Tuesday, April 3, 2018

C is for Cooking

My son has been cooking,
but I haven't been taking pictures.
This is the only one i could find.
As most of you know, cooking is not my thing. I consider it a chore not the creative or relaxing activity that many find. The problem is that eating usually goes much better if cooking is involved. Meals are often more healthful and cheaper when they are cooked at home. Therein lies the problem. Neither my husband or I like to cook and when we don't, our meals become more expensive and usually not as healthy. I have struggled with this for years. (My husband, on the other hand has no problem eating out all of the time.)

But then the most wonderful thing happened. My son moved back home and part of his rent was to cook dinner every night. And we are certainly getting our monies worth. He figures out our schedules and cooks our meals to coincide with when we will be coming home. He makes balanced meals and we are eating more vegetables than we ever have as he adds them to dishes (shredded carrots here and chopped spinach there) as well as having them star on their own. We didn't ask him to cook on weekends, but he does. And if he goes away, he plans ahead and cooks enough to last us while we were gone. I used to think it was funny when I heard people cook for their family when they were going away. I thought that the family ought to be able to handle a few meals for themselves. Well, they probably could, just like my husband and I can, but we sure appreciate it when he does that. He, also, studies recipes and checks the ads. Sometimes he does the shopping and sometimes I do, but he always has a list.
At this point in his life,
all my son wanted to do
was read books and climb trees,
 not cook.

Sometimes I am his sous chef or sometimes I stir something when goes back to work (he has a workshop in our basement), but he is always has a plan he is executing. He occasionally asks me for advice on cooking techniques, but student has outpaced the master. With access to the Food Network, YouTube, and wide array of cookbooks, he knows things that I never learned. He talks the layering flavors and about spices I've never used. And the list goes on.

Last January, my husband joined Weight Watchers. This is the first time anyone in our household has been on this program and it's all new to us. However, my son, mastered the points and allowances quickly. He has expanded his meal to include WW point values. For example, he asks my husband how many points he plans to eat for breakfast and lunch, so he knows how many points he has to work with for dinner. And the list goes on.

Not for one single second do we take my son's cooking for granted. We know this is the best thing that has happened to us in a long time and it won't last forever. He will move on. But for now, the quality of our life has greatly improved and we are very, very thankful.





12 comments:

  1. Since I love cooking I understand your son's passion for it! I can your arrangement a win/win/win. He gets to set up shop there, you get good food and he gets to hone his cooking skills with willing guinea pigs!

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    1. It is a definitely a win/win/win situation and all parties are happy.

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  2. Lucky you! Lucky your son! I started cooking more when I joined Weight Watchers. It hit me in a way that nothing else ever had that if I prepared my meals, I had more control over the nutritional value--I know that sounds basic, but for me it was a light bulb moment. I still use an older points system than what is currently used, but I appreciate your son's efforts to plan out Ward's points per meal. That's a little tricky to do at first--later it becomes second nature--so kudos to your son for taking the time and effort to do that. I grew to enjoy the challenge of finding healthy, tasty recipes that were within my points plan (although sometimes I appreciate a break from food prep!).

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    1. The new point system works well for my husband with so many free foods especially lean meats. My son has been doing well following the WW plan, but after a couple of months, it's time to explore some different recipes. At least I think so.

      But he is a typical cook in that he doesn't follow a recipe so much and most of his cooking is creative. He also has the challenge of pleasing our various tastes. I don't like spicy hot foods, but his father does and his father doesn't like onions or green peppers but I do. My son does a pretty good job of moderating all of those ingredients and making sure that they are all used sometimes so everyone gets a chance to get what they like the best. He is definitely expanding my palate this way.

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  3. I love cooking... but only when I get to really cook, instead of just preparing food. I'm not sure I can really describe the difference, but for me, what makes it fun is being able to experiment and try new things. When I just have to follow a recipe or make something that I've made a million times (like, ahem, for a certain CatMan who values predictability over all else where food is concerned) well... at that point it turns into drudgery.

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    1. I think one of my hangups is that I don't let myself truly experiment and be creative when cooking. I worry about wasting food and the cost of the ingredients and that tends to stifle the fun parts of it. Maybe I'm just too uptight to enjoy cooking.

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  4. Wow, you have a winner living under your roof, a very useful renter, who happens to be related. Can he come live here for awhile? C is for Congratulations on scoring big with a cook in the basement.

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    1. I know I have a winner living here. He is also polite, quiet, and helpful. Too bad, it's my job as a parent to help him move on.

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  5. Sounds like you have a very good arrangement with your son! Maybe he can prepare you some freezer meals when the time comes for him to move on!

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    1. He has an additional job now, so he is cooking extra to put in the freezer for the days he doesn't have time to cook. He's not moving anytime soon, but when the time comes that's a good idea. :)

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  6. Oh my Gosh! Where can I get one of those sons? Not only a (healthy) cook but so reliable and responsible. Sons in my world are such unending 'works-in-progress'. So jealous!

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    1. I think we're all a work in progress including this son. However, this part he is doing well with.

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What do you think?