Feeling Like A "Real" Wife and Mom Now

Growing up, I always was in awe of the women who could throw together a delicious meal without ever cracking open a cookbook. How did they do it? Was it magic? Did they have an innate knowledge of what ingredients went well together and what spices would perfect a dish? Does something magical occur the moment a woman becomes a wife and mother?

Well, over the course of my almost two year long marriage, I have come to realize that the secret to creating delicious meals is time and experience. As with any skill or talent, time and experience prove invaluable. While I have always considered myself a good cook and baker, I have never defined myself by those terms. In my mind a truly terrific cook or baker is one who can imagine and create delicious concoctions from scratch. A true master is one who writes the book, not one who uses it.

After countless meals cooked and deserts baked, I am proud to say that I have crossed the line between cookbook dependent wife and mom into the land of pioneers! I have taken risks and accepted the fact that I might fail. Someone might get poisoned. Well, not poisoned, but surely grossed out! And, I have succeeded. Progress has been slow, but it has paid off. I have created two of my own recipes that are husband and baby approved.

My creations are mainly due to the recipes that I have tried and enjoyed over the past two years. I have taken the back bones of basic recipes and been able to add and amplify them to meet my taste desires. So, in one sense, I am not a pioneer cook. I have created nothing new. Still, it is progress!

Tonights success was the semi crockpot chicken tortilla soup. I had numerous recipes available, but decided to have fun and try my own ideas. It is a basic chicken tortilla soup and could be embellished depending on your tastes and preferences.

Chicken Tortilla Soup:

One medium onion chopped

2 tbsp minced garlic

64 oz chicken broth

3 chicken breasts (around 1lb)

1 cup salsa

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground red pepper

1 can diced southwestern style diced tomatoes (jalapeños & green chilies)

4 oz can of diced green chilies

½ can black beans

1 cup frozen corn

1 tbsp Franks hot sauce

Place chicken breasts in crockpot and top with salsa and Franks

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the chicken shreds easily

In large pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until tender and translucent

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Shred the chicken/salsa mixture and add to the pot

Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until ready to heat

Serve hot topped with cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, etc. 

Another recipe that I have created is a chili recipe. This recipe was discovered in a similar way to my tortilla soup recipe. I took the basic chili recipe and tweaked  and added to it until I had the taste that I desired. I will share that recipe in a later post. It is pretty good, if I must say so myself.

So, why does creating a recipe make me feel like a "real" wife and mom? It is probably due to the fact that I grew up watching reruns of early sitcoms in which the mom was the perfect 1950s woman with a little sass and humor mixed in. Or it might be due to my slight addiction to cooking shows in which women simply throw together wonderful dishes. Whatever the reason, I feel a sense of accomplishment in finally making a dish my own. I am growing up :)

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