Fish Friday No. 3

A Substack break and a salmon recipe.

Hi, friends!

I wasn’t planning on sending a post out today, but when I thought about sending a quick note sharing that I’m taking a bit of a ‘break’ here on Substack, I figured I might as well throw in a seafood recipe for Fish Friday!

Recharging the Batteries

I’m going to be honest: my creative tank is on empty. All of my energy and my heart are being completely poured into my family at the moment! I’ll share more about that at a later time. But when it’s time to put my feet up, my mind is tired and I simply don’t feel like writing. So, I’m not going to force it. I’m taking a bit of a pause from my weekly series, including Sunday Dinners (although we are still having them!), just to give myself a period of rest. I hope you understand!

I wrote a note around November about how we see creativity ebb and flow in different seasons of motherhood (well, life, in general, as these ebbs and flows apply to anyone). It doesn’t necessarily mean we are pouring from a spiritually empty cup; my cup is overflowing right now! But I think of creativity as a rechargeable battery: you pull it off the charger and it’s full power, it’s juiced 100%, there’s no end to it’s abilities. You almost feel the power vibrating through you, as new ideas seem to pop into your head like fireworks. You pick up the paint brush, you pick up the camera, you pick up the needle or pen or chisel, and feel on fire to create! But gradually that power begins to wane and soon you notice the juice isn’t there. Back on the charger it goes! That’s how I feel about creativity. Sometimes my creativity battery is fully charged, other times it’s in desperate need of time spent on the charger.

And here’s the thing with the time to recharge: we don’t have to feel guilty about it. We put pressure on ourselves to meet expectations that we make, no one else. “I haven’t been writing notes! I haven’t posted on Instagram! I haven’t replied to that email! I haven’t answered those DMs! I haven’t made that phone call!” and that pressure robs us from the joy in creating. It becomes a kind of bartered commodity, rather than a source of life and fun.

When we’re in a creative ‘down time,’ it’s okay to leave it for later. Let the words, the art, the expression, the ideas, the thoughts all come to you when you are energized, rather than when you are struggling to piece it together for the sake of “getting it done.” Take a break!! Recharge those batteries! Will your pieces be missed? Sure! But perhaps thats needed encouragement that people appreciate your work. Will they send you angry messages like, “I can’t believe you aren’t sharing any photographs this week! You are a terrible person! I don’t understand your need for rest!” No, they won’t.

Embrace the ebbs and flows, welcome the creativity as it comes, and sit in peace when the batteries are recharging. There are seasons to create, there are seasons to rest.

Speaking of seasons, spring is sashaying it’s way in and I am thrilled to see little signs of it’s arrival. Apart from the horrific spring allergies my family is suffering from (hello, tree pollen!), I see nature waking up from it’s winter slumber, like a big stretch after a good sleep. Maybe it’s living on a tree farm, maybe it’s enjoying a lifestyle that’s taught me to slow down and notice the small things, but I see, hear, feel spring’s arrival in little ways that you would miss if you don’t slow down yourself. Tiny green buds on tree branches, so small you’d barely notice them if you didn’t appreciate the soft, new glow that seems to be lighting up the trees. A little purple flower in the grass, the first pop of color against the dormant, brown ground covering. A lone butterfly hovering over the landscaping in the afternoon sun. A vibrant sprout emerging in last year’s garden dirt. Weeds coming to life. The birds hopping down the fence line throughout the day. The AC kicking on by 3 p.m.—spring in Texas!

Spring is my favorite season, and I have no doubt that it’s arrival will be an energizing source of renewed creativity for me. If you are quiet and give yourself time to pause, you can feel the nature’s seasonal shifts move something inside you as well. Your body echoes the energy of nature, you just have to listen to it. Awakening from winter’s period for rest and hibernation, spring brings life and newness, growth and emergence. I know it will do the same for myself and I welcome it’s arrival!

Easiest Salmon Ever

How is your Lenten season going? Are you skimming the surface? Are you diving in head first? Are you starting at the shallow end, slowly wading in with trepidation? Challenge yourself to be submersed, whatever that looks like for you. Perhaps it’s actually sticking to your Lenten fast for 40 days this year. Maybe it’s saying a prayer for the first time in years, for the first time ever! Maybe it’s going to your local church’s fish fry and praying the Stations of the Cross by yourself. Whatever is challenging for you, whatever is uncomfortable, that’s where God will meet you. He won’t leave you hanging, He’s waiting for you in that place.

I’ve got a super easy salmon recipe for you today! I know I shared salmon last week, but I’ll be honest, I learned through my time doing Let’s Love to Cook that salmon and shrimp are the two seafood varieties that most home cooks are comfortable with. They’re also typically the most accessible, as you can often find them in the freezer section of most grocery stores, which is important for those who can’t get it fresh. Cooking up a piece of salmon or some frozen shrimp feels much more doable to the average cook than an expensive cut of Branzino, and my goal is to share approachable, family-friendly seafood recipes here!

This salmon recipe is full-proof, you can serve it with anything. For this post I’ll share how I did it on a sheetpan with a variety of vegetables to make dinner one pan and done. My kids devour this salmon, I typically buy way more than I usually would because there’s been too many times of me underestimating how much everyone will eat and my husband and I ending up with a few bites after the kids polished off a pound themselves.

Salmon filet of choice (I do 1-1.5 pounds)
¼ cup pure honey
3-4 Tablespoons country mustard
Vegetables of choice (chopped potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, onion, you name it)
Olive oil
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Grated parmesan (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place salmon filet on paper.

3. In a bowl or cup, stir together the honey and mustard. Pour over salmon.

4. Surround salmon with your vegetables. Drizzle veggies with olive oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle salt, pepper and grated parmesan. Toss the veggies to coat them (I use my hands).

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on size of fish.