Getting back in the kitchen after a bun in the oven

Even as someone who enjoys spending so much of my time in the kitchen, I knew that getting back into it after having a baby was going to be a challenge. I couldn’t have predicted how much of a challenge, however. Infants are incredibly demanding, and since they can’t communicate their needs verbally, they require some occasionally time-consuming guess work. Sometimes you have to run through all of your solutions (does she need to be fed? changed? burped? cuddled?) before you hit on what your baby needs at that moment, and by the time you figure it out and settle her down again, it’s been ninety minutes and there’s no time left to put together supper at a reasonable hour.

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As ‘distractions’ go, this one is pretty darn cute.

I’ve had to accept a lot of help in the kitchen, from both Ian and the freezers at the grocery store, and it’s not easy for me to do, but it’s saved my sanity by allowing me to tend to my little girl’s needs without stressing as much about meals. At the same time, I feel like I have lost a critical part of myself. I’ve had to start really pushing myself to get back on the horse. I started with a batch of cookies from a mix, to which I added a few modifications. Then, I made a batch of lactation cookies, and then a banana bread.

Finally, last night, I did something I haven’t done in a while. I made something I’d never made before — shrimp and grits. I wish I’d taken photos, because it was a pretty dish as well as being delicious, but after an hour of trying to calm my daughter down and then a rushed meal prep, the last thing on my mind was locating my camera. I want to share the recipe with you anyway, because I need to get back into the swing of things, so here it is.

Shrimp & Grits
Author: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup easy grits
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar
  • 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
  1. In a large saute pan, cook chopped bacon until crispy and rendered.
  2. Remove bacon from pan, leaving behind grease. In bacon grease, saute shrimp until just cooked.
  3. Add bacon back to pan, as well as garlic, parsley and scallions. Toss well and remove from heat.
  4. In a sauce pan, add milk and grits. Bring to a boil and stir well until cooked, about five minutes, then stir in butter and cheese until melted. Top with shrimp mixture and serve.

 

Fia Fortune

About Fia Fortune

Fia Fortune is a home cook who enjoys gardening, creating recipes for her two blogs, cooking for herself and her boyfriend, and trying to keep up with their blended family of four cats.