers. So if you know and love one don’t forget to make dinner for them once in a while.

And there you go. Until next week (hopefully)…