I hate admitting this but---Cooking has always been a dreaded thing for me. Neither of my parents liked to cook. Growing up we usually had the same few meals over and over again to get us through the weekdays. We had a pizza night on fridays where they'd order pizza instead of making it. We'd eat out on Saturday nights too---and on Sunday's it was off to grandma's for dinner. Since I never was exposed to a lot of new things as a kid...I became a very fussy eater. As an adult I've tried a ton of new things---but as yummy as they look I just can't get past the taste of them.
When I moved to my first apartment with my ex I tried learning a few new recipies. He didn't like anything new that I tried---so we fell into the same bad habits my parents taught me. I started doubting my abilities as a cook & I became nervous about the whole thing. It brought me a weird type of anxiety. The following year we rented a condo type house & had a my good friend as a roommate. He was an amazing cook & loved doing it. I took the super lazy way out--and while my ex & I did other various things--our roommate did 80% of the cooking!
Fast Forward to a year later. Rob & I are living with my dad to try and help my brother & him out. Rob likes to cook & we started trying simple things together. Pasta dishes, Ribs, Steaks---ect. It was nice...but basic. The next year we bought our house---and with deployments, the wedding and pregnancy---we were always busy, exhausted, and just plain lazy. We went out to eat a lot. (Way to much) and we started buying a lot of pre-done meals. We did cook here & there but not anywhere near what we should have.
That brings me to now. We're on a VERY tight budget so pizza nights & going out are a thing of the past. I'm forced to cook & the more I do it---the more confident I'm getting. I like cooking. I'm good at cooking. I can honestly say that now. I feel like most of the things I make are not only better for us---but they taste better than anything I could order out. I won't lie though---the NICU life does pose a big challenge. I usually have a very limited amount of time--so I still cook fairly simple dishes for the most part but I do try and make a few amazing ones every week. I honestly can't wait till Kasons home & I have the day to prep things inbetween caring for him. :) I'm really excited about this new adventure I'm on & my new love for it.
It's pretty silly to have a "cooking anxiety" and I can see that now. I wish I never had those experiences with my ex & that my mom had given me more confidence in this area at a young age. I can only hope that I'll set a much better example for my children! :)
I'm glad you're getting over your cooking anxiety slowly but surely! It's wonderful that you want to raise your children with a different attitude towards cooking and food. Simple dishes are totally okay too. Do you have a crockpot? That might be great right now while you and Rob are so busy! : ) You can come home from the NICU and dinner will be ready!
ReplyDeleteI used to despise cooking too, and while I still don't know everything I think just trying gives confidence! I'm glad you're enjoying cooking more and are learning new recipes!
ReplyDeleteI second Jamie's comment about the crockpot. There are SO many things you can make in it (even dessert) and it's ready when you are!
I'm glad you're feeling more confident with cooking! I think the more you do it, the better you get. I love to cook, but I don't really get a lot of time to do it while I work. Or, when I'm alone. I hate cooking for one. In some ways, it reminds me that I should be sad. If I don't cook, I don't get sad? Weird.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I will also say that I love my crockpot! I think that could help you out when Kason comes home, too. Some of my recipes say to start out with certain ingredients and then later on add more? So those recipes I can't really make while I'm at work. It would be perfect to throw stuff in during the day, though.