Sweet and Crackly

Thus far this week has consisted of mostly:

• house cleaning
• cooking and baking
• dance class
• job searching
• job interviewing
• knitting, blocking a project and planning future projects
• reading
  
• hanging out with family
• walking dogs and snuggling the kitty
  

Not super exciting, but it does feel rewarding and, for the most part, is a cheap way to spend my out-of-work time.

Last night my dad came over for dinner and shared a non-meat-and-potatoes dinner with Paul and I. And, he liked it. His usual M.O. is to eat all his meals based around meat, but he has been open minded and curious about what we eat. Also, he has been experimenting with making homemade kimchi and is into probiotic foods, so I thought he would like to try our newly found tempeh cutlet recipe. I made collard green coleslaw (recipe from Vegetarian Times - January 2009)and I bought some of the Sunnie Spread from the Wedge to put on super grainy, wheat crackers (I first tasted this spread at Mark and Jerri's and LOVED it!). For dessert, we ate the chocolate crackle cookies shown above and blood oranges.

I think it is a new realization for me how much I like cooking. The process, the motions, the smells, the colors, the textures...all of it is so fulfilling. And, to have other people who I can share the meals with and who will appreciate the work I put into making the meal is really a nice experience. Unfortunately, I know once I am working full-time again, the energy and time I have to devote to cooking, and other creative pursuits, will greatly diminish, so I plan on taking full advantage of my current situation.

Like many other things that I get enjoyment from, I occasionally think, "Could I somehow make a living doing this?" but then I always have the concern that turning it into "work" might suck the joy from it.