This year I signed up for a rather large task. I agreed to prepare the entire Thanksgiving meal (sans desserts) and have my entire family over. Coming from someone who hardly cooks on the regular, this was a rather shocking (and a bit daunting) arrangement. In the sake of honesty, I partially agreed to do this because I wanted to prove to myself that I could…and because Matthew agreed to help. I’m not ashamed to admit that he’s a better cook than me.
Regardless of the reasoning, I set out to prepare a full Thanksgiving meal for my family. I planned, shopped, and cooked like it was my job. I organized serving dishes and did my best to think of every single thing. I baked cornbread for dressing completely from scratch. I attempted some new recipes and didn’t have any major breakdowns. I burned my elbow on the oven and only yelled at/threatened my husband once or twice. All in all, it was a successful event.
Thankfully, I had help from my mother (the usual host) and from Matthew’s grandmother (a fantastic and knowledgeable cook). With their help and Matthew’s, I somehow pulled off an edible meal that was mostly prepared on time and still somewhat warm. This might go down as one of my big accomplishments of the year!
So, what’d I learn from this event? (You know, I’m always looking to “learn” something.)
- I learned that sometimes I’m capable of much more than I give myself credit for.
- I learned that I’m pretty darn good at breaking down and organizing a large project.
- I learned that cooking isn’t quite as difficult and stressful as I make it.
- I learned that someday, with a little bit of practice, I might be a pretty good host (of something other than spaghetti or a crockpot meal).
- I learned that I really enjoy sharing the fruits of my work with others.
If I can learn so many things from preparing just one meal, I’m sure you stand to learn a few things from trying something new too. I encourage you to take on a large task and go for it! Try something new. Embark on a great adventure. No matter the outcome, you’ll likely learn something about yourself and the world around you. That’s always worth it.
I hope you and yours have a fantastic Thanksgiving. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, make the best of it!
