Chef Jessicadee

So I made Michael dinner last night.

My mother is an excellent cook and loves to play with recipes and try out new things. She can whip together some crazy dish just from thoughts in her head. When I lived with her in Kansas, it was amazing how every single dinner that we had was absolutely tasty. And she truly enjoys to cook and bake. I think it somehow centers her and gives her something to focus on other than my step-dad, my younger brothers, the dog, soccer games, football games, wrestling matches, running a billion errands, the house-cleaning, her job, etc. She is a busy woman but she always makes sure that dinner is on the table and that whatever is the dinner choice is delicious. It relaxes her. And she learned to cook from her mother.

So it seems that the love of cooking sometimes stems from watching your own mother cook and sometimes assisting with that particular "chore". My mom has mentioned that she always loved to help my grandma in the kitchen with dinner. I didn't grow up with my mom. To clarify- I grew up with my other mom. My parents were divorced when I was very young and my dad and step-mom, Debbie, got custody of me, my older brother, and older sister. So I grew up here in Utah, and my biological mom moved to Kansas and got married to my step-dad, Alex. My step-mom is wonderful and I love her guts. I have always considered her my mom, along with my biological mom. (Yes, I'm lucky enough to have 2 wonderful moms!) Now Mom Debbie always did the cooking growing up, but I never really got into it. It seemed like so much of a chore instead of an enjoyable relaxation technique that happens to end up with food on the table.

When I was 19, I moved to Kansas and lived with my Mom Lurena (bio mom) for a year. I was always running around being a typical 19-year-old girl but would come home to dinner. Sometimes I'd hang out in the kitchen and watch her. So my enjoyment of cooking began.....

I LOVE watching cooking shows on the weekends. I don't have cable (the idea of monthly payments to sit on my butt and be entertained just doesn't appeal to me), so I'll watch PBS or one of those types- that has cooking shows on the weekends. Sometimes I'll decide to invent something. Some of my cooking inventions end up in disaster, some of them are actually not bad. I taught myself how to make homemade spaghetti sauce, for example. And I threw together a Mesquite Chicken deal that is really good and Michael loves it. Just off the top of my head.

We have a secret family recipe for lasagna (if I told you, I'd have to kill you). I enjoy making that. It takes a while to make it and I'll throw in some crab-stuffed mushrooms as an extra treat. I make an awesome chili. My white cream chicken enchilladas are pretty darn good, as well. I really do enjoy being in the kitchen and cutting things and throwing things in pots and pans. It feels good. And I love it when people enjoy whatever it is that I've spent time making.

So I made Michael dinner last night. Shrimp in garlic sauce over noodles, garlic bread, and steamed vegetables. And I'm a little disappointed with myself. Michael works at nights- he leaves around 10 PM. So granted, I didn't have much time to make anything since I worked late last night. It took all of 15 minutes. Here's how to make it: boil noodles, throw the shrimp and garlic sauce frozen entree into the microwave. When that's done, throw the bag of vegetables (packaged in a special steamer bag) into the microwave. Throw the frozen garlic bread into the oven. And there's dinner. Granted, it was good. But not as good as something homemade. But hey- give a girl credit for at least making some dinner, okay?

I blog about food a lot. Think that says something about me? :)

Much Love!