In my last post, I mentioned that I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I do, however, set goals. Do I meet those goals? No, but that doesn’t mean I don’t make progress. And that’s another reason I set goals rather than make resolutions. The latter are basically pass/fail. You either do them or you don’t (and, let’s face it, it’s usually don’t), but the former is more about the journey and not the destination.
One of my goals for 2024 is actually two or three goals in one. Which is exactly how I roll. The broad goal is to cook more. My reason is because I have the time and because I am ordering out more than I wish to be.
My solution? I’ve bought a slow cooker. Ian bought one a few months ago, and he’s told me how great it is. I talked to him about it yesterday, and he told me he was actually making pulled apart chicken chili in it. He added that one of the pluses was that the whole place smelled good as it was simmering.
The reason I wanted a slow cooker was because I could just set it and forget it. I asked Ian if it was possible to overcook the stew. He said not really unless you left it on overnight. And it has three settings (high, low, and warm). Mine comes with a little dipping sauce warmer that looks like a mini-version of the slow cooker. It’s supposed to arrive tomorrow.
Here’s the thing. I am gluten-free and dairy-free. I also have a sensitivity to onions and garlic. And maybe cauliflower? The jury is still out on that.
Side note: It’s really hard to figure out if I’m actually allergic to something or not (or if I have celiac) because I don’t want to subject myself to the thing that might possibly cuse a negative reaction in me.
Back when I realized that gluten was an issue, I just stopped eating it. When I went to my doctor, I asked how I could be tested for celiac. She said that I would have to eat it again for six weeks. I stopped her and asked incredulously if that really was the only way. She said yes.
I didn’t do it. Why the hell would I put myself through that? So I don’t know if I have celiac or are *just* gluten intolerant/sensitive, and I don’t really care. All I know is that if I eat an appreciable amount of it, I will be sitting on the toilet, on and off, for the next six hours.
Anyway. The lactose-intolerance is because I’m Asian. East Asian people are all lactose-intolerant to some degree.
I am NOT vegan or vegetarian. I am NOT allergic to any nuts or soy. This is a very weird combination of things to be sensitive to. In addition, I’m Asian so having issues with onion and garlic is heartbreaking. I used to eat garlic cloves on the regular (for health reasons). I still eat it because almost all Asian food has both, but I do pick out the chunkier pieces of onion.
Anyway. I don’t cook. I have not cooked for most of my life. I used to bake quite a bit, but I did not like cooking. I could make a few dishes. One was Kung Pao Chicken. Aonther was a potato corn chowder that I made a huge pot off and just dumped a ton of sour cream into. It seriously was like six to eight potatoes, a bag of sweet corn, milk, thickener of some sort, and sour cream (plus spices). It was really good, but not really nutrious.
Also, when I was younger, we used to make dumplings by hand. I used to make it my mission to make as many pleats as I could. My record was over thirty.
We also used to make cookies. Chocolate chip. Just the Tollhouse recipe. I know it’s basic, but they came out well every time.
I didn’t realize until much later in my life that my mother did not like to cook. I just thought she wasn’t good at at it because the veggies were overcooked all the time and everything was so bland. There were a few dishes she made that I liked such as boiled brown eggs and curry (with chicken). That was delicious. Plus, she made a dish with tongue that was really good, too. But in general, her cooking was uninspired.
I don’t think it’s her fault, really. She was told over and over again that her worth was as a wife and mother. That incrluded cooking and sewing, neither of which she enjoyed. Plus, my brother and I wanted American food whereas my father would not eat anything other than Taiwanese/Chinese food (when he was home). so she basically had to cook two meals. And did all the cleaning. And worked a full-time job. And all the childcare. In other words, it was a really hard life for her.
I did not take to any of the more typically feminine tasks. i hated cooking, cleaning, and sewing. I learned the basics of sewing (I can affix a button where it needs to be or repair a tear), but for whatever reason, my mother never really taught me to cook. Probably because she did not like it herself. But I was expected to know by osmosis I guess?
I hate cooking. There is so much to it, and it just seems so time-consuming for the result. Yes, there’s tasty food at the end of the effort, but it’s really not worth it to me. That’s why I thought of a slow cooker. You can toss everything in it and just let it simmer for hours. It fills the house with good smells, and you get a delightful treat at the end of the cooking. Ian told me that his 4,5 quart slow cooker was more than big enough to make four to five mieals that last a week. I am terrible with volume so I appreciated him telling me that.
So. My goal is to use it once a week. I know myself. i have to set a goal that is realistic if not a bit on the safe side. My tendency is to set an unrealistic goal (like making something every night) and then not doing it at all. In other words, like NY resolutions.
It is better for me to easily make the goal rather than have to struggle for it. I know it’s just a mind game I’m playnig with myself, but so be it. The slow cooker is supposed to be here in two days. In the meantime, I’m looknig for easy recipes I can start with. I’m curious to see how long I stick with it.