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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

This Wife Can Cook

With Erik gone in Charlotte, I've been left to my own devices. I'm totally capable of cleaning, paying bills, feeding cats, and maintaining hygiene. But at the beginning of the month I was nervous for my own health that I'd end up polishing off a box of corn dogs or buried under salt and vinegar chips. As it turns out, I'm not half bad at cooking. I never gave myself a chance to cook because Erik always made a large meal or two at the beginning of the week. Not only that, but I grew up on mid-western semi-poor people food and I'm not above eating vegetables from a can or making mashed potatoes from a box. Erik on the other hand, doesn't really like having that stuff around. Well Erik ain't here now.

I'm no "king of the kitchen" but I can certainly hold my own enough to keep me fed and satisfied. Erik comes home Sunday and I'm curious to see how the chef reacts to another cook in his kitchen. I won't be taking over or anything but there will be a few new rules around here.

1. Vegetables-fresh or canned- will be served with every meal.

2. More chicken, less ground beef.

This shouldn't be too much of a change so I think the chef will be able to deal.

Food is Love,
Hilary

4 comments:

DCW Jes said...

don't forget to eat red meat though!! your pregnant body needs the iron...i have anemia when i was pregnant and steak is my favorite meal! (i know..weird)

ctina said...

I was raised on Ohio "mid-western semi-poor people" food too. And so were all my friends.... now that I've had a taste of the real stuff-- I'm so perplexed as to why we were all raised on this food.

My theory is that the diet was a holdover from WW II and also the 1950s - meant to last in bomb shelters. Look at it, that is some scary food! Velveeta, Chef Boyardee Pizza-in-a-Box, Parmesan Cheese in a green box, Ragu sauce, Instant Potatoes? I think I was raised in Preservative City.

I didn't taste fresh pineapple until I was 15!

What kills me is that these foods aren't that much cheaper than fresh foods. Lots of times they are more expensive. A box of instant potatoes is super expensive, and, frankly, I think instant potatoes are harder to make than real ones!

My family in Ohio still eats these things and there is no convincing them otherwise. But me, I think I will raise my kids on real food that DOESN'T last 2 years. Cook more. And for veggies -- I'll go for frozen instead of cans.

Or, maybe I'll just marry a chef. :)

Unknown said...

Good for you! I love to cook. I do it myself on weeknights while he's at work. When we cook together, though, I have to remind him -- frequently -- that I'm not one of his cooks and not to boss me around.

Fresh Local and Best said...

My name is Christine, I live in Manhattan but I am originally from San Francisco. I can totally relate to your period of eating out of the box and bag. I think it will be good for Erik to try something different.