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When I saw the chocolate cake I had just baked falling apart before my eyes as I tried to frost it, the first thought that came to my mind was “Good thing I’m not trying to use this for a blog post!”
But then, the more I looked at the cake as it continued to cave in on itself, the more I realized that it would actually be perfect for a blog post because it’s an example of the way things really are sometimes.
Bloggers Aren’t Perfect
When you read a lot of real food and natural health blogs, it’s easy to get the impression that bloggers always have neat and tidy houses and make delicious, homemade meals that are arranged beautifully on pretty plates.
As good as it is to keep things neat and organized, though, and as nice as it is to serve food that is presented in an aesthetically pleasing way, the reality is that that’s not the way things always are, (or at least it’s not for me anyways!)
I still have plenty of failed recipe experiments. This cake was the same recipe as my Depression-Era chocolate cake recipe, but this time I decided to try using all einkorn flour. The problem was that I forgot to adjust the amount of liquids in the recipe since einkorn flour doesn’t need as much liquid as regular all-purpose flour did. The taste of it was delicious, but it looked like a absolute disaster.
And see that mess on the table in the background? Yeah, that’s what the table usually looks like when I don’t have it all sparkling clean for a photo. There’s a pile of mail, a calculator (because without one I still have to count on my fingers to figure out basic math problems), and a box from an online order I hadn’t gotten around to putting away yet.
And it’s not just the failed recipes and messy tables either. Even though I know how important sleeping is for good health and I try to follow the “early to bed, early to rise” principle, it just doesn’t always happen. Just the other night I fell asleep on the couch and didn’t wake up until almost 2 in the morning, and then I slept in until 10:00 since I forgot to set an alarm.
I forget to feed my sourdough starter all the time. I use more disposable things like plastic bags and paper towels than I probably should. I still haven’t tried making any traditionally-preserved vegetables or condiments even though those are oh-so-popular in the real food world. And I can’t stand the taste of liver, no matter how traditional or nutrient-dense it may be.
Letting Go of Perfection
I’m definitely not perfect. And you don’t have to be either!
Wherever you are in your journey toward a healthier lifestyle is ok! Even if you only have time right now to cook a few homemade meals a week and you end up eating out for the others, at least you’re not eating take-out for all your meals. And even if you’ve switched out some of your cleaning and beauty products for more natural homemade options, it’s perfectly ok if you still use some store bought products. If trying to be more healthy just makes you feel stressed out, it’s not really a healthy way to live anyways!
The important thing is to try to find more balance and remember that you don’t have to make every change right away. Easier said than done, I know, but the goal is to have a healthier lifestyle that you can actually enjoy, not one that has to always be perfect.
Other great posts about letting go of perfection and finding balance:
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The information in this post is not to be taken as medical advice and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.
Kelly
Thursday 1st of May 2014
I bet it tasted AWESOME!! :-)