Cooking is one of the few pleasures in life that costs little, and what little it does cost is what you’d be spending anyway – you need to cook so you can eat, and you need to buy things so you can cook. And while you’re at it, you may as well make it interesting! Besides, there’s nothing more relaxing than creating something from scratch that tastes good and sustains you. You can create culinary masterpieces from items you’ve bought from a store (and who doesn’t love shopping, even if it is for groceries?) or things you’ve grown in your own garden. But the best thing is that you can show off the end product, and if it’s any good, you can reap the rewards (in the form of copious amounts of praise from your adoring family). Imagine having a ‘dish’ that you’re well known for cooking. Even if it’s only from a recipe book, using a cook book is still a great way to find a ‘dish’ that you will be required to bring to every family function or event. You’ve all heard it: “Oh, they make this ‘dish’ and it tastes great! They can bring their dish!” Now you’ll have one yourself!
You may even find yourself looking forward to preparing the food you’ll be using in your meals or snacks. You can spend some time in your garden picking fresh fruit and vegetables, or herbs, to use (the vegie patch is another thing entirely – watering, weeding and watching your garden grow is relaxing in itself). And measuring the flour will take on new importance when you try scones for the first time. You’ll race home, or put aside your book, and head to the kitchen with your newest recipe, and set the table for dinner in between stirring the pasta sauce or cutting the apples for the pie. Dinner will become a family affair again, and the kids (or partner!) might even help in the preparation, cooking and (hopefully) the cleaning.
Cooking is more than just making a meal. It can lead to bigger and better things, and even a family spending more time together. And you get to try new foods – that can’t be a bad thing, can it?