Okay, so if you really know me...it is obvious, I am NOT a cook. I am not very good at it and I don't particularly care for it.
I think my lack of enthusiasm began when the kids went off school and extracurricular activities began to run our lives. There was no longer time to "slice and dice" or "create a cream sauce". Meals became rushed and the "shove it in the oven" menu emerged.
Chicken nuggets, french fries, fish sticks, canned corn, and casseroles were our household staples...And my secret to quickly getting "meals to table"..... crank up the oven to 450.
This really did speed things up.
So much.... that I didn't even have to set a timer. And trust me, I could really make those 15-20 minutes of bake time count by throwing in a load of laundry, helping with homework or laying things out for our next harried day.
And when the smoke alarm went off, my family knew.... supper was ready.
We did actually sit down to eat our meals as a family and even managed some meaningful conversations...
I'm glad to say that we finally realized we needed to slow our pace, but my "quick" cooking habits remained. I think I convinced myself I couldn't cook anyway (that happens if the smoke alarm sounds to signify your meal is done).
Now, at 43...I have discovered I have gluten-intolerance (Celiac). That means no wheat, no store-bought bread, and for sure no chicken nuggets or fish sticks. So, I find myself in the kitchen...reading labels, trying new recipes, learning to cook. We'll see how it goes.
2 comments:
Wow - just last month Mike picked up a book about gluten-free living, and I've been perusing it!
Quite a few years ago, Mike went off of nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, etc.) for his arthritis' sake and it was a big adjustment - there's potato starch in all kinds of things, etc. But it made a big difference for him.
You had me laughing with that 450 temp and smoke alarm part! I'm so happy to have a new blog to follow - at night we're all worn out and sit in our chairs with our laptops and do nothing that requires any effort - reading blogs is perfect! And I know there are lots out there, but the ones that I enjoy most are those of people I know personally. Keep it up!
Oh my goodness - bigtime Jan Karon fan, I am! I have my nose in one of her books at all times. They're my escapism. I've read them over and over and do you have the cookbook? LOVE IT. Every recipe I've tried is excellent, and it's so neat to have the excerpts from the books mingled in.
Post a Comment