Do Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth?

My mother is an amazing cook. She's especially incredible with candies and desserts which is probably why I've never bothered much with those items. She does them to perfection and she shares.

I like to cook, especially when it's my idea. I like to try new things but like most of us, I rely on certain stand-by menus that I've made for years. I've also adapted many recipes over the years to make them easier. For instance, I refuse to boil a whole chicken, skin and debone it, etc. when I can poach a couple of chicken breasts and voila! .. on with the recipe.

Since living with my oldies recently, I have tried to help out. My mother works long and odd hours. She's picking up her nightly tapes around the time I used to start trying to figure out what to make for dinner. My offers of help are well received but it is also very clear that I do not do things her way. (It's a funny look on her face that gives me vivid flashbacks of my childhood.)

I also like really exotic things like mushrooms, which is repeatedly pointed out to me that I did not grow up eating. I steam vegetables and eat them crisp. Well, I used to. I do not like Miracle Whip. Ever. In Anything. Ever. I'm used to different spices that she swears I could not possibly like. If I use oil, it's usually olive oil. I don't think I've ever used that congealed Crisco in a can. (Of course, I'll eat whatever is cooked in it.)

As I said before, she is an amazing cook so no one in this house will ever be hungry. I'm still trying to help out but I'm paying attention to how it should be done.

We seem to have it down. She's happy to have help in the kitchen and I like to do it. In our case, two cooks in the kitchen make a tasty broth ... or whatever we decide to whip up.

Process of Elimination

I was trying to be nice last night. I was out of town for most of last week and the husband sometimes gets an attitude. Secretly, he likes it when I'm gone but he has to pretend to be irritated. It's part of our marriage dance.

The first thing I did was to cook dinner. And, I tried a new recipe that sounded like something he would like -- kind of a jambalaya sauce over pasta. If I do say so myself, it was yummy. (Rachel Ray says it can be made in 30 minutes. She's a big liar.)

My second nice thing was to listen to golf stories. I did not make the gagging noise. I did not roll my eyes. I slipped up once and said, "Did you forget this is a HOBBY? Unless you've joined the Senior Tour and forgot to tell me about it, get over yourself." He let that pass.

My third nice thing was to let him play his iPod and have control of the remote. (You cannot imagine how difficult this is for me.) At one point he extended his hand -- the universal symbol for "May I have this dance?"

As we danced, I commented, "You don't even like me." He said, "I know. But, you're the only one here."

My Love for George Foreman

I'm obsessed with George Foreman -- the grill, not the man. Although I'm mighty impressed with him for bringing it to me. In my little pea brain, I don't understand how people live without it. (Sort of how I feel about my iPod.)

Now that we have lost the oldies and the children have grown, I'm mainly concerned with cooking for two people. I'm quite capable with the grill but why would I want to deal with the cover, light it, stand over it in a sweat and run back and forth to the kitchen?

Especially in the summer, our idea of dinner is some piece of grilled meat, veges and a salad. Two of these three are accomplished quickly, thanks to my George Foreman.

I use it for other things. We make little egg sandwiches when the baby's here. Sometimes I make a grilled sandwich for lunch.

But my favorite part is this. If you make the salad ahead of time, you can have dinner on the table in 4 to 7 minutes.

A Cooking Fool

I try to go all out during the holidays and other special occasions. Sometimes the baby will come home from college and ask for a favorite meal -- usually chicken pot pie. The daughter has a favorite meal (pork tenderloin and fettuccine Alfredo) and the husband has perfected it.

Other times, I'm a simple eater. Since we lost the oldies, the husband and I are quite content with a piece of meat or fish and some veges. We often have hor
d'oerves and skip dinner.

But, my goldies are coming. We want to nosh. Jan had a couple of requests. I made them. Deb swears she'll never get out of her stretchy pants. I made some other appetizers too and now I've become a cooking fool. I have ingredients for two more and I will make them today. It's pure joy to cook for people who request things and relish them.

Chicken Tortilla Soup is the easiest (and one of the tastiest) soups. If you give me a recipe, I usually amend it. I make it easier. So, I will share this easy recipe, courtesy of Big Sal, with hopes that you will enjoy it.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Your choice: Buy a rotisserie chicken and pluck the meat off. Or, use two packages of southwestern chicken strips. Cut into chunks.
2 cans or most of one box of chicken stock.
1 cup water.
Salsa Verdi (green) -- I use most or all of one jar.
1 tbsp Cumin
2 cans of Cannelloni beans (white kidney beans,) drained and rinsed.
1 can of corn, drained.

Put everything in a pot or dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for a bit. Put in the frig and reheat the next day.

Serve with the following sides: minced green onions, sour cream, crumbled tortilla chips, shredded cheese.

Kids love this soup. I think they like making their own combination.

So, you dump everything in a pot and then YUM! I must go cook now.

Cooking for One

The Belle cooked three meals a day, plus snacks. I was in awe -- who does this? It's one thing when you have young children and you're responsible for their nutrition but it's quite different when they grow up.

My parents used to joke that it's hard to cook for two people so they decided to eat for four. In reality, they go out a lot, as we do.

The husband has many evening commitments: band practice, band gigs, client dinners, committee meetings, golf events, etc. On more than one occasion I've cooked something and then learned he had a prior engagement. I got tired of throwing food out so I've scaled back my cooking considerably.

Cooking for one is not high on my priority list. I used to make some of my favorite things that the husband hates. These days, I'm more likely to open some soup or make a grilled cheese. When my mom gives me a cheese ball, that can be my dinner. (Cheese and bread/crackers are two of my favorite foods.)

The other night the husband came home from a meeting. I assumed he had eaten. The next thing I know, he's frying up an egg. I could smell the butter in the next room. For a nanosecond, I thought, "The oldies are back."

What are you doing?

I like it when people explain tbings to me like I'm a toddler. It's simplified and I don't feel guilty asking questions.

The oldies are well-educated people but life has thrown a few curves. The mother-in-law is in the hospital (she's fine, just recovering.) The husband has that pesky job of RUNNING A COMPANY. Meanwhile, he's dealing with doctors, VA people, visiting his mother, questioning legal things, investigating options and of course, ordering me around.

I am of the house. That means that I try very hard to meet the needs of the household. I fail every day but I keep plugging away,

There is always food around here but I have never cooked three meals a day. Before the oldies came to live with us, I was doing good if I cooked three meals a week. I was spawned from farm women (not my mother) but I have no interest in this. No thank you very much.

This morning I tried to have a serious conversation with Hangdog. Not about his wife or anything medical ... I simply said, "I need a few hours alone to get some things done." He nodded and I built a fire for him to sit by and enjoy. He had been fed and watered. I called the hospital so he could talk to his wife. All daily medications have been dispersed. Wooooo --hoooo! A moment for me!

Thirty minutes later he came in my office and asked, "What are you doing?"

Have I Eaten Today?

I am not a foodie; I have other vices.

This topic freaks people out so I apologize.

This is the time of year that I cook a lot. And, I truly enjoy it. Then I realize that I'm cooking -- not eating. The other night I was elbow deep in food prep for Christmas Eve. The husband announced, "We haven't eaten since lunch yesterday." (He's not a foodie either.) So, although I was surrounded by food, I ordered a pizza.

I used to blame this on the oldies because their obsession with food kills any appetite I may have. But, it's unfair to them. They're not the only people who destroy my appetite. I avoid buffets like flies avoid swatters. People load up like they're storing calories for hibernation. My friend Jan and I have learned to find the table in the corner of the restaurant so we don't have to watch other people eat. It's a quirk that works for both of us.

My mother tells the story of me coming home from school or dance practice and I would sit with some lettuce and a salt shaker. Love it! The other night, I went to bed and then realized I was hungry. I got up and had a grapefruit.

Overwhelming food choices make me -- well, overwhelmed. Right now I have lots of leftovers so I'm grazing. But yes, I am eating.

My Personal Chef and Courier Service

It started innocently enough. My mother said to me, "If I have time, I'll make an apple pie to send over."

Apparently the apple does fall far from the tree. I often say (even if it's just to myself,) "If I have time, I'll ..."

Read one of my fun books
Take the dog to the park
Update my iPod
Sit on the patio
Catch up on correspondence
Watch some of the shows I've recorded

It has NEVER crossed my mind to add, "Bake a pie" to this list.

But, I am grateful it crosses hers. We all love pie and if capable, I knew the Unabomber would turn cartwheels at the suggestion of a homemade apple pie. (Just that vision in my mind makes me giggle.)

Later, she called and said, "I have an extra meatloaf if you want it. All you have to do is bake it." Well, duh! Bring it on.

I added a couple of side dishes and Abracadabra .... dinner!

These items were delivered to me by my favorite courier -- my father. He might be semi-retired but my mother and I keep him hopping by running back and forth between our homes with various deliveries. I think he enjoys it because it gives us time for a visit. He fills me in on their lives. This is never new information; I've heard the news during one of the twelve conversations I've had with my mother on any particular day but I like getting his perspective.

Lest you think I am completely and totally spoiled, the courier truck does carry things both ways. I've even sent food to their house although not nearly enough. Usually, it's books or magazines.

Okay, I admit it. I am totally spoiled. I'm hoping that my mother continues to think, "If I have time, I'll cook a double recipe of .... and send some to Sheri." Then I get food and I get to see my favorite courier.

The Water Is Running

Cooking seems to be a thing of my past, except for the holidays. Oh, I round up the occasional meal but planning, shopping and stewing about it seems futile when the husband would prefer to go out and the oldies eat on a completely different schedule. Every once in a while, we hit some of our favorite carry-out places. I always try to include the oldies. Tonight we're going for BBQ.

So, I took the menu into the dungeon and asked if they would like to partake. Weird sound... what is it? I'm looking around ... are they listening to one of those CDs with water sounds?

No. Someone forgot to turn the faucet off in the bathroom. It's been running for hours.

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

When the husband and I were dating, he made it very clear to me that he was not interested in a meatloaf and mashed potato life. He loves thinking of himself as Peter Pan and it's a pretty good analogy.

So, I went into this marriage, this life, with full warning.

At first, I tried to be more of a traditional wife. (There were young children involved.) But lots of evenings, I ended up throwing food out or trying to save it for another day because he had last minute plans for us. Or, he just wanted to go out.

I sneak in my traditions. I certainly do my fair share of cooking but I have finally learned to relish the fact that it is not expected. We're both ok with grabbing something from the pantry, making a quick salad, etc. Sometimes we just forget about dinner. Neither one of us is going to starve to death by missing a meal.

Enter the oldies. (One year, ten months ago.) They just don't get us. They don't get it that we REFUSE to discuss what's on the menu for dinner 24 hours before hand. We don't know. We don't care.

There's a little battle going on right now. Big Daddy was out of town last week and then we were both gone for the weekend. Now everyone is home but they're making it a point to avoid him. When I asked them this evening what their plans were, she said, "I guess we'll go find something to eat." This is from a woman who has stocked my pantry and refrigerator to the limits. The husband and I were sitting on the patio when they returned. He went in to invite them to join us. No thank you very much. The bedroom is calling. (My words -- not theirs.)

I enjoy cooking and I certainly don't mind sharing a family meal with them. But I get a little perplexed when they're all guilt-tripping and/or avoiding each other. Mainly, I just try to stay out of the way.

Eventually I will jump in and try to make peace. I'll make meat loaf and mashed potatoes.