The Joy of Cooking!!

Those of you who know me well, know that cooking is not one of the joys in my life!! Cooking for me in the US involved dreading the decision of what to make, making sure I had all of the ingredients, hoping it tasted okay to consume, and then really dreading the clean up! I have a new outlook on cooking here in Tianjin, I have found a little bit of joy!

There are a few reasons why cooking is more enjoyable for me, and the first is that I don't have to do it every night!! My ayi cooks Monday through Friday for me which allows me to spend time with the kids and chat with neighbors outside!! This means that I do not have to plan 7 nights of dinners that will hopefully please most of the family!! The kids have learned to eat and enjoy Chinese food, and ayi has learned how to put a western twist to some of her dishes!! One night she did go a little overboard by stir frying chicken and pineapple and then adding Monicals dressing (a tangy sweet dressing from one of our favorite pizza places in the US)!! It was disgusting and I really didn't feel right forcing the children to eat it!! She always makes a platter of fresh fruit, so if the kids won't eat the main courses, I know they don't go to bed starving!!

Another reason why I am beginning to enjoy cooking is that when I do cook, I can ask my ayi to do the prep work (ie, wash and cut veggies, meat, basically whatever I need)! I made tacos and a cucumber/tomato salad the other night for dinner. It was so easy because all of the veggies were washed, cut and ready to eat!! So, maybe I cannot call a meal like that cooking, but it sure was good!!

Probably the biggest reason why I enjoy cooking over here is that I don't have to clean up!! Of course, I am not a complete slob, I do wipe up spills and wipe down the countertops, but the pots and pans go directly in the sink!!

I guess to sum it all up, the real reason I find cooking more enjoyable is because I have an ayi!! I need to give her all of the credit and in the next two years figure out a way to fit her in my suitcase when we return!! Hehe!!