A couple of weeks ago I had pretty much taken a subbatical from my kitchen. Not easy to do, when I have to walk through it to get to my bedroom or my living room. After using it steady for months, the place where I found solace, became the most neglected room in my apartment. Honestly I couldn’t remember the last time I really went grocery shopping and I LOVE grocery shopping. A semi-domestic goddess at best, I come from a large cooking and baking family where the the kitchen is the heart of everyone’s home, but I found that my heart was no longer in this place that I once loved so much.

This brings me to today’s muse, Hannah Queen, the talented  photographer , baker and blogger from Honey and Jam. I don’t how I landed on her blog, but what it’s important is that I got there.

In heart of my kitchen-avoiding slump, Hannah’s recipe for a Honey Balsamic Strawberry Galette got me back into my kitchen without any hesitation. I went grocery shopping for a few items, prepped my ingredients and the next day I promptly made this galette very early on a Sunday Morning.  In those early hours, the city was quiet and it was just me  in an apartment that smelled like a berry-filled heaven. It was the creative, meditative and healing experience that I needed. I made a cup of tea and cut a slice, bit into it and loved it. I felt like I had found the something that was missing, making peace with my kitchen. In fact, next on my list is Hannah’s Lemon Cake with Black Tea Frosting.

all images via honey and jam

One day last week, I came home, having convinced myself that I was too tired to cook. But then something magical happened, I found myself cooking one of my favorite stovetop dishes  for dinner. Being in the kitchen felt so right, that I soon forgot that I was “too tired”. I figure that If I continue to peruse Honey and Jam, I will be back to my old self in no time.

For more  of Hannah’s photos, check out her Etsy site.