Around the Bluhmin’ Town

By

Judy Bluhm

What’s for dinner? When my husband, Doug, asked me this question last night, I wondered how many times in one day those three little (evil) words are spoken. Worldwide, might these words be recited over a billion times? And in my own life, how many times have I heard children, grandkids and my husband innocently (and hopefully) question what will soon be served.

It’s not that I don’t like cooking - I actually love it! But there are days that drudgery of mixing, beating, dipping, tossing, frying, baking, boiling or simmering just seems like another exercise that I have repeated too many times. The truth is that I have no idea what to make for dinner some nights!

I have a stack of cookbooks and plenty of old recipes to find delicious entrees to prepare. But some days, nothing interests me. My daughter got me an air fryer to “bring my kitchen into 2024,” yet I still find the old oven, frying pan or crockpot to suffice just fine. I wonder how my little doggy eats the same boring dog food every single day and seems to be happy. Why can’t we humans be so easy when it comes to our appetites?

Psychologists claim that doing routine chores creates “comforting habits” that serve as anchors in our turbulent lives. The habits we repeat offer us some sort of reassurance that life is still going along in a steady manner, even if stress, or conflicts exist. Nothing like baking a chicken, to provide a sense of routine and normality in our busy lives. Ha! Well, I don’t have to believe it just because a psychologist says it. Some days are the “wrong days” to be doing routine chores. And aren’t “anchors” heavy weights that drag us down?

So, back to that simple (and frequent) question that my husband posed, “what’s for dinner?” Today, I am throwing in the towel, letting the pots and pans sit silently, allowing the spices and sauces to rest idly in their allotted corners, waiting to ambush me tomorrow, no doubt. I am liberating myself from the mundane task of cooking, seeking greater fulfillment in some other activity. (Not sure yet what that activity might be).

When I told Doug that I did not feel like cooking tonight, he just stared at me like I have two heads. Inquiring if I was ill (no) and looking confused, he then wondered if I wanted to go out to dinner (not really). He looked perplexed. In other words, the wheels have fallen off the chuck-wagon! Mercury must be retrograde and casting a dark shadow on the planet (and in my kitchen)! Life as we know it must be in jeopardy! Why? Because the one question asked billions of times a day and in hundreds of different languages cannot always be answered!

So, when you hear that familiar question, “What’s for dinner,” try not to run. Answer with these three little words: “I don’t know!” Tomorrow is another day to explore the joys of cooking. Tonight, a bowl of ice cream sounds pretty good. Until next week, bon appétit.

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local realtor. Contact Judy at [email protected] or visit www.aroundthebluhmin’town.com.