Burn Baby Burn

We all have certain talents in life. We all have things we are passionate about.  We all have claims to fame that other people envy.  There is one area of my life where none of this applies – in the kitchen!
I don’t “throw down”.  I don’t have favorite meals that people crave.  I cook simply because I have to eat six times a day.  Everything is very basic.  I admire people like Loretta Sugg, James Bentley and the entire Palmer family women who have made some amazing dishes that made my stomach full of joy!

Four years ago, I needed to eat.  My boyfriend needed to eat.  But we were both lazy.  So, after a trip to the grocery store, the meal of the moment was decided.  It’s not delivery, it’s Digiorno.  A step down from a home cooked meal but a step up from Ramen noodles.

The pizza sat on the lower rack in the oven.   I smelled the frozen ingredients begin to cook and excitedly opened the oven to let the eating begin.  As I reached in to pull it out, I somehow forgot there was a top rack and burned my arm. It was pretty painful and pretty nasty looking.  So, now, four years later I have a mark on my forearm that is a permanent reminder of my cooking skills.

Well, you would have thought I would have learned my lesson then.  I assumed I learned my lesson. Until last week.  I had carefully weighed and cut over 15 chicken breasts weighing between 4-6 ounces.   When in competition prep, I generally cook my food a week at a time so I was happy with the meals that were to come.   The chicken was in the oven with some other protein.  As the timer went off and I took some food off the top rack, I went to move the chicken from the bottom rack up.

I should have known better.  I know that ovens are hot.  I know that oven racks are even more hot.  But that didn’t stop my arm from once again touching  the top oven rack.  I jumped as I felt the pressure.   Exactly one inch below my previous mark, I am now the owner of a new burn mark on my arm.  I think God is trying to tell me that cooking is not my calling in life – and I’m okay with that!  Or maybe he’s just telling me from now on to just cook with one rack in the oven.  Hmmmm……..

M.Y. July 2010