Friday, June 4, 2010

Do You Build with Legos or Create with Them?

On a recent trip to California my 5 year old Grandson, Jordan, asked me to get a set of  Legos down from the closet, where my daughter has them very neatly organized each set in their own container.  I asked him what he was going to build to which he replied, "I am not going to build anything, I am going to create".

Wow!  I was sure put in my place.  I learned from a 5 year old that Legos are for creating not building and I knew that somewhere in there was a lesson for me, Nana.  Then it dawned on me, "I Create".  I don't just cook, I create wonderful new recipes and dishes for everyone to enjoy.  It also gave me an idea for this blog and how everyone can create and be creative if you just put your mind to it.

Do you ever get asked ‘Where did you get that idea from?’ in any of your projects or pieces of work and you couldn’t answer the question? Well, I have actually come across that a few times and it made me think to myself, where do I get my creativity? How do I get my creative juices flowing?  How do I boost my creativity?

I made a short list of where I usually got my ideas from and came down to two things I always did to get my creative juices flowing, that being mind mapping and finding inspiration.

Mind Mapping
A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.  The key to perfect mind mapping is creating your own personal style.

For example, I might jot down several random ingrediants that I have in my kitchen then write down other key ingrediants that may go with them.  By combining all of this information I am able to sit down and create a new recipe.

Finding Inspiration
If you are really stuck for ideas (even after mindmapping), I have always found that by getting an idea of what other people have done and what has succeeded (or failed) is a great way to get your feet off the ground again.

Try looking in cookbooks and magazines to get ideas as well as on the internet at the various cooking sites that are available.

Now, go ahead get inspired and start creating a new meal for your family tonight, don't just build it from a kit in a box.



Tuna Salad Sandwich (serves 3-4)

Ingredients:


•6 to 7 ounces white tuna, drained

•1 rib celery, finely chopped

•1 hard-cooked egg, peeled and chopped

•3 tablespoons mayonnaise

•1 tablespoon finely chopped dill pickle

•salt and pepper, to taste

•1 to 2 tablespoons grated or finely chopped onion, optional


Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add a little grated or finely chopped onion. Spread on lettuce-lined toasted bread or fill rolls and garnish with sliced tomato and sprouts.

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