Food feature

Food for Thought… When Cooking is NOT your Jam (or Peanut Butter)

I admit it, I am a “foodie”. I love to cook food, eat food, look at food, try new food, you name it, I am ALL about the food! It is my firm belief that world peace will only be achieved through the sharing of food. I have heard tell of folks who say things like,

“I just forget to eat sometimes”.

Huh?! You WHAT, now?? How is that even possible?!

And yet, there it is. There are people who eat to live rather than living to eat, like me.

One of my greatest pleasures in life is having people over for a meal. Sometimes my hubby and I will do something simple, and other times we’ll go all out with a 5-course, fancy-shmancy feast that involves amuse bouches and charger plates and kale gar

nishes. (Note: Kale is a garnish, NOT a food, in my humble opinion…) We spend days choosing a menu, searching for obscure ingredients, preparing the food and choosing a table setting. Why do we go to all that trouble? Because we absolutely love doing it! Does it always turn out great? Nope, it sure doesn’t! There was that one time when we thought we had bought pork belly but it turned out to be….SALT PORK!! Ohhhh my, that was so bad, it was hilarious! However, our rule always is, “as long as KFC is still open, we will try almost anything once”! For us, cooking is all kinds of fun and adventure. But here’s the thing - not everyone feels that way.

I have friends for whom cooking is a chore, even an exercise in frustration. They go into panic mode if someone suggests they should cook for other people. They stress out over the whole evening so it becomes a nightmare instead of a relaxing night with friends. I’m here to tell you that it just isn’t necessary.

Give yourself a break.

If cooking isn’t your thing, suggest a trip to a restaurant. If that isn’t feasible, how about a visit to M & M Meats or your local deli to grab a selection of sausage, cheese and crackers? There are so many pre-made options out there, no one needs to worry about one-upping your friend who has her own Pinterest followers and carries a garlic press around in her purse. Chances are that none of your guests will care whether you slaved over a hot stove or made a trip to a cool store. If you like, you can easily serve whatever you bought in your own dishes. When your guests compliment the food, answer with a simple “Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!”. And then relax and enjoy yourself. Those who love to cook, should. Those who don’t, should stop stressing out and order in.

Heather Lyon is the owner of First Start Planning Ltd. Based out of Rocky Mountain House, AB, she saves businesses and organizations in Western Canada time and money by providing bookkeeping services as well as financial and administrative skills training. In her spare time, she runs online cooking classes and caters to the whims of her cat, Keri. A variety of cheeses, olives, bread, and wine or sparkling juice

Order pizza and a selection of craft beer

Buy pre-made food and serve on your own dishes

Hotdogs and marshmallows over a backyard fire. Better yet, try some Marshmallow Shooters for dessert! (Roast the marshmallow without putting the roasting stick right through, make a small hole in the middle once it is cooked, and fill it with your favourite liqueur.)

Make a main dish that you are comfortable with and buy a bagged salad and buns

Buns, cold cuts, cheeses, condiments, store-bought potato salad or coleslaw

Visit your local bakery to pick up dessert – so easy AND you will be supporting a local business!

My personal favourite – Pot luck meals! Ask your guests to bring a dish (and their recipe for sharing)

And if all else fails, make a reservation for lunch or dinner!

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