Learning to cook again...

Truth be told, I've not done a great deal of cooking since mom died. I know it's been over four years and I have cooked in that timeframe. I just don't feel it can be said that I've done it on a real consistent basis and it seems it's just a few things that I do cook. In that time I've made countless pots of chili--cause it's quick and easy and I'll have something for a few days (another dilemma in my cooking....I'll be eating the same thing for days). There's also numerous hamburger helper dinners. The rotation (and I use that term loosely) includes sausage and fried potatoes on occasion and an occasional roast or perhaps hambuger steaks. There are even times I've resorted to just frying some bacon and fixing some toast (that seems to be a recent thing as I have gone months without eating bacon). And heaven only knows the number of times I've resorted to just eating out-usually fast food though that goes in cycles too...numerous pizzas, countless chicken strip dinners from Hartz and more burgers than I can comprehend--and that's just what I can get locally.

But tonight I had a friend/coworker join me for dinner. We were talking yesterday and I commented about a roast I had gotten that I needed to cook this week--most likely today. So she told me good, she'd be over for dinner. I think initially she was joking but I took her seriously and even called to confirm. So last night I got myself in gear and cleaned off my dining table and even picked up a bit. At lunch I ran by the grocery store because I was out of a few things I would need and after work I came home and finished up the meal. We sat down around six thirty-ish to beef roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, pickled beets and hot rolls. And maybe it was me, or the fact I haven't had that particular meal in a while but it all seemed to taste better with someone else there. And since she stays in town after work on Wednesday nights waiting for her neices she says I can cook for her more. So maybe I'll start remembering how to cook.

...and Willy somewhat behaved himself....