Contrary to Popular Belief, I Was Not Put On This Earth To Make Dinner
Hear me clearly: I am not a chef, a cook, or a baker. I don’t even pretend to want to be one.
So how is it I have the distinct honor of having to make dinner every night?
I don’t know about you, ladies, but I’ve had just about enough. If I had a white flag, you would see me raising it high above the hills of Ellicott City and waving it vigorously. I surrender.
Chefs like Giada DeLaurentiis, Anne Burrell, Ina Garten, and Rachael Ray have a job, and that’s to make cooking look fun, easy, and glamorous. What you don’t see behind the scenes are all the “little people” who make the cooking shows hum. Consider all the folks who shop for the ingredients and pre-cut everything (Wouldn’t cooking be so much more fun if you had a little elf who would magically slice and dice all your veggies, fruits, and other add-ons? Where’s Dobby the House Elf when you need him?); those who adjust the lighting (I can attest to the way lighting works; I was just recently photographed in my home office for a feature story that’s being written about my novel for a local magazine, and getting the lighting just right is uber important); and those who film the show, using the magic camera to get those close ups of the ingredients just right, making sure the colors on the screen reflect the vibrancy of the foods being prepared. And the list goes on.
Moreover, I’ve come right out and said that I hate grocery shopping. The tediousness of the task runs even deeper; not only do we have to PREPARE and COOK the FOOD EVERY NIGHT, but we also have to COME UP WITH THE BLOODY IDEAS FOR DINNER AS WELL.
When you marry and have children, commitment notes on your daily tasks should be presented with a “forever” stamp on them. If they were, the notes would begin with:
YOU WILL FOREVER HAVE TO BE CREATIVE WITH DINNER MENUS AND BE WILLING TO MAKE DINNER FOR EVERYONE EVERY NIGHT. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.
Had this promissory note been presented to me at the time of said aforementioned commitments, I’m not sure how I would have proceeded.
I just know I’m tired of coming up with ideas. And I’m even more tired of making meals come to fruition.
Help me. Help me see the beauty in it.
What do you do about this task?
There’s got to be a better way.
3 Comments
Stacey
aaawww…..since you hate it that much, chances are that won’t change. You can make it easier on yourself though. Try looking at allrecipes.com. There you can put in, say chicken, and it will pull up recipes and reviews. Oh, and you do elves; your kids! Let them help you. Make it a family experience, not just a Stephanie responsibility. Try it. You might even have fun! Oh, the horror!
Sue Ellen
Give your beloved a couple night a week that he is in charge of dinner. He might end up liking it. You could also try one of those services that allows you to buy a week or months worth of mostly-prepared meals to stick in the freezer and use every day.
This whole issue plagues me as well but my husband is pretty understanding. Usually, I call him at work and say, “Give me an idea for dinner. I got nothin. ” and he will come up with something. Unfortunately, since I am at home with the kids, I feel the responsibility falls on me most of the time but you are a working Mom and should share the task with the working Dad who lives under the same roof. My thoughts…
AnAngel´sHeart
i m not a mother nor someones partner, i am a sister who has to take care about her sister and i do through all those tedious house chores and cooking, shopping, thinking, imagining blah blah every day … and all i hear everyday is what i do is not good, what i cook or bake is not good but i keep going. and i hope i will have enough willingness and strength to do the same for my future girlfriend and maybe our kids one day… if i dont lose patience and let it all go to hell xD
anyway, what keeps me going when it comes to the kitchen is that I love food, i love to eat, and i so agree with everyone who says that cooking is art, preparing food is art 😀 And it is also a way for me to relax as well.. even if something burns or alike, i am still calm and satisfied and i dont care even if the person who eats it like it or not. for me its only important how it tastes for me 😀
So ; i can only guess how is it to be a mom and a wife… but enjoy your cooking adventured whenever you can 😀
It s like shopping for paint, easel and painting a picture afterword^^ so relaxing, colorful, full of imagination… a fairy tale world of your own 😀
<3