"Some of the best I've ever had"

Working from home has given me the wonderful opportunity (sarcasm) to learn how to cook.... on my own. Not that I don't like help when I'm doing something I'm not very good at, but when I'm learning how to do something that my husband is already really really good at, I prefer to do it on my own and learn from my mistakes. I'm not a huge fan of Stefan someone watching over my shoulder and telling me "I would do it this way" or "I don't know about that" with a look of disgust on his their face as I do it my way. Yes, my way may be completely wrong, but I'll learn that eventually.

Even though cooking does not top my list of Favorite Things to do, I figured since I work from home, the least I could do for my wonderful husband is to have dinner ready for him when he gets home. After all, he's been cooking for me for longer than I've known how to boil a pot of water... or make macaroni-and-cheese (without sweetened condensed milk).

Before I tell you about one of my big accomplishments of the week, I must make it clear that I absolutely cannot STAND raw meat.... the way it smells, the way it feels, and all of the "stuff" that needs to be trimmed off of it just grosses me out. So my first accomplishment of the week was cooking my very first piece of chicken breast. I know, I know, doesn't seem like a big deal, but this was a huge step for me. Cooking this chicken included all of the trimming, etc. (But don't worry, I wore rubber gloves, plugged my nose, and disinfected the entire kitchen when I was done). How did it turn out, you ask? Perfectly cooked. I guess watching over Stefan after all these years actually helped. This should prove that I actually DO pay attention when he's in the kitchen!!

My next accomplishment of the week? It involved Stefan calling his parents after he tried what I made! The conversation went something like this:

Stefan: "You're not going to believe what I'm eating. Especially when I tell you Julie made it."
M-I-L:  "Julie cooked?" (In a high-pitched French accent)
F-I-L:   "What did she make?"
Stefan: "I'm having a bowl of some of the best collard greens I've ever had."
M-I-L:   "Better than mine?" (In a very high-pitched French accent).
Stefan: "Well I haven't had yours in a while, but these are pretty good."

Needless to say, I couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear because this is the first time he's ever called anyone about my cooking. He's complimented some of the things I've cooked in the past, but it usually follows with "next time you should add more of this" or "I would've cooked it on a lower temperature." So it's sort of a backhanded compliment anyway. This time? Nothing!

I guess that's my cue that I can should do this more often since the food I cook is starting to become more edible. BUT..... I don't think it's time to quit my day job quite yet.