From Foodie to Focused: Why I Ditched Fancy Cooking (And My Life Got So Much Better)

I used to be that person hunting down exotic ingredients and chasing fancy recipes like it was a treasure hunt.

Saffron from the specialty store. Obscure spices ordered online. Complicated techniques that took hours.

I ditched what my Granny taught me & stepped into the excitement of the foodie treasure hunt - you know, what online cooking shows and influencers were telling me "good cooking" looked like.

The Hidden Cost of Fancy Cooking

But here's what all that fancy cooking actually cost me:

• My budget (those ingredients add up fast)
• My space (my pantry was bursting with half-used, out-of-date specialty items)
• My health (I'd get overwhelmed with lack of time and end up making pasta instead)
• My time (hours spent shopping for ingredients I'd use once)

Then I started the farm and began building my coaching business. I tried to do it all for a while, then I started gaining weight and my health started slipping - the exact opposite of why I started raising my own food! I realized I needed to make a change in how I was going to eat and cook.

The Choice That Changed Everything

I could keep chasing the foodie dream, or I could get intentional about what actually serves my health and my life.

I chose intentional.

Now my focus is simple: healthy food that fuels my body with consistency and routine. Not Instagram-worthy. Not complicated. Just nourishing, reliable, and aligned with the life I'm actually living.

What Intentional Eating Actually Looks Like

This shift changed everything:

• My grocery shopping became easier and my spending went way down - I was just buying what I needed for simple pre-planned meals, not a bunch of just-in-case impulse buys
• My pantry became functional, not chaotic - I had space to store and see the ingredients I was cooking with in the next couple weeks
• My energy improved because I was eating consistently well
• My stress decreased because I didn't have the "6 PM Staring-in-the-Fridge What's-for-Dinner Panic" - I'm prepared

Living intentionally isn't about doing what looks impressive - it's about doing what actually works.

For me, that means grass-fed beef, simple seasonings, and meal rhythms that support my goals instead of sabotaging them.

Your Turn: Choose Intentional Over Reactive

Look at one area where you can be more intentional instead of just reacting. Maybe it's meal planning, your morning routine, or even your business systems.

What would happen if you chose intentional and sustainable over reactive and complicated?

For me, creating the monthly beef bundle that I offer to you was one of those intentional decisions. Instead of wondering what to cook, I cut out stressful decisions and planned my meals around a bundle of the exact same cuts of beef each month - easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.

Sometimes the best choice is the one that looks boring from the outside but gives you freedom on the inside.

What intentional choice could you make this week?

Ready to try intentional eating? Learn more about Old Time Grass-fed Beef Subscription - available monthly or every 2 months to fit your family's needs.