Around the Kitchen

Today I am grateful for our kitchen. It may not be exactly the kitchen I want, but it is more than sufficient. I am also grateful for what I was taught and learned from experience growing up about how to cook ,bake, and do other tasks around the kitchen.

Yesterday, after a very busy and exhausting week at work, I was grateful to be home on a Friday afternoon making our typical pasta meal we like to have before a long training run. Making the meal was a nice change of pace and a chance for me to focus on home and family after giving plenty of energy to others. I enjoy my job and working with others often gives me more energy than it takes, but being home with family is what replenishes me best.

I was doing my usual approach of preparation which includes several things going on at once-water for pasta, sauce warming, chicken pan-frying, vegetables steaming. I had the realization that I am actually pretty adept at timing it all so that it is done at the same time. None of these are complicated tasks, and I don't do anything too special, but I realize that I have confidence in my kitchen that others may not have in theirs.

You pick up a few things over the years. This cookie sheet bakes faster than the other one. This recipe actually takes 45 minutes to bake, not 30 like it says. Hot water, really hot water, is the best for rinsing dishes. They dry faster that way. And a shout out to my dishwashing sisters. We marveled at how hot Mom could have the water when she did dishes, but we are still doing it too so we must have figured out it works.

Not to mention that Mom didn't grow up with hot water at her convenience, so she really appreciated it and still does. Many others don't have the conveniences of a modern kitchen today. I could complain because mine needs an updating. Instead, today I choose to be grateful for my kitchen, my family, our meals together.


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