Cooking: the best and worst thing ever

I LOVE FOOD. 

"The way to my heart is through my stomach" should be written on my grave stone because food is not only essential to life, but one's true happiness. I am by no means a world class chef nor would I defeat Bobby Flay on one of his many cooking shows but I find that I enjoy chopping veggies on my wonderful large cutting board (found at Ikea for only 10 dollars I might add), trying out new and adventurous recipes, and just having my home filled with the aromas of meats, herbs, sauces, soups, just makes me smile. NOT TO MENTION knowing that I have created a delightfully wonderful meal to share with my husband is all the more rewarding.

I was fortunate enough to have a mother that didn't believe in canned vegetables and that every meal should consist of at least one starch, meat, and vegetable. She will also make enough food to feed a small country when she's only invited 5 people over and will talk nervously about how she probably doesn't have enough. It's actually quite adorable but makes me mad because I just want her to enjoy her hard work paying off as everyone sits and delights in the deliciousness but instead she thinks about making another cake to go with her homemade Creme Bru Le (and it's to DIE for. PS Mom if you're reading this I love you, and you'd win Top Chef). I also have a father who considers himself to be an "Italian stallion" of the kitchen and, in my mind, he is hands DOWN the king of sandwiches. I don't care about Food Networks supposed Sandwich King (ironically enough his name is also Jeff) because he's got nothing on my dad. It always seems that the things I make are never as good as "mom" or "dads" homemade meals. I could follow their recipes to a T and still not be completely satisfied with the outcome. I guess that's just the magic parental touch of love they bring to the stove top.

So what's the best and worst thing about cooking? Well I have found by far the perfect picture to capture the pros and cons of trying to become Julia Childe: 

Well of course the positive outcome of cooking is the end result and hopefully without any burns, rawness, lack of flavor, and just lack of delight. On the food of course. On your person, that I can't promise won't happen. Why even tonight, while making my homemade meatballs in homemade tomato sauce, I somehow ran into a wall. No I'm not speaking in metaphors of a block in the road of creativity, I literally bashed my head into the wall. While harnessing the spirit of Giada De Laurentis, I was cleaning off the counter, heading for the garbage when a spoon fell off the counter startling me and hence the sudden bash into the wall as I turned to look at what was happening to my glorious home-made meal. Luckily that wasn't as bad as the many burns, scrapes, scars, fogged glasses, and missing ingredients you could have sworn were in your cabinet only to discover gnomes had taken for their home. No, if hitting my head was the only terrible part of the food making process this evening, then I must deem tonights dinner a great success and chocolate chip cookies were certainly devoured to celebrate. 

I try to cook the way my mother does. Less canned more fresh, from scratch, just to show the love and time put in to make sure you're bellies appreciate the hard work. All in all I will admit, it will always taste better too. I made a delicious homemade pork tenderloin where you cut slits every 1/2 inch or so, take an apple and place the slices in between the cuts, drizzle with cinnamon, honey, and a chopped onion as well as extra apples slices around the tenderloin, in the crockpot on low for 4 hours. I put a little apple cider at the bottom of the crockpot and BOY was it DELICIOUS. SO EASY TOO. I wasn't feeling so hot that day so to be able to just throw such easy ingredients into the pot and relax is by far the best thing that any amateur cook could ask for. Even an experienced cook! I doubt Ina Garten cooks for Jeffery like that every single day. Okay, she probably does cause that's her only job and she's living it up in the Hampton's where life is a dream. For me however I work Monday through Friday sometimes all day so to be able to do about 5 minutes of prep and then let a kitchen appliance do the rest of the work, call me Emeril Lagasse. POW! Is that what he says? Maybe it's boom. Whatever. POINT IS ain't nobody got time for spending hours upon hours in the kitchen unless it's thanksgiving so keep it simple (stupid). Do what makes you smile and enjoy the eating part more than the prepping part. At least that's what keeps me coming back to the kitchen. That and I inherited my parents natural talent for cooking so, good pick Kyle. I'm such a keeper.