I’m
not sure if I want to cook.
Well,
that’s a lie right there. I enjoy cooking. What I don’t like all
that much is cleaning up after cooking and eating, with all of
the cutting boards and bowls and pans and plates.
And,
to be fair, it isn’t even the cleaning up that gets to me. It’s
cleaning up when I know there are other things that need my attention.
Right now, I have clothes outside on the line, salt blocks to
move to the water softener, and I really should get gas in the
car. I feel like the dishes can wait. But then you let them wait
through one meal, and by tomorrow, suddenly what had become a
quickly managed issue expands into a project.
There’s
something to be said for grabbing a couple of sandwiches to go
in these moments.
But
here we are, breakfast complete, the day ahead of us, and a few
possibilities for dinner are being kicked around. If I’m going
to head out for some corn on the cob and buttermilk—we’re thinking
of frying some chicken, we’ll be ready for you about 3, don’t
forget to bring your famous potato salad and a pie for dessert,
we’ve got the beer—I probably should make the trip a bit more
productive and sort out anything I might need over the next few
days.
And
that is where the wave of issues with not being sure if I want
to cook are beating against the rocks.
Terry
and I are a bit stuck in our menu choices lately. I have zero
clue why. When we don’t think about things, it feels like we move
from day to day through a delightful, never ending, creative batch
of meals that never repeats. When we force ourselves to be thoughtful
and efficient, we end up with tomato sauce and a side of frozen
corn in every meal. (Yes, I know, it’s an example designed for
effect and not an actual menu combination.)
As
I get ready to go out for the corn on the cob at the local produce
stand, along with a stop at the market for some buttermilk, it
just makes sense to iron out what items I might need for the next
few days. Like everyone, we’re trying to limit our expeditions
into town. Trying to have specifics in mind so stores can be quickly
navigated instead of aimless wandering.
These
days, we just can’t make up our minds. We’re trying to avoid leftovers,
making attempts at switching things up to not be repetitive, and
doing what we can to try some new things. In the end, I more or
less begin trying to wrap up the conversation by focusing on suggestions
that are simpler to make and create fewer dishes to wash by hand.
Mom
called me the other day. She had been making some of the runs
to the grocery store in recent weeks, and was talking about their
dinner menu. While she was nailing a few things we hadn’t… asparagus,
so simple, delicious, and easy to forget… she also said yesterday
was waffles and ice cream for dinner. Their house doesn’t seem
to be much different than ours—dinner for two, no waiting, avoid
the pots and pans—with exception that Terry and I for some reason
seem to be out of ice cream. (Note to self: asparagus and ice
cream for the shopping list.)
Things
ok with you? Are you finding yourself cooking more at home? And
if so, are you yearning to break out of some doldrums and into
a new offering or two?
Yeah.
I figured that would be the case.
I’ve
been doing some research around here. Trying to crack the code
on a decent pretzel recipe that is easy to make and allows for
something like either a pretzel bread type of roll or perhaps
I could use it to wrap a hot dog for a different type of casual
meal. I’ve got a few options we’ll going to narrow down and possibly
try.
If
you happen to come up with some suggestions involving chicken,
let me know. Even better would be if it’s a chicken recipe that
pairs well with a balsamic glazed roasted asparagus. (Or better
still, waffles and ice cream.)