5/21/08

Unexpected side effect: development of new interests

I think it is safe to say that my newfound dabbling in cooking has become a full-blown obsession. It is so typical for me to become obsessed about something, but never, never, never did I expect to enjoy cooking! I am blown away.

In trying to understand this vast departure from normalcy (cooking dinner every night), I've come up with these reasons for the latest obsession:
  1. It feels so good to get one's mouth back (no yucky feeling) and feel like eating, that everything sounds good to me, and also, everything seems worth the effort of cooking.
  2. The kids have finally reached a stage where they might actually like something new - between the 3 of them there is usually one of them who will like it, so it is more rewarding/less disappointing. Nothing is worse than spending time cooking and then needing to make another meal to fill up your children's bellies (because although I know people say to make the kids eat what you eat, if we did that, stuck to our guns and made no alternatives, it was only me suffering in the middle of the night when they woke up and were hungry. I'd take uninterrupted sleep any day over winning a food war.)
  3. I've been so grateful over the meals that people have brought over to us...and also so confused as to what I would make if I had the opportunity to make a meal for someone else. I'm learning how to be kind and gracious from all the people who have been that way for me, and I want to be ready to help someone else if need be! I'm compiling recipes!
  4. I've been making family dinners a big priority, especially since Emma is at school all day and I miss her, (and soon Katie will be gone too! I might make us eat dinner like the French do...we'll be there all night!) but it seems much more of an event if you have put more effort into the dinner. With the effort put in, it doesn't seem appropriate to sit down, wolf down our meal and then run back outside!
  5. Still compensating for the lack of hair?
  6. It's easier to make these meals now that I finally have an older youngest child. Nathan plays by himself so well and I actually have that time to put together the meal.
OK, I guess it makes sense. It's not all cancer-related...it is probably just the culmination of lots of things coming together - kids old enough, lots of exposure to good food, lots of gratefulness, lots of trying to embrace the moment and really do things I have meant to do for a while. But still, it has been fun, and it is fun to surprise oneself, too!

So, who wants to come over for dinner?

No comments: