Cooking Confession

It's true that as you begin the blogging adventure, everything becomes the subject for a blog. I've even begun thinking in blogging titles. I need to start writing these ideas down, because I know myself. I will forget them.

Today I just have to address the subject of cooking. Just recently I have been able to be honest with myself and with others. I have begun admitting that I really don't like to cook. In fact, it's one of my most unfavorite things to do. I used to pretend that I liked to cook--or at least not mention cooking at all--but after almost 15 years of marriage, my hubby has figured me out. I don't think I'm a terrible cook if I set my mind to it, but I'm not, what I would call, a good cook. Mainly, I think this is because of my lack of creativity. I just can't think of anything different. Tacos, spaghetti, hamburgers, hot dogs. See, even now I'm drawing a blank just trying to think of the things that we eat all the time. That list doesn't even cover the 5 weekdays! And what makes it even worse is when we decide to follow an eating plan where we have to count points or food groups. Then I'm really at a loss, because not only do I have to figure out what to cook, I also have to figure out how it counts.

Since coming to terms with my dislike for cooking, I have been trying to get to the root of the problem. What is it that I really don't like? I don't think it's the preparation part of it. After all, I love to bake! O.K., so is it the finished product? Maybe it's just that I like what I get out of baking better than what I get out of cooking. Could be. Is it the grocery shopping? Very likely! It seems that when I prepare to bake, I have almost everything I need. Baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour, sugar. I might need to pick up chocolate chips or buttermilk, but for the most part, I have everything I need. Cooking, on the other hand, seems much more complicated. There always seems to be a spice or a vegetable or something that I wouldn't normally have. It makes the grocery trip quite a bit more expensive--and more complicated. I have to locate all the ingredients that I'll need--and then go back several aisles if I miss them.

How did Hubby figure me out? He started realizing that whenever I told him, "We're having chicken for supper, but I haven't started it yet," it really meant, "I don't wanna cook!" Being a very smart man, he also took that as his cue to say, "Why don't we just go out and get something."

I do go in waves. Some weeks, I cook every night and am as creative as I possibly can be. But the next week, I am spent. This week has been one of those weeks. If you are as keen as my friend Stickers, you noticed that I have mentioned several fast food places we've visitied in the past few days. I loved her comment so much on my last entry, that I read it to Hubby. We both had a good laugh, then, very seriously he said, "I was thinking that we outta hit Papa Murphy's tonight." Thank you, Stickers, for an easy lead-in to eating out again!