My husband works out of town a lot, especially during the warmer months. Frequently, he leaves for weeks at a time, sometimes coming home on the weekend, sometimes not. When we first got married and he was a student, he did almost all the cooking at home. He's a phenomenal cook, able to whip up almost anything, including typical dishes from any country. How intimidating is that for someone like me who, for many years, specialized in Kraft Dinner and sandwiches? My non-existent cooking skills were not really an issue...until we had kids! I just couldn't feed my kids the crap I was eating. So, when Rob was home, he did the cooking and everyone was happy and healthy. But then he started going on more and more trips, for longer and longer periods, and I had to get my act together in the kitchen!
Needless to say, being in charge of all meals for several days or more was extremely challenging and stressful for me! The way I reduced my stress and gained control of the situation was by planning, planning, planning. I remember making menu plans for 14 days on large white pieces of paper I had taped to the walls in our apartment in Montreal! I had also added my obligations, activities, notes, projects...etc, to these wall posters, making them look like graffiti. Often, the items on the menu were "sushi from the grocery store", "smoked salmon, bagels and cream cheese with capers", "a roasted chicken" from the store. I certainly was no Martha Stewart! Anyway, this method allowed me to cope.
At the time I thought this was the only way. Today I realize that although there is some merit in planning menus in an obsessive-compulsive kind of way (such as minimizing trips to the grocery store or sticking to a specific diet), it just feels HEAVY. Having to follow those "instructions" like a to-do list was no fun at all! And what about following the body's natural cravings on a certain day? Our body doesn't just crave random foods, it guides us towards the nutrients we actually need (however, this rule doesn't apply to cravings for chips and chocolate...)
When Rob leaves, I now leave the menus behind. I just play it by ear, go with the flow, and that feels much lighter. It leaves space for creativity and inspiration in the kitchen, and I like that! I must say I've improved tremendously dans la cuisine, too. It took some time to get there, but now I make almost everything from scratch, including milling the raw almonds to make flour! It's all about feeling confident that I CAN make some culinary magic happen and even have some fun doing it. Thinking of my family and the nutrition I am able to provide them really motivates me. Cooking doesn't, and shouldn't have to be complicated. If we make mistakes, oh well, there's always cereal as a back-up plan!
Warmly,
Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com
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