Life Is Short. Make the Foam Ridiculously High.

A playful reminder that not everything we do needs a practical reason

Stepping into a kitchen filled with shiny gadgets can feel like stepping into a culinary wonderland. From sleek blenders to multi-purpose choppers, each tool promises to make cooking a bit more exciting and a lot more efficient. But it’s not just about the convenience—investing in kitchen gadgets can infuse your cooking routine with a sense of playfulness and creativity that extends far beyond the kitchen.

And playfulness matters.

Somewhere along the way, many of us start believing that everything we do needs to have a purpose. We cook because everyone needs dinner. We organize because the kitchen needs cleaning. We buy what we need, use what works, and move on to the next thing.

But there’s something to be said for doing something simply because it makes the experience more fun.

Not everything that improves our lives has to be practical. Sometimes delight is reason enough.

There’s a certain joy of discovering a new gadget, like a spiralizer that turns vegetables into fun, curly shapes or a milk frother that adds a touch of elegance to your morning coffee. These tools aren’t just about functionality; they’re about transforming your cooking experience into something delightful. When you approach your kitchen with this playful mindset, cooking becomes less of a chore and more of an adventure!

Think about the spiralizer for a moment.

A zucchini is still a zucchini. Nothing about the ingredient itself has changed. But suddenly it’s curly and interesting and you might find yourself wanting to do something completely different with it.

Sometimes changing the way we experience something familiar is enough to make it feel new again.

That’s one of the things I love about Cooking Therapy. The kitchen gives us opportunities to experiment in very small, very safe ways. Try the gadget. Change the shape. Make the foam ridiculously high on your coffee. Put something on the plate simply because it looks pretty.

And if it doesn’t work?

You learned something.

Play gives us permission to experiment without requiring every experiment to become a success.

This playfulness isn’t limited to the kitchen. It’s a mindset that can translate into other areas of your life. When you bring curiosity and a sense of fun to what you do, you find new ways to approach challenges, solve problems, and connect with others. Just as a new gadget can inspire creativity in your cooking, a playful approach can inspire innovation and joy in your daily activities.

And maybe there’s another little lesson hiding in that drawer full of gadgets.

We tend to become very comfortable with the tools we already know how to use.

The same knife.

The same pan.

The same way of doing something because we’ve done it that way a hundred times before.

There’s nothing wrong with familiar. Familiar can be wonderful.

But every once in a while, something new asks us to become a beginner again.

You have to figure it out.

You might use it incorrectly the first time.

You might laugh at yourself.

You might discover you’re surprisingly good at it.

Curiosity doesn’t require expertise. It only asks us to be willing to try.

That’s a useful thing to remember both inside and outside the kitchen.

And then there’s the gadget you buy with enormous enthusiasm, use twice, and discover six months later hiding in the back of a cabinet.

I think we all have one of those.

Maybe yours is a bread maker. An avocado slicer. A miniature waffle iron you were absolutely convinced was going to change Sunday mornings forever.

That doesn’t mean buying it was a mistake.

Sometimes trying something and deciding this isn’t for me is just as valuable as discovering something you love.

We don’t have to turn every curiosity into a commitment.

Investing in kitchen gadgets is a reminder to embrace the joy of discovery and the thrill of trying something new. It’s about making the ordinary extraordinary and finding fun in the everyday. So, whether you’re experimenting with a new kitchen tool or exploring a new hobby, let the spirit of playfulness guide you.

The next time you’re in the kitchen, take a look around.

Is there something you’ve been meaning to try?

Something tucked into a drawer you’ve forgotten about?

Something that would make you laugh, experiment, or simply make dinner feel a little less routine?

Take it out.

Play with your food.

Make something curly that used to be straight.

Froth something that doesn’t necessarily need frothing.

And remember that you don’t need a particularly important reason to do any of it.

Sometimes adding a little fun to an ordinary day is reason enough.

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Cooking Therapy pioneer Debra Borden, LCSW, is the author of four books, including Cooking As Therapy - How to Improve Mental Health Through Cooking. Learn more here about her writing journey, how she became known as The Sous Therapist, and the stories that shape her work.