What's cookin'?

“I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.” ~ Julia Child

When I was, hmm, I think about twelve or thirteen (Mom?), I decided that I myself, would make delicious ginger snap cookies for a family camping trip. I was going to make the most magical ginger snaps you'd ever tasted. They would dance on everyone's tongues and go perfectly with milk. And everyone would think I was amazing.

Do you sense a blip in the story coming?

So I mix all the ingredients together, and shape cookies on the sheet, and put them in the oven to bake. The timer went off, I opened the oven, and there...was...ginger sludge.

I was mortified. All the perfectly shaped cookies had melded together and become one big goo puddle. Quite traumatic for my little twelve (or thirteen?) year old self. I cried and my mother probably secretly laughed. From then on, I refused to cook. I was too afraid.

And then...............marriage came along. I guess I figured wives only cooked in the 50s....ridiculous and cliche, right? Well, my husband actually cooks and it pretty good at it. However, since I am the one home waaaaaay before he is most nights, the duty has fallen upon me.

I started with easy stuff. Hamburger Helper. Frozen lasagna. Salads with grilled chicken on top. Then I began to bore with all that, and finally decided to take the plunge. I looked up online recipes. I asked my mother cooking questions. I had her teach me how to make meatballs.

And lookie! A full working stove, bubbling and cooking all my little masterpieces. Alright, so it was just spaghetti. BUT I made my own meatballs, plus I always add stuff to the Ragu- this particular time, white wine, oregano, and garlic. Plus angel hair pasta and garlic bread. AND and, I actually enjoy cooking now. No, its not impossible to make spaghetti. But I feel so accomplished cooking for my husband (and little boy). I feel like I'm fulfilling a wifely duty. And that makes me proud.

Maybe, someday, I'll warm up to the idea of trying gingersnaps again.

Maybe.