A year or so ago, my husband wanted to learn to cook a few meals. He thought it was good to know and would help ease the burden of always cooking which falls to me…or take out. We started simple with all things ground beef. Tacos. Sloppy joes. We kicked it up to chili. Then that kind of fizzled out with all the hustle and bustle of family life.

It wasn’t for lack of wanting. But it was just easier to do it myself. He needed a lot of coaching through it. For as much patience as I have at school with students, I have very little at home in these situations. Teaching someone to cut an onion multiple times was really starting to grate on me. So I just stopped planning things he could make. And he didn’t mention it.

Then a couple of months ago he brought it up again. He wanted to make chili. It was good weather for it. So he made chili and we froze the leftovers. Then he mentioned chili again for the following week. He made that and we froze the leftovers. Again. When he mentioned inviting some friends over for Super Bowl Sunday and serving them chili, I was a bit burnt out. But he was doing it himself and it was delicious. So chili it was. Again.

He asked about lasagna a couple weeks ago. We made it together. I did my best to let him do the work. It was SO GOOD. He made another lasagna last night for us to eat today. I am certain it will be just as tasty. But I felt my same frustration creeping in when he asked me a bunch of questions he could find in the directions. And he honestly didn’t remember something I could probably make without a recipe. But I powered through trying to hold in my completely irrational feelings that had 100% nothing to do with him. He was trying to help, after all. Yet it is the hurry up and get it done in me that was bursting to just take over.

But tonight when I walk in the door and have to slip a pan into the oven and wait, I will appreciate the hard work that went into yesterday. I will be glad for this husband of mine who takes such an interest and wants to lighten the load a little. I’m wondering what we should make next. Any ideas?