Kitchen Rediscovered - The Joy of Cooking

Maybe it was because I finally started watching The Great British Bake Off.  

Maybe the general miasma of 2020 pushed me to find some joy in a hidden corner.    

Maybe it is that I want to spoil youngest stepson a little when he is home from college - where he has somehow lost weight rather than even flirting with the stereotypical "Freshman 15".

Maybe it's that oldest stepson, who's notoriously picky childhood eating habits reduced me to tears more than once, will now try about anything I put in front of him and and is openly appreciative of fresh baked goods.  

I'm sure it's some combination of things, but regardless of the reason, my kitchen joy is making a comeback!  

Sure in the last 10 years of being married with stepchildren I have done a TON of cooking.  But cooking to sustain life and avert all out wars at the dinner table can become a demoralizing chore in a hurry. 

For years we had the kids with us 4 days on/4 days off.  The 4 days on were nothing short of kitchen tedium with what felt like a 6 meal rotation: burgers and fries, tacos, grilled chicken with mashed potato, pasta, shepherds pie, roasted chicken with baked potato.  Boring? Yes.  Variety or nutritional value? Abysmal.  But in those days there were too many battles to pick them all, and I was not in the position to lay down the kind of dinnertime boundaries I grew up with, for example "If you don't like it, you can make yourself a peanut butter sandwich" or being OK with a child going to bed hungry once or twice rather than allow that child to manipulate all things dinner related...  

During the off days we ate better, but even that fell into a rut, albeit at a healthier one with at least a meal rotation that hit double digits.  

Though I can't pinpoint one thing that sparked the change I recognized this weekend, a few landmark occasions do stand out.  

In August 2016, both kids were treated by their uncle to the supremely swanky and coveted chef's table meal at Victoria & Albert's in Walt Disney World.  Thanks to that special influence that uncles can often wield when parents cannot, both kids agreed to at least try everything - including "caviar and this really stinky cheese." 

In November 2016 Adam and I traveled with youngest child to Iceland and enjoyed a tasting menu of Icelandic classics featuring things like fried squid, smoked whale, fish in a cream sauce, grilled reindeer and duck confit.  The kid made good on his promise to try everything again, and we all were surprised at what landed on his plate for seconds.  

Neither occasion spurred immediate sweeping changes at home, but I chose to believe that seeds were planted. Buffets at all-inclusive Caribbean resorts and more meals at Disney World likely helped the seeds quietly take root.  I'm just now starting to realize that the seeds are finally blossoming. 

In recent weeks we've enjoyed fresh poke bowls, a gorgeous sheet pan meatloaf, sheet pan fajitas, venison stew, chicken and dumplings, teriyaki noodle bowls, cider roasted pork with roasted root vegetables, an end of summer feast with jerk chicken, coconut rice, and pineapple corn bread, steak tips with bacon Brussels sprouts, caramelized pork over rice, beef and snap peas in brown sauce, Pho, turkey chili, jambalaya, chicken Parmesan, crock pot pot roast, scratch mac & cheese, deconstructed sushi, tuna nicoise salad and a variety of tasty seasonal baked goods.  

I think there has been such a gradual change that I didn't even notice it happening - until this weekend.  I made spaghetti and meatballs from scratch, a batch of cookies, muffins, and apple cinnamon tea cake, sheet pan fajita chicken with Spanish rice, and steak tips with bacon Brussels sprouts.  Which is all to say that I spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen this weekend.  But this weekend I consciously recognized that I was actually enjoying my time and even looking forward to starting the next thing! 

That joyful epiphany happened Sunday morning.  There were only two muffins left in the tray and Adam hesitated to eat one because oldest son has been going to town on them as his go-to snack.  At some time in the not too distant past I would have sighed and said, "just eat it, he'll find something else to eat."  Not that day.  Instead I hopped up off the couch with pep in my step saying, "ooh eat one, then I can make another batch so he has fresh ones for the week!"  My effort was being appreciated by more than just Adam!  I wanted to be in the kitchen.  I was happy about the idea and 30 minutes later the gorgeous fresh bake had my house smelling like nutmeg and vanilla.  

Hello Kitchen, I'm back.  The boys have finally let me come home.