I hate washing the dishes.

That’s why it took me a long time to make cooking a habit. I was able to occasionally work up the enthusiasm to cook for roommates or friends. When I went to college my Mom handed me a binder of our family’s favorite recipes. On these special occasions I would flip through the binder and pick something to whip up. In an hours long process I always managed to whip up a huge mess and occasionally some decent food. I touched every dish and utensil in the kitchen. Clean up would take the entire next day. My friends enjoyed it (at least I believed them when they told me so) but the economics didn’t work for me to turn cooking into a daily habit. The satisfaction of cooking for friends was the only thing that made it worthwhile to spend the hours cooking and cleaning that were required for the way I was cooking.

During this period I approached cooking as a hobby. The kind of thing I would do sometimes  when I wanted to, not as a matter of daily survival. For survival I relied on Clif bars, restaurants, pizza delivery and convenience foods that required only the simplest preparation.

When our first daughter arrived I quickly realized that I would need to change my habits. Restaurants suddenly became an impossible indulgence not a regular staple. I exercised less and sleeping became a luxury. My old convenience diet was barely sustainable at my old volume of exercise and this fact was becoming obvious while putting on my pants. I needed to get my act together and it needed to start in the kitchen.

I cook a lot these days. I established the habit of cooking over several years and I’m reflecting on how I did that and documenting it here. I’ve learned how to reduce the work and increase the enjoyment and satisfaction of cooking. Cooking for friends is even more rewarding than it used to be. Cooking (nearly) every meal for our family of four gives me enormous satisfaction. I know it’s good for our physical health. Cooking and eating together is important daily family time. When the kids pitch in - that’s the best reward - I hope I am passing on the habit of cooking. It’s not always easy by any means - but I am sure it’s worth it. If you are trying to cook regularly for a busy family while keeping up with everything else, I hope Cooking Habitually helps.

Washing dishes still sucks though.