Last night, I returned from a long weekend in San Francisco where I had attended the BlogHer 2010 Food Conference. I was overly exhausted, but perked up the second I saw my husband and four kids peeking through the airport gate, waving enthusiastically at me. I walked closer and when I was close enough I brought each of my kids in for a tight squeeze.
As I stepped away from them, I looked at their faces and noticed that things had changed. They each had grown…looked bigger and more mature, all in the matter of the 4 days while I was gone. Was that possible? Could my kids really had changed that much in the short amount of time I was away?
As I was collapsing into bed last night, I reflected on how crazy the past few weeks had been. On top of work and deadlines, I was helping to coordinate a lovely party I co-hosted at BlogHer Food and prepared to speak on the value of a blogging community at the conference. School was in full swing and life was back to its crazy nuttiness. It was then that it hit me. My kids hadn’t changed while I was away, I just hadn’t been clearly seeing them for the past several weeks. I was too caught up in the noise and the fog of everything else that I hadn’t been focused on what I should really be, which was my family. Sometimes, it takes stepping away for a bit to be able to see clearly again.
This is the same with anything you do…blogging, crafts, photography, painting, writing…it is easy to get caught up in all the noise, but to really see clearly when things get foggy, you sometimes need to step away for a bit. When you return, you’ll have a new perspective and will be able to see clearly again.
This is another post where the recipe has nothing to do with what I am writing about, and if I would listen to some of the talk I heard at the conference, it is perfectly unacceptable to have such disconnect. But, you know what? This is my blog, my space and I want to share this recipe for cast iron skillet potatoes with you because its a good one. So here you go!
Herbed Potatoes Recipe (From the September 2010 issue of Cooking Light Magazine)
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons small basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes; drain and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Heat a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of potatoes; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and potatoes. Add butter and garlic to pan. Stir in reserved potato mixture, salt, and pepper; sauté 1 minute or until mixture is thoroughly heated and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; sprinkle with herbs.
Want more recipes for your Cast Iron Skillet? These bloggers have some great recipes for you to try:
- Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
- Brownies in a Cast Iron Skillet from Amanda’s Cookin’
- Spicy Pinto Bean Ravioli from The Perfect Pantry
- Cast Iron Skillet Pineapple Upsidedown Cake from A Bloggable Life / Inn Cuisine
Well said, Kristen. A little perspective (or a self-inflicted slap upside the head) is needed regularly for me to put my priorities in order.
And, by the way, I couldn’t care less that your post and recipe have nothing to do with each other because those potatoes look darn good.
Yum. I printed this one so I will actually make it. So glad you didn’t “listen” to the discussions about disconnect. Because seriously, you just connected. Thanks!
The disconnect totally works for me. You’re right. Stepping away helps put things in perspective. Glad you had a good trip and made it home safely. The potatoes look great and the little girl…precious…
Lovely post, Kristen. A little time away almost always sharpens our focus and perspective. Not to mention recharging the batteries and refreshing the spirit! And I totally agree that it makes no difference, at least to me, that your recipe and post are unrelated. I love a good thoughtful post and then getting a great recipe at the end is just the icing on the cake!
I love that you blogging post and the recipe is totally unrelated. It makes the whole story way more interesting and personal. I had been trying to keep mine linked and consequently I haven’t had the opportunity to share some great thoughts. I will no longer be too concerned. I agree with Lana, the recipe at the end is the icing on the cake 🙂
Your “baby” has become a little toddler girl! Leah is a sweetheart!!! They do grow up fast.
Who cares what anyone else says. I say, “more please!” (And I’m sure your family says the same.)
Wow – she is so beautiful!
Okay, I can’t make the carbs because they’re evil, but I *adore* the disconnect of your post. Thank you for letting us share in that moment when you saw your kids again. So sweet! I think you’re right about how we get so caught up in our lives that we simply don’t notice those around us sometimes. I find myself often with my laptop in my lap, making noises in response to things my husband says. I have to force myself to take my fingers off the keyboard and my eyes off the screen so I can truly listen to him.
I love this post, Kristen! It is so true….and I like the disconnect. Isn’t that real life? Juggling all sorts of things all at once? Seems like a perfect fit to me! 🙂
What a cutie pie!! What a gorgeous smile!
Your potatoes look delicious… but your daughter stole the show 🙂
Totally with ya there my friend. Too much going on cluttering up things. Need a break from all the noise myself.
you can’t go wrong with potatoes! these look fabulous and cooking it in a cast iron skillet, I am sure made it delicious! loved meeting you this weekend. only wish we had more time to have a one on one! there is always next year! xx
I just bought a cast iron. Never had one before! I can’t wait to make some fun things in it. These potatoes would be great for a big weekend breakfast! Loved seeing you Kristen and I miss you already.
Thanks for the comment. Our family loves your oven ham sammies and they are great on Wednesday church nights.
We love cast iron in our family. I use it everyday.
I’m all for infusing a bit of life into the blog. Even if it has nothing to do with the food.
Gorgeous kids, gorgeous food, gorgeous writing. That’s why I love it here.
Remember when I was going to school and trying so hard to “get ahead”. I got a phone call from Crystal one night and it made me realize where my real priorities were. My family! You do it all well! And your family always knows you love them. That is the important thing! I think you are a better wife and mother because of the time you spend “doing your thing”. Loved the post! And love the picture of Leah!
Kristen, the party you planned was amazing! I can’t wait to see you again, hopefully very soon. I know what you mean, it is so hard to focus on what is right in from of us sometimes. I think your skillet potatoes go very well with the rest of your writing in this post – potatoes comfort as do our families.
xxoo M
It was great to see you at Blogher Food. The party was fantastic! Thank you for all of your hard work. Also, a high five to my fellow sizzling sister:) We rocked it!
I have a hard time focusing in life, sometimes it is good to step away and regroup. Great post and I am loving the potatoes!
Great post Kristen! Life is full of disconnect and it’s good to take a breather once in a while if it means you come back re-focused. I felt the same way when we got back from Italy a couple of weeks ago. It’s refreshing to get a change of pace, routine and scenery. It makes coming back home all the better because you feel rested and renewed. Hope I can meet you someday at a BlogHer Food conference!
I love the way you share your heart and then food–that so works for me:)
Your words are so true. We need to take time to be quiet and reconnect. (And your daughter is a real cutie!!)
Wonderful post. Although I don’t have kids of my own, I understand the disconnect. This weekend prompted a lot of thoughts for me…
It was great FINALLY meeting you. Can’t wait until our paths cross again!
Kristen, I just can’t get over your daughter’s picture. Wow, she is adorable! Your recipe looks amazing too (of course!). I have the ingredients on hand, so it will be a perfect side dish w dinner tomorrow. Might add some red onions. 🙂
So true! I always love coming back to something after a break, feeling completely refreshed and reinvigorated, and being able to see the clearer picture!
Question though: how do you approach this taking-a-break concept with a blog, where you have scheduled posting times each week that you have to meet? What’s the best way or strategy to take a break when you get tired and don’t see things clearly anymore?
Also, I love that your recipes aren’t always related to the story in the post. It feels real, like we get invited in for good conversation and whatever you happen to be having for dinner that day. 🙂
Oh that face! What a gorgeous girl. Sometimes I feel like my kids change in an afternoon and I know it is because I am distracted. I constantly remind myself to slow down but I don’t take my advice that well. I am so sorry to have missed you and your lovely party in SF! Hopefully I’ll get to see you before too long.
who made up the rule a post has to relate to a recipe? i’m a total rule-breaker so that one just won’t fly w/me; i just don’t give one whit about whether or not the recipe ties w/the post. what i DO care about is the fact that YOU care enough to sit down and share a piece of your life with us. that baby AND those potatoes are both delicious enough to eat. there. how’s that for a connection?
I totally hear you. On the weekends that I don’t have the kids, when they come home Sunday night, it is exactly like I’m seeing them with completely new eyes. We all need to step away sometimes, get a little recharge in our system, and come back stronger and better than ever.
Those potatoes look just perfect!
Hey, I am always disconnected! That is how my brain works. 😉 Glad you had a great time and are home safely. It is good for the soul to get away and gain a different perspective when you come home again.
Look at that precious picture! I could just hug her! I know all of your kiddos loved seeing you, too. It is pretty amazing how the noise can have us all in a fog sometimes.
Love skillet potatoes and yours are looking mighty delicious. And ya know what, I love that you included them in this post. Works for me!
What a beautiful reminder on what is important. I know exactly what you mean, Kristen. When I got home yesterday morning, my husband looked so different! It was wonderful to look into his blue eyes and see home – but the rest of him has really been hitting the gym hard the last month, and it’s kinda like having a new guy around. It’s so wonderful to be home, I gotta say.
And who gives a wit if the recipe goes with the post? They look delicious, and I much preferred reading about your revelation.
I like the fact that your post and recipe are totally unrelated. A few weeks ago I took my son to the park and before me stood a little BOY…where did my baby go? Did he disappear before my very own eyes? It kinda made me sad…
Every year I attend a weeklong adult event where I stay in a college dorm and take classes. I’ve been doing this for decades now. Whenever I come home I notice the same thing — particularly with my younger kids. (I have six.) They change markedly in a week.
Or, maybe it’s just that my husband isn’t so worried about combing their hair. 😉
BTW, it’s my first visit to your blog. Your header image and blog layout are divine. 🙂
Adorable baby girl! And this post reminds me that I should really be pulling out my cast iron pan more often!
i so want a cast iron skillet. but we have a glass top stove, and i don’t think they’re a good match. would only be able to use it on the grill. which isn’t all that bad, now that i think about it. cheers!
Children, potatoes, what’s not to go together? Both very important things 🙂
Kristen – She is SO stinking cute!
Gosh I miss that age! Enjoy every minute!!!!
So very true isn’t it? Several years ago, before my blog, when I still had my site and was working a side business that kept me on the phone A LOT, I found myself getting angry with my kids interrupting me on the phone. One day I realized how wrong that was for me and for my family. I quit working that job and moved on to things that didn’t require quiet for a phone call. Family is the most important, and so many of us do get caught up in the craziness of everything. Good for you for stepping back and seeing those beautiful faces. What a sweety pie 🙂
I’ve said it before, but I love reading your blog for the writing. You somehow find a way to put everything in perspective! And I can’t complain about the delicious recipes, like this one, either!!
Some truly nice and utilitarian information on this internet site, also I think the style contains good features.