As I said in my bio, cooking is one of my favorite ways to deal with daily stress from school. People wonder how I can spend a whole hour and sometimes up to one and a half hours cooking every day, just like I wonder how they can just cook once in a week and eat the same food for the rest of the week. That would not kill me but I would rather be killed if I had to eat the same food for a whole week…
I did not even know how to cook until sophomore year in undergrad school. My father was my first cooking teacher. He taught me how to wash vegetables to get rid of any potential remaining insecticide, how to use a knife to cut meat into pieces in a safe and efficient manner, and how to prepare the sauce we need to soak the meat for subsequent use. However, I did not cook a lot when I was in undergrad school. I went home once a month and cooked for my family whenever I was at home. I enjoyed buying the food I like, dominating the kitchen, and watching my family eating well. Even though sometimes they did not make comments, I still felt accomplished because at least I did something to show my love to them.
But now it’s not the same as it was when I was at home. I now have to cook. I mean I have to. Not only does it save me a lot of money compared with buying takeout, it also provides me with a mandatory relaxing time of day. When we awake, we automatically turn on a stress mode. Even when we sleep, I honestly did not ever have insomnia before getting into veterinary school. Only through cooking can I put my whole heart into figuring out how to better treat myself with a yummy dinner. Also, it’s the time I get to interact with my roommate because we talk a lot during that whole process. It improves your mood to a great extent by connecting with people. It’s also the time I interact with my cats simply because they smell it and they start to get hungry and beg for food. No matter what you choose, give yourself a “treat” every day!
Really nice blog. Good for you! It is so important to cook fresh and look after your body and all the other benefits that you list (communication with flat mate and cats, de-stressing, and money saving) are great too!
Jacqueline (Clinical Nutritionist)