For those who aren't already aware, Justin is officially the chef in our family, and I thank my lucky stars for that. As he says, he is the cook because I am the baker. It is no secret that I LOVE to bake, and I do it quite regularly. I have had a sweet tooth for as long as I can recall. I'm not sure if my mom ate lots of sugar while she was pregnant with me or what, but I can eat candy and pastries until I'm blue in the face. In fact, usually within a few minutes after a regular meal my body is already craving something sweet as a finishing touch. And baking is a wonderful way for me to satisfy those sweet cravings.
However, I entered 2009 being 22 weeks pregnant and I suddenly realized that I am not only just months away from becoming a mom, but a mom who can't cook! How terrifying is that? Now, don't get me wrong, I know my little boy will love the fact that I enjoy baking him goodies all the time - and I pray he inherits a fast metabolism so he can fully enjoy my baking. But something about my child seeing his father as the chef of the family did not sit right with the traditional gender roles I was brought up with. Not to mention the fact that I'm planning on taking three months of maternity leave and have no doubt that Justin will come home from work during those three months fully expecting a nice meal for dinner. And so, the 2009 New Year's Resolution was born: I will cook at least one meal per week this year.
I know what you're thinking, one meal a week isn't quite rocket science. But we all know that New Year's resolutions, if too extreme, only fall by the wayside by mid-February anyway. Plus, with only two of us in the house one meal actually provides leftovers for lunches and possibly another dinner.
My first meal of 2009: Jambalaya. I kinda cheated since this is a rice mix from a box that you just add sausage to, but hey, it was a meal just the same. And it tasted delicious!
My second meal of 2009: Beef Stroganoff. This one I actually made from scratch, and from our beef that is still taking up our entire basement freezer. I used my sister in law's recipe and it was excellent!
My third meal of 2009: Who knows?! I leave for Anchorage tomorrow to see my sisters and Mom, so cooking is the LAST thing on my mind right now. Any meal ideas? Anyone?
