Arguing for limitations
Stove-light to last-dish today took about 40 minutes --- an incredible accomplishment, in my book. Ever since I could read recipes and follow them, I was always offended by the comically short timelines they suggested were possible. 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of baking time? Fat chance, I assumed. And perhaps because I assumed it, every time, I was right, every time.
An email newsletter I receive just had the following quote today: Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.
This is not to say that the only thing standing between you and improvement is your imagination, at least immediately. There's doubtlessly some work you'll have to do on the way, too. But it's probably not as much work as you think, and you'll never start if your imagination is hamstrung by your own baseless self-pessimism.
It's nice to see myself chipping away at the old I'm-so-terrible-in-the-kitchen-and-everything-I-do-in-there-takes-forever-and-is-awful mindset. It's not gone and I know there will be setbacks among the advances. But recognizing the advance before the setback comes is so important! We always recognize the setbacks and think they invalidate the progress we have made. Why don't the advances count? Why don't they invalidate the setbacks we have?
Monday is fill-the-envelope day, and I await its arrival with baited breath. I have plenty of food, still, but wouldn't mind some variety now. The big question will be: do I stay sort of Indian (since I now have a small amount of Indian stuff) or pivot more dramatically to a different? Kitchen pivots when you don't have much stocked are fun but expensive. There's still time to figure it out. Email me with suggestions!