Cooking 101

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have never been a big fan of cooking.  I am not necessarily a bad cook, I have just never found it enjoyable.  I'm sure it doesn't help that I have also never had much confidence in myself when it comes to trying new recipes or being creative.  In recent months I have been really trying to find more joy and satisfaction from cooking.  And I must say that my overall attitude about it is changing.  I have been trying new recipes and even straying away from the recipes occasionally.  The most joy comes from knowing that I have provided my family with a nice, homemade meal.

All that being said, I still have one major complaint about cooking - the "prep time" that most recipes give you.  I don't think there has ever been a time when I was able to get a meal all put together in the amount of time it is supposed to take.  Even putting aside the fact that I often have crying, whining, or clinging children "helping" in the kitchen, it usually takes me at least twice as long as it's supposed to for the dinner to be actually in the oven (stove, slow cooker).  I think the only way I could ever get a meal prepped in the suggested amount of time was if I had my own personal sous chef who did all the chopping of vegetables and browning of meat! 

I also wouldn't complain about a bus boy to clean up the dishes and mess once I was finished cooking...

; )