Failures?

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." ~Colin Powell

"The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” ~Sven Goran Eriksson

I have been cooking up a storm these past few weeks, especially since I got my new Waldorf Soup Cookbook.  However, I am sad to report that none of the new recipes that I've tried in the past few weeks have really been blog worthy.  Some were just not great recipes, while others had potential, but I botched the recipe.

First, there was the pea soup (pictured on the right).  I might attempt this recipe again, since it wasn't too bad, and A.J. and Greg liked it.  I cooked it in my beloved Le Crueset dutch oven that I got at the Le Creuset factory outlet store 2 years ago for a steal.  I love it, but it can get and stay very hot, so you have to be mindful when cooking.  And, as those of you with toddlers know, this can be difficult sometimes.  If it's just you and your toddler at home while you are cooking, there's no way to get out of multi-tasking.  At the time I was cooking this, I actually had 3 toddlers and another adult in my home, so the soup cooked at too high a temperature and dried out a little bit.  Come to think of it, this soup pretty much cooked itself, as I only checked on it to stir it sporadically amidst the toddler induced pandemonium at my house.  It ended up being fine, since that made it easier for A.J. to pick up and eat with his hands!

The second recipe was borscht, which I thought I would love since I love beets.  I've never had it before, but this recipe was very bland. It was served with sour cream and dill, and that didn't even help liven it up.  A.J. wouldn't touch it!

I also made the minestrone recipe from the Waldorf Soup book with , and even though it  was really good (and vegan), it wasn't better than another recipe that I have been using a while.

I'm committed to only adding recipes to this blog that are worth making again and again.  Food that will not only nourish you, but that you will also relish.  I'm giving the Waldorf  Soup Cookbook one more shot.  Next week is Adzuki bean and peanut soup!

Well, my failures in the kitchen have not only been soups.  I made some museli oat bars that were dry and not that tasty.  I also made some "lotion" that was complete mush.  I wanted to make some lotion for the Mom's Night Out program that I am doing at the library.  As part of the program, I am guiding 32 moms through the process of self massage for the hands.  I really want to make sure that my actions align with my principles, and so I didn't want to use some cheap lotion full of parabens and other things that should not be place on or in the body.  As our budget it somewhat limited, I thought I would save some money by making my own.  Sounds great, right?!

I found a very simple recipe on the web, and ordered some beeswax, and once it arrived set out to make the lotion.   I melted the beeswax and mixed the oil and water together, and ended up with a bowl full of mush!

So many failures in such a short time.  It was a little discouraging, of course.  If I had just been starting to experiment with cooking, I would have thought, "I'm not a good cook.  I shouldn't cook ever again!"  Fortunately, I know that "failure" is part of the learning and growth process.  Growth can be challenging when we look at the world in such a polarizing way.  Instead of seeing things as "failures," perhaps we can seem that as opportunities for growth and expansion. This shift in perception can be helpful, not only in the kitchen, but throughout life.