How to break your cooking routine/rut

We’ve all been there. Your 5-7 go-to recipes are on rotation and they’re getting real boring! But they’re tried-and-true. I get it. I can be a victim to the dreaded rut too, especially when life is extra hectic (have I mentioned I recently sold my house? Moving is the worst!). However, I’m here to remind us all that there’s too many wonderful foods in this world to be cooking the same ol’ things.

Here are 7 easy ways to mix things up:

1. Easy Goal: Make it your goal to cook at least one new recipe per week. It’s a doable goal.
2. Seasonality: Let the season guide you! Head to the local farmers market over the weekend, and pick out one seasonal item to be the star of your next dish. If you’re an overachiever, pick an ingredient you’ve never used before!
3. Binder: Create a recipe binder filled with recipes that intrigue you; clip recipes from magazines or print them out from recipe sites or food blogs. Whenever I feel the dreaded rut coming on, I start flipping through my handy, dandy binder.
4. TV Show: Watch any weekly cooking show? Try to replicate one dish from each week’s episode. This one is extra fun! Side note: Anyone a fan of Master Chef? I am so incredibly proud of my dear friend Chef Nick Nappi for making the Top 4 on Season 6. #RealMenCook
5. Cooking Kit: Use a Global Grub DIY cooking kit. The recipe testing and meal planning are already done for you, so you can primarily focus on the fun part of just cooking! Follow the kits as is for an authentic experience or make it yours
6. Family Recipes: Collect recipes from your family… because family recipes are the best. Plus you may have eaten it already, so you know for the fruits of your labor will be worth it
7. Cooking Partner: Recruit your better half, kids or friends and roll up your sleeves together, trying a new recipe or even old one, but put a twist on it 

You know that gratifying feeling when you’ve cooked up something new and it turns out A-mazing… and you can’t wait to share it with others (or if you’re selfish, gobble it all up yourself… whatever, I don’t judge!). I bet you know what I’m talking about. Let’s all chase after that “I did a damn good job” feeling.

Any other tips out there for spicing up your cooking routine?