Humbling Moments in the Kitchen

So, I took a long break from the blog (not really sure why), but I’ve decided to get back at it.

I usually consider myself to be a good cook. At least pretty good, anyways.  

 When we first got married 10 years ago, I have to admit that I didn’t know how to cook at all!!  My husband was always adventurous enough to eat the meals I prepared (or struggled to prepared).  However, since then, I’ve learned quite a bit!! I’ve had to learn even more the past few years as living overseas has forced me to make MANY items from scratch—including gravies, instead of just opening a packet, and even cream of chicken soup, instead of just using a can.  I have to say that I think I’ve gotten pretty good at cooking from scratch.

And then, enter yesterday.  I had a very humbling day in the kitchen.  I was feeling pretty defeated by the end of the day after breakfast consisting of burnt bacon and still slightly crunchy grits. We grind dried white corn kernels to make homemade grits. I normally rinse off the bad stuff 2 times, but yesterday I guess I was in a hurry, and I only rinsed once.  I. Won’t. Do. That. Again.   Everyone else ate it just fine, but I really didn’t care for the extra crunchy stuff that was still left in the grits. 

Somehow, I made it through lunch without destroying anything. Leftover black eyed peas from the freezer and then cornbread.  All was yummy. 

And then dinner.  Well, the main meal was actually pretty good. I was cooking Arroz con Pollo from Costa Rica (chicken and rice).  Then I decided that I wanted a good desert to go with it—Arroz con Leche (kind of like rice pudding).  That was my demise.    You can see the BIG mess in the picture. I mean HUGE mess!! I don’t know how the arroz con leche kept boiling over, but it spilled out and over the pot and onto all of the stove and made a big, sticky, gooey mess.  Not fun at all to clean up!!!  And then---the rice was never cooked all the way.  It had a great flavor—just slightly crunchy. 

Thankfully, my wonderful hubby gave the boys their bath and then did all the dishes so that I could spend the next 45 minutes trying to clean up the entire thing. 

Oh, and did I mention that the morning before I served porridge with bugs in it? This was the very last of the mix that I had in the bag. I’ve been saving it for a special day for the past month or so as I experimented with making a homemade kind.  Well, it was a special day! :)  I didn’t care for the extra protein though. 

It was a very humbling day in the kitchen, and honestly, I was feeling kind of bad for myself. I wanted to pick something really good and easy for today to make myself feel better and to feel like I could do it again. Anyone else ever been there?

Then in my devotion time today I read from Corinthians: “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”

Even when I feel like I'm no good or like I fail at something, my God is ALWAYS faithful!! I can rest in this and feel a peace!  

Even when all things around me are a mess (like my kitchen floor because I spilled cream all over it cooking lunch), God is faithful. AMEN.