The...Umm...Joy of Cooking -- Jennie

It's December 1, which means that one month from today, resolutions will be made from coast to coast.

I'm making mine early--right now, in fact, before the holidays, when I'll be slaving away, I mean enjoying myself, in the kitchen.

I cook a lot. I mean, a lot.

Take today, for instance; the menu included:

spinach eggs on English muffins

peanut butter toast

Bear Mush with cream

slices of cheese
mandarin oranges

baked potatoes

applesauce from scratch

grilled cheese and tomato soup

yogurt with granola

bean nachos

tofu dogs

carrot slices

hot chocolate

oysters and crackers

leftover ham slices

Seriously!

And this was just for the kids. Husband was on shift, sharing some crock-pot surprise with the guys. If he were here, there would be a whole lot more meat (or "me-with-a-'t'" as my little vegetarians say; they have no idea that they're spelling "met").

Me, I like bakery stuff. Which means that frequently, in addition to the standard herbivore and omnivore fare, I'm whipping up banana bread or coffee cake. Mmmm...

And ouch.

I'm telling you, my feet are killing me!

However, based on the evidence I've collected over the past eleven years, the kids aren't going to eat less in the future. In fact, they are most likely going to eat more. It's a demand-thing.

Have them make their own food, you suggest? What that ultimately results in is a huge mess, not to mention my special-diet baby gorging himself on Capri Suns and, per earlier blog, the deadly Doritos.

For now, I have to cook.

And I have to deal.

The key to doing this is to find the joy. (Wasn't there a cookbook titled this?)

Regularly, I check out "Top Chef," not for cooking tips--no way; way too involved--but to steal the chefs' love of food preparation. These nuts gaga over the perfect grape. I want to be like that, instead of flinging pancake batter into the greasy pan.

I resolve, before New Year's Day, to open myself to kitchen magic, beginning tonight. Pasta salad and Pillsbury rolls.