Less the Stress: Day 7 – Cooking
Okay, so this is going to be one of those tips we’ll all have to agree to disagree on: cooking as a de-stresser. I’m not a cook. (Also, not a crook!) I like to bake some desserts (as I’ve written about my legendary Susie Cake), but cooking has just never been my thing. Whenever Jeremy comes over in the middle of an ambitious attempt at dinner, the first words out of my mouth are always “I have no idea what I’m doing!” It’s good that I date someone who enjoys cooking. If I could cook once a month or something I’d be happy and feel accomplished. After being a vegetarian for a few years and just never being someone who loved meat it’s not something I cook at home, which limits the creative options. I’ve tried a few things, and they’ve mostly worked, but cooking with meat still weirds me out.
I’m sure many people find cooking to be therapeutic. A few weeks ago I was talking to someone who described cooking a big chili as a very relaxing event. I get that. In theory. One of my best friends, Katie, loves to cook and bake and makes amazing things. And she doesn’t do recipes. I think that confidence in lack of directions combined with a love of cooking makes it relaxing for people. I always try to follow directions, get frustrated, work too quickly and throw things in half-ready. I’m patient in other ways? And I will forever seek out other people to feed me. And takeout.
It’s the part of being the one who HAS to make dinner and come up with stuff my kids will eat that stresses me out. Everyday it’s like “I have to do this AGAIN?!”
Oh yeah I can only imagine (my mom eventually got to a place with me where she said, ‘if you don’t like it, make something yourself!’ haha). I’m so lazy about cooking much of anything on my own.