Overwhelmed By Food

In the lives of everyday people we all have certain accomplishments. They might be personal or on a professional level. As a teddy bear artist, I have had those things like everyone else. While I haven't found a cure of cancer or walked on the moon, I was proud of my little accomplishments and when I shared them with family and friends they were proud of me too.

In the past few months I have started cooking fancy things. Well...fancy to us because they involve more than one pan or the microwave. We were in a rut, and since I was forced to take over the cooking I decided to find new and interesting things to eat.

Naturally through the course of conversation I have mentioned what I was making to my Mom and a few of my friends. The amazing thing is that they are giving me accolades over this as if I had just scaled Mount Everest.

It's kind of puzzling to be honest. Maybe for most women learning to cook is some sort of rite of passage, but for me it's always been something that I am just not interested in doing. The other accomplishments I have had meant much more to me than this.

With this new need to get out of the rut I have been scouring through magazines for new recipes. I was doing just that a couple days ago when I felt suddenly overwhelmed. The magazine I was perusing talked about a new kind of fat listed on food labels. Apparently it wasn't enough that we have trans fat, saturated fat, and a whole host of other things...now we have another one. It was inter...something. I forget.

In another article it talked about the health benefits of certain foods. Red grapes slow down wrinkles, asparagus is good for the liver, and the list went on and on. This thing that was once thought really healthy isn't now, and that thing that wasn't healthy is now. At least until they change their minds again.

I was suddenly overwhelmed by it all. I finally closed the magazine and tossed it on the coffee table. How can anyone be expected to keep track of it all?

They say stress makes us fat because of the cortisol. But keeping track of the healthy foods and what to eat and not to eat, not to mention how to cook it all causes stress in me. I feel like I am doomed no matter what I do!

Divorced Over Dinner

I am absolutely convinced that the most commonly asked question for people who co-habitate is "What do you want for dinner?" I am equally convinced that when you are married, no matter what a peach your spouse is and how much you love them...there are just going to be days when you want to throttle them.

If you have been reading my posts lately, then you know that I have really stepped it up on the cooking this week. I made the Beef Wellington, I made this awesome wide Swedish pasta with hot spicy sauce and hot Italian sausage. I made marinated lemon chicken with tabouli stuffed tomatoes. I made brisket with black beans and strawberries and even baked biscuits to go with it. Not bad for a girl who hates cooking and prefers microwave or take out.

Yesterday I was already exhausted and sick and I told R he had to pick out dinner today. This afternoon I was halfway through my many errands, and at the grocery store. I was already so tired, having trouble breathing and my feet hurt. I still had to make two more stops. I called R and asked him what he wanted for dinner. The man had the temerity to say...."I dunno what do you want? Just pick something, walk around and see what looks good." I think he realized just how grievous an error that was when he was met with very long silence on the phone. I am sure he had no idea what I was doing...in truth my Irish temper that I usually keep in check, was suddenly unleashed with a vengeance. I was standing in the deli mentally saying words that would make a sailor blush and using every ounce of willpower I had to not scream into the phone "if you don't pick something I am going to divorce you!!!"

I am almost certain there isn't a judge in the world that would deny me the divorce either. "Um yes your honor, the grounds are he refused to tell me what he wanted for dinner." GRANTED!

Ok I am kidding, I wouldn't divorce him...but I swear I get terribly sick of the dinner battle. I get even more sick of the pat response "I don't know, what do you want?" I think this is the standard answer for 98% of husbands in the world for any question their wife asks them concerning food, outings and furniture purchases. I think they actually believe that somehow makes our lives easier. Well husbands...if you're reading this...it doesn't...just pick something for once, before we beat you senseless!

Monday Love: Making The Effort

I do not like to cook. When R and I got married we agreed he would do the cooking. He is very good at it. In the past few years however he has to drive so much for work, and is gone from home about 13-15 hours a day so now I do the cooking.

I still don't like it, and I am not very good at it. It really stresses me out, especially if I have to use more than one pot or pan for each thing...or have to get several things all done at the same time. I can do simple things like spaghetti, baked chicken, salads, soups, etc. I make an awesome roast, but that's thanks to the slow cooker and french onion soup mix. However, every once in a blue moon I get a Donna Reed inspiration, and feel like attempting something fancy.

I like to do it so he knows I care and want to make that extra effort for him. Of course there are usually a few hysterical fits to be heard from the kitchen, but whatever I make usually turns out ok.

In truth I would probably make more fancy things, but R is picky about what he eats. He doesn't care for broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, artichokes, seafood, capers, or anything foreign other than Mexican and Italian. All of those things I listed are things I love. So it presents a challenge.

The August issue of Victoria Magazine was their annual British issue. They had a recipe for Beef Wellington, and R loves both beef and breads...so I thought there it is...the perfect thing! Now I have to tell you, working with puff pastry terrifies me more than the thought of swimming with sharks.

I also had to make a beurre rouge sauce to go with it, which separates if you heat it too much, and horror of horrors, it has to be served immediately! Then of course on top of all that, I had to make a side dish which also had to be done at the same time. I was going to make Yorkshire Pudding to go with it, but we decided that would be a bit much and just settled for peas.

By some small miracle it all got done at the same time. When I served it, I waited nervously for him to take a bite and see what his reaction was. He liked it! It turned out great, and it looked nice too. Of course I have never had Beef Wellington before, so I don't really have a basis for comparison, but I think it was good.

As I was washing the mountain of pots and pans required to make it, I realized that maybe what made it taste so good was the love and effort I put into it by searching for something he would like and going outside my comfort zone to make it. I just hope he tasted that too.

Tonight though, we are having grilled lemon chicken and tablouli stuffed tomatoes, whether he likes it or not! *grins*

Hugs, K <3

Some Day's It Pays To Loiter

I had a terrible outbreak of hives this morning. So I took an allergy pill, went back to bed and slept really late. They make me sleepy. I woke up a little before 3, and crawled out of bed all blurry eyed and groggy. I couldn't conceive of going anywhere, but R is out of town which meant I had to forage for food.

Normally I order Chinese when he isn't home, because he doesn't like it, I love it, and I don't like to cook. I wasn't really in the mood for it today though. That meant I had to force myself to get out of the house.

I am not a huge fan of fast food, but I like Wendy's salads. However, I recently discovered that we had a Taco John's here. I loved Taco John's as a kid. At one point they closed them all down. Since I hadn't ever been to it, I looked it up on the map and set out. I thought after I would go to Barnes & Noble and see if they had the new Somerset Holiday's & Celebrations magazine in. It was supposed to be out yesterday.

I set out, and about 3 miles from home it started to rain. As it turned out Taco John's was nearly 9 miles away. I know that isn't far, but I had to drive in an area of town I don't usually go to, and am not familiar with. The streets are really eccentric over there and it was interesting getting there. When I finally saw it I still had a hard time actually getting to the parking lot entrance. By the time I pulled into the drive through, the sky had opened up and was dumping rain by the bucket full. The inside of my car and I got absolutely soaked despite the awning. Sadly it wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be either.

From there I went on to Barnes & Noble. In an uncharacteristic moment of forgetfulness I couldn't remember the name, nor the author of the book I wanted to pick up. I also wanted to check out a particular cookbook I had heard reviewed. I thought I might have a Donna Reed moment and whip up something spectacular. The cookbook didn't have anything R and I would both eat. We have very different tastes. He is a meat and potato's guy, and I like seafood and veggies.

I headed over to the magazine section and didn't see the magazine I wanted. I know it's only the 2nd, and sometimes they take up to a week to make their way to Colorado after being released, but for some reason I couldn't process that it wasn't there. I wandered around the store and went back to check to make sure I hadn't missed it.

I still didn't see it, but I did find Martha Stewart's Halloween issue. Nobody does Halloween like Martha! So I grabbed that and a couple other magazines. My brain was still rejecting the idea that the one I wanted wasn't there. I am not sure why. I stood there staring so long, that I noticed a guy sitting in a chair covertly watching me. He was probably wondering if there was something wrong with me.

I wandered off around the store again. I just couldn't quite bring myself to leave. After another round through the store I made a third visit to the magazine section. Low and behold...someone had brought out a cart of magazines. On the bottom shelf I saw the edge of one sticking out, it was a deep coral color, and I just KNEW that had to be it. I don't even know why I knew that one was the one. I had no idea what the cover looked like. I looked around for an employee because I am never sure if you are supposed to take things off the cart or not. I couldn't find one and finally reached down and grabbed it. Eureka! It was the one I wanted. By this time the guy in the chair was openly staring at me.

While I guess wasn't actually loitering per se', it does pay to be patient sometimes because the late sleeping bird gets the worm too! I am going to go look at my magazines now!

Hugs, K <3