It's been quite a while since I've spent much time in my kitchen. p6280114

More than any other part of my recovery from surgery, that has been difficult for me.  I haven't cooked a dinner for my family in two weeks now.  And I love to cook.  The cookie jar is empty, and I can't bake new ones to fill it up.

But I can't complain.  My mom was here for five days, ready to cook comfort food for my family.  Even she wasn't too busy, because friends and neighbors kept our refrigerator full of casseroles and sandwich makings for the better part of ten days.

Before the surgery, I made a special cookbook for my family.  I have two teenage children who are quite capable of cooking, but I was worried that they wouldn't know where to find things or how to make sure the whole meal was hot at the same time.  (I know some adults who haven't yet mastered that trick!)  So to keep everyone from falling into the expensive takeout trap day after day, I wrote up some recipes with special notes attached, like:

Put the chicken in the oven for 45 minutes.  Set the timer.  When you have about 20 minutes left on the timer, start the Alfredo noodles and follow the directions on the package.

When the noodles are in the pot, start the vegetables.

At the very least, my kids will learn to prepare a few simple dishes that are already among their favorites.  We definitely won't starve.  I wonder who's cooking tonight?

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