not so mmmmm good

I wish I was a better cook. 

I know why I'm not a good baker, and I accept that.

I'm too lazy to measure correctly and I like to improvise.

Those two things do not guarantee wonderful baking results,

yet I do it anyway.

I can't help it.

I mean really, who does this every time?

I'm more of a grab and pinch, or scoop and shake kind of girl.

(Once, when I caught a pan of brownies on fire (yes, flames!) my Dad walked in the door to see a smoking pan our charred batter outside.  I joked and said, "I guess I'm no Betty Crocker."  He looked at me, with the one eyebrow raised and said, "More like Betty Crock of s***."  I still laugh at that when my baking attempts flop!)

But cooking is a different story.

You can taste and adjust along the way.

There is no reason to serve bad, or even not-bad-just-bland, cooked meals, right?

I always preferred the idea of cooking over baking because there are no surprises at the end.  You can taste and entree during cooking and before you dish it all out.  There is no going back once you cut a cake in front of everyone and they all eat at once!  Ahhhh, the anxiety!

Yes, I know I have control issues.

So, why on earth can't I cook the way I want??

You know- like the pioneer woman, my friend Marcy, or my mother in law?

I can turn out a few dishes that wow people...... sometimes.

Mostly, it is a hit and miss, and I can never get every dish on the table hot at the same time!

I'm resorting to a lot of one pot meals because of this....

I have heard that it is all practice.

Hmmmm, I have been married and the main cook for over 11 years now.

Maybe I have a slow learning curve.

Before you write how great my meals have looked when I have posted in the past.... just remember, you didn't taste it!  There was a 1/3 chance it was good, a 1/3 chance it was just eh, and a 1/3 chance it was bad, we suffered through it, and I tossed before my sweet hubby put it in the fridge for leftovers.  That man will eat anything and be happy.

I'm not expecting perfection, just a better ratio, like 80% good, and 10% eh, and 10% flops. 

I think I'm mostly bummed because I'm not consistent.  I make a pretty banging meatloaf and it was just bland last night.  I forgot the onions and something else was missing too.  

Maybe I should writing things down.  I want to start getting some tried and true meals documented for my kids when they grow up anyway. 

 My Grammy did that for me years ago and it still means so much (even more now that I'm so far away.)

Apparently all my homesickness is connected with food.  

I learned that living in Baltimore.  

This saves me.

 After my Mom died, I took 1/3 of her recipes and taped them in my cookbook.  I taped the other 2/3 into a recipe book for my brother and sister.  I hand copied all of the recipes in each book so we all had a copy, and each of us had some of her original recipes.

 Back to becoming a better cook....

I seem to be forgetting God in all of this.

We always pray before we eat, but I'm going to start praying before I cook!

Here goes to a new year of recipe following, and prayer covered cooking!