::Lately I have been so embroiled in different writing and web projects that fixing dinner has become less than a priority. My husband will look hopefully toward me day after day, sometimes asking me: “What’s for dinner?” or simply stating: “I’m hungry.” Most days I tell him to find succor in the cupboards or in the freezer; I’m too busy to be bothered. Of course he gets a tad annoyed with me, but I remind him (none too gently) that he knew about my writing before we married, and I never promised to be the “little woman” at his beck and call in the first place.

 

This afternoon I decided to shut off the computer and be magnanimous – I prepared hamburger steaks with mushroom gravy (using canned cream of mushroom soup); mixed vegetables in garlic butter (green beans, cauliflower, carrots and broccoli), and a side of potatoes (skins on), sliced in half; halved again, and then quartered with salt and a wisp of butter. The meal might not win any awards but it was flavorful and filling, and the look of sheer delight on my husband’s face was almost worth the time I set aside for the task. He was so happy he offered to do all of the clean-up, so in turn I was delighted and properly thankful.

 

Since I operate a cooking/recipe web site it goes without saying that I prepare food and plan menus; it’s just that I prefer to be in the kitchen creating something new or experimenting with an old favorite rather than churning out non-descript meals just for the sake of it. The drudge of every day cooking loses its luster when compared to writing or web work, especially when I know there is another able-bodied adult in the house who can throw together a meal just as easily as I can.