Making Dinner (SOL17 #7)

When I first started dating my husband he was living at home with his parents after recently graduating from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. One of the perks of him living at home was having a home cooked meal each night from his mother. She is an amazing cook, and he was growing quite accustomed to having these meals each night. When we would talk about him moving out and us finding a place of our own the whole idea of  having home cooked meals would come up. I would always tell him, "I'm not a cook. I stink at cooking. You better not get used to the home cooked meal each night because it definitely won't come from me..." 

That statement and my promise to not cook was short lived. We couldn't afford to eat out all the time, so I began to step up and learn how to make some simple recipes. I didn't become a cook overnight, but as I tried out new recipes, I became more confident. To this day the Food Network and cooking shows are on very regularly in our home and I learn more than I care to admit from watching shows like Chopped, Master Chef, and Worst Cooks in America. My husband may not like being forced to watch those shows, but he sure is enjoying the benefits of his wife learning how to cook. By simply trying out some new recipes and techniques I have found that I actually enjoy cooking and almost look forward to making dinner each night.  

So as I was making dinner this evening I thought about how much my thoughts about cooking changed and how making dinner now longer feels like a chore, but more of a way to show my husband and family how much I care about them.

On the menu tonight:

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli