I did unfortunately let another month pass. I’m sorry. It looks like every 2 weeks has become every month. Maybe that’s a good thing. In the meantime, catch up with me on Instagram and Threads.
Updates
Last post I talked about finishing some of the books I had been reading.
After I finished Children of Anguish and Anarchy and quit reading Anastasia, I read Collide and worked on finishing Designing Your Life.
Well, I am still working on Designing Your Life. I like it a lot. It is not a fast read.
I also started listening to Right Within by Minda Harts. So far so good.
I also started Oathbound the third book in the Legendborn series and “Eeeeeeeek” is all I will say. If you haven’t read the first two books, I highly recommend them.
Overall, the challenge of reading and finishing the books I start has been quite the adventure. I am excited to see how well it goes.
The Joy of Exploration
In rediscovering the things that bring me joy I would have to include my love of adventure. In early 2023 I started a job that required some travel, and it has reminded me of that love. As a kid I loved looking at my dad’s atlas and tracing the roads to wherever they led. Now as an adult I want to follow as many of them as I can. I have talked about my love of travel before on this blog during my fun fact challenge.
Since I have already touched on that I will instead talk about the joy I get from exploring. In my search for things that bring me joy I have found a surprising truth. The process of searching itself makes me happy. It is like a puzzle that I am putting together, and puzzles are the best. When I put a puzzle together, I avoid having the picture sitting in front of me as a reference. I like to take a long look at the picture first. Then, I work from memory for as long as possible.
This season feels a bit like that to me. I know what a happy and joyous Stasia feels like. I am working on putting the pieces together. These pieces fit that picture.
I have embraced the joy of exploring through food. I am also learning to enjoy cooking again.
I’m from Louisiana. Despite being a picky eater, I am still a foodie at heart. Eating at home in New Orleans is the best. I love crawfish and blue crab, chargrilled oysters, poboys, red beans and rice, and etouffee. I could go on and on. The taste of the French bread after you dip it in the juice from the oysters is unmatched. New Orleans is so fun to play tourist in. Even though it is home I can always find a new way to appreciate it.
Exploring the Joys of Cooking
In the recent months, I discovered that I enjoy cooking more than I earlier thought. I have always for the most part loved eating more than cooking, but I still enjoyed cooking whenever I had the chance. As a kid, I learned how to clean and cook greens with my grandma. She patiently guided me through the entire process. She also shared stories about her childhood and cooking with her mom. My niece and I were hanging on to every word. Some of my fondest memories of growing up involved learning how to scramble eggs. My dad taught me. I ate them so much that for a long time, I didn’t even want to see them. I still barely like eggs unless they are baked in a cake. Another cherished memory is creating the “Johnny Storm” Hot wings recipe one night with my dad. The kitchen filled with the mouthwatering aroma of spices and sauces. We spent hours experimenting with different ingredients. We laughed and shared stories. This turned a simple cooking session into a memorable bonding experience. It was one of the last times we did that before leaving for hurricane Katrina.
When I was in high school, I wanted succotash. It is a dish that is well known in Louisiana. It is rich in flavor and history. My grandma made it so well, each bite bringing back warm memories of our family gatherings. She told me to buy the ingredients, and she would teach me to make it, guiding me through each step with patience and joy. It is still one of my favorite memories of her, as we laughed and chatted in the kitchen, her stories weaving a tapestry of our family’s roots. That was also the year I made the turkey for the first time at Thanksgiving, a monumental occasion filled with excitement and a sprinkle of anxiety. I’ve done it almost every year since then. Each year, as I refine my technique, I always remember my grandma’s laughter and the love she infused into every dish.
I don’t know what happened, but over time, that love started to fade. Thankfully, in the last few years, it has become fun again. Partially, this is due to introducing my nieces to the turkey process.
I have managed to not only learn new recipes like making enchiladas or shrimp scampi for the first time. But I get to rediscover recipes that I have always loved, like crawfish pasta and lasagna. This journey of rediscovering joy has been a lot of fun. The version of Stasia that I am discovering is pretty interesting and I think I like her.
Challenge
- What are some dishes you love to make? Drop the recipe below or on my Instagram story (@findingstasia) and I will try to make it.
- What are some of your favorite ways to explore?
- What strategies have you implemented to cultivate happiness in your life?
- How do you define joy, and what does it mean to you personally?
- Can you share a memorable experience when you actively chose joy over negativity?
I look forward to continuing to discover more recipes, trying new things and finding new ways to explore.
