My husband loves to golf. I have an appreciation for the game, but do not share the same passion for it that he does. Since we were married when we were both 40, he was already well established with his golfing buddies. That first summer he took a lot of ribbing because they told him how much better he was looking now that I was dressing him. Let’s get something straight, I do not dress my husband! The only thing that changed was I started ironing his pants.
When I say I like to iron I often get met with an eye roll or snort. I know people who do not even own an iron much less an ironing board! Whole clothing lines are designed with non-wrinkle material to avoid the chore. But I truly do not mind ironing. I find a lot of satisfaction and immediate gratification in the whole act. Within a few minutes I can take a pair of pants or a shirt from disheveled and unkempt to neat and crisp. Since it is a rather mindless task I can also watch tv, listen to a book or music, have a conversation, think of a blog topic, etc., and still feel productive. I can almost hear some of you calling me crazy, but I am willing to bet we all have something we enjoy that others think of as tedious.
I have talked to people about how much I hate to clean mushrooms. Most do not have the same dislike. I remember one person telling me the task she hates the most is matching and folding socks. I do not mind doing that because I feel a sense of victory if I can mate all the socks. Many people love spending hours in their garden. To me that is a chore I would prefer not to do. I know people who love cleaning! I would rather iron an entire closet of clothes than scrub a toilet or tub!
My point this week is we all have different perspectives of what is a chore. In my eyes it doesn’t change who a person is inside, it just shows we all have different opinions. This is a good lesson in all areas of life.
As most of you know I enjoy cooking, something that many do not enjoy. Recently I made the Roasted Tomato Soup I posted back in 2014. The great thing about soup is you can change it up very easily based on what ingredients you have on hand. I had a zucchini so I seeded and sliced it and roasted it with the tomatoes, garlic and onions. Rather than cook the soup and then puree it, I let the roasted veggies cool and put them in the food processor and pureed everything before adding it to the soup pot. I also added a cup of uncooked rice and let it simmer with the soup. My basil has long since gone to seed so I drizzled basil infused olive oil on top. I also added smoked salt in place of regular salt. I know if you do not enjoy cooking, I cannot make it a pleasurable way to spend time. But I hope you feel more comfortable experimenting and making recipes all your own.
