Cooking comes from the heart. The way you feel is the way you will feed yourself.

Tired = take outs

Sad = chocolate cake

Unmotivated = chips and dips

So it’s Saturday evening, no fun, no motivation to cook. It is a toss-up between take-out pizza and fish and chips. None will leave you with an exciting night or a better mood.

If  you want to spice up your evening try the following mood recipe:

• bottle of bubbly

• put on your heels 

• best lingerie and a pinny (if the kids are away) or a pretty dress (if cooking with kids)

• open your pantry

• open your bubbles 

• start creating

There are no instructions, no measurements, look at what food you have and savor the taste of imaginary combinations in your mind.

Say, you have an open bag of wraps and a piece of cheese in the fridge and an array of sauces that never gets used, that would make quesadillas and spicy sauce. Grate the cheese on the wraps, cover with another wrap, cut in quarters, toast in the sandwich maker, cut in smaller triangles and mix mayonnaise and hot sauce as a dip. If you have an avocado, mash it with mayonnaise and have cheeky guacamole.

You can do quesadillas with baked beans as well!! Kids love them.

A pasta dish is another easy choice. Pasta goes with pretty much anything that is leftover: roast chicken and spinach, broccoli and canned tuna, pumpkin and cheese, canned pumpkin soup does the trick and makes excellent mac ‘n cheese.

Creating a mood for yourself will lead to discovering new talents and a fun night. Heels always make a woman feel good and your man will “reward” your effort ;)

Cooking with leftovers is a fun and inexpensive way to entertain the family as well. Make it a dress-up night and let the kids explore food.