More time in the kitchen and lovin' it!

I am watching Top Chef and trying not to eat everything that isn't tied down. This is strange, since I made a kick-ass dinner tonight (kind of a country style slo-cooker coq au vin.) Now, it's no secret to anyone who has read this blog that I am currently "between jobs" and since the prospects are bleak right now, I have decided, after consultation with my wife, to take the pressure off myself and not feel like I have to "pound the pavement." My wife agreed, with conditions. I do the laundry (includes folding, but not ironing - thank god), keep the house picked up and take care of dinner. Well, I initially resisted the dinner thing - "I don't think that way, planning meals, etc. Tell me what to cook with a recipe and I will do it, but plan a meal - no way." (Laundry and picking up around the house - no problem.) In the past couple of weeks things have changed. I looked at the calendar to see what activities we had this week, then I made a list of the dinners I wanted to make, then I shopped to those meals. Suddenly, I feel like I have become a decent cook. Of course, my recipes come from Real Simple and are real simple, but they taste good and I make them with really fresh ingredients. All of this has really helped the old self esteem. Men (me) so often define themselves by the job they do - that is how they contribute to the family. My contribution is different now, it feels more important, it feels more real and it feels more fulfilling. (Plus, I get to train whenever I want or need to - nice bonus.)