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Cooking was definitely not an interest until lately. For most of my life I’d gladly clean the kitchen if someone would just make a meal and invite yours truly. Heck, I’d clean their entire house!

The flip-flop is on, though, and now I’d rather cook and leave the cleaning up to someone else… or, since there is no one else, the next day. Totally unlike my earlier self, who would rush to clean and and put everything back in its place. It’s just not as important everything be perfect anymore. Yes, I can let dishes sit in the sink overnight. Little scary, really.

I’m getting into new recipes. At this age, I need new ways of doing things or falling into a coma due to extreme boredom is a distinct possibility. Killing hubby’s Playboy subscription and opting instead for Martha Stewart’s Living, which came with Everyday Food [or EDF], has been a blessing. EDF much more than Living. And while I don’t experiment every night, at least two recipes from EDF find their way to our table each month and I’m constantly looking at back issues… There would probably be more ‘new’ meals prepared if I didn’t need a dictionary and a special trip to Whole Foods to gather supplies.

I didn’t know what arugula was, what it looked like or that it could be used in food preparation until a few months ago. Same for fennel and a host of other strange sounding foods and condiments. Hey, I’m the proud product of rednecks. My Mom made the best steak, meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes and assorted veggies you could find, but I’d bet my house that she’d never heard of arugula. Not that she suffered for the lack.

Learning is a life long endeavor, so with the help of magazines like Cook’s Illustrated, EDF and internet recipes like Teresa’s chicken… I’ll keep delighting Arthur with new, improved dishes. And fortunately, I know what brown mustard is and where to buy it!

What was once loathed is now enjoyed. Life really is a constant surprise.

Just put an even better one up at pamibe…!

It’s okay if this makes no sense.

So. I’m thinking of merging the sites. Closing this space and importing beannachd posts into pamibe, like merging the two halves of my personality back into a whole. With a new theme and a fresh outlook.

Of course, I’d need to seek help to do that… and right now I’m beyond broke. We’ll see. But the more I think about it, the better I like the idea.

What do you think?