How to Fight Boredom and Hunger

"The only thing worse than a wife who can cook and doesn't is a wife who can't cook and does."
-Richard Stucky

At a playgroup the other day while the kids were busy beating each other up and the mom's were all too busy chatting to notice we got on the subject of dreams. I thought it was interesting that several of us had similar types of nightmares.
I always have this dream that I'm a college student and midway through the semester I realize that for some unknown reason I haven't attended my math class for weeks and I have to take the midterm without any preparation. I also have one over and over that it is the first day of school and I cannot get my schedule. I run all over campus trying to find a computer so I can figure out where my next class is, only to find that for some reason none of them are working.
I usually don't tell anyone about these kinds of dreams because I think they are incredibly nerdy. But, to my surprise, it turned out that my friends are having the same dreams. Then I took it to another level and did a bunch of research, that is to say, I Googled it, which basically makes me an expert. Apparently school dreams are in the top 10 most common dreams.
The popular interpretation has something to do with maturity...that is to say that as a person gets more mature they look back on their old student days and feel that they could have done better and their dream is a reflection of those frustrations...blah, blah, blah.
I stopped reading because I think that idea is lame-o.
I know that I'm having these dreams because I've had a whole life of school-related stress and now that I'm not a student my brain senses there is a hole. The student part of my personality is bored and waving to her husband as he heads to school every morning (that is I would wave if I wasn't still in bed trying to find a computer to print my schedule.)
Of course, my interpretation is correct so in order to combat this I've taken it upon myself to studying new things at home. One of these is to learn how to cook. I've been working on it for a couple of years now and I'm getting to the point where once in awhile, things turn out.

A few things that I have learned along the way are:
1- The best results don't always come from the most complicated recipes.

This pumpkin roll is as fantastic as it is easy.


2- If you are going to learn how to cook make sure you have a frugal husband like mine that will eat all the leftovers whether they taste good or not. (Not only that, he also changes diapers, and he looks good wearing P.J. pants on his head. I'm pretty sure I hit the jackpot.)

3- Some things that look beautiful don't taste that good and a lot of things that look ugly taste really, really good.

4- Don't try a new recipe for a potluck. If it is a success, you probably won't really even get to try it, and if it is a failure you'll be embarrassed to take it all back home for your husband to take for lunch for the next two weeks. Note: No picture was taken of any potluck dishes because as earlier noted, I'm pot-un-lucky and I don't need any permanent visual reminders.

5- Kicking your ancient student-housing oven doesn't make it bake more consistently, and neither does calling maintenance to fix it. Calling the oven names doesn't change the temperature but it does make you feel better, especially when your kid joins in.

The stuffed acorn squash was perfect if you think it is cool to have half of them overcooked and the other half raw. How does that even happen?


6- Even though it takes three days...I'm not kidding....to make Martha Stewart's Lemon Berry Trifle, it is worth every second.





7- When in doubt, throw in some pasta.


8. Jamie Oliver is not only "The Naked Chef" but his books are an amazing resource for a DIY learn to cook at home without any sort of professional guidance. His advice is helping me get over my fear of meats. Don't look vegetarians.

9- Probably if the recipe says something about using a quality roasting pan you should get one instead of thinking that your cheap-re-gift will work because it is a lovely shade of green.

10- A bundt pan can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

This was my grandma's poppyseed bread recipe. It tasted great anyway.
When we were first married I insisted that even though our first kitchen didn't even have room for dishes that we had to buy a bundt pan. Brandon thought it was ridiculous so I've spent the last few years trying to convince him that it is worth the space it takes up. Not since the 60s has their been such an enthusiastic bundt-er. Actually, because you know that I always research I will let you know that Wikipedia says that there have been 50 million sold and it is still the most-sold pan in the United States. Even though the bundt and I have gone through some tough times together, I still consider it my favorite pan...don't tell the spring-form.


Special Props to my two favorite hungry mouths. Rocky tried everything at least once and Daisy, despite her shortage of teeth, showed a great willingness to experiment.