Confessions of a TV Cooking Show Junkie

I have to say I love Cooking Shows on Tv - I love buying magazines just for the recipes and I love it when I go to mum and dads and watch the cooking shows on Cable TV.

Jamie Oliver is my favourite, Geoff Jansz is great and I enjoy Nigella Lawson and many more. I love the show Great Food Live and when I have a day off Ready Steady Cook - I used to enjoy Cooking with Huey but my dad put me off by saying he is an army cook and then when I would watch his shows I would have to agree. I would watch the cooking segments on Better Homes and Gardens and of course the reality TV show My Restaurant Rules - not that they did much cooking. My most favourite are the ones that have specials on wines and on cheeses....aaahh heaven...

When I was at home when the girls were babies I used to watch the cooking show religiously at 11am every morning with a pen and piece of paper and I used to write down the recipies like a mad woman (why didn't i think of using the video???). I love to cook and love to watch cooking shows and read magazines with endless supplies of recipies. Have I ever cooked any of these recipes???? I have to admit that maybe out of thousands of recipes - I would have only cooked one or two.....

Tonight Mal has invited a workmate and is wife and daughter over for dinner - people that I have never met and would have no idea what to cook. I look through my recipe books, magazines, zillions of recipes written on scrap pieces of paper. I asked Mal to ask them if they are plain eaters or adventurous eaters (this is a very important question) and do they drink white wine or red wine??? They replied they will eat anything (great!) and they drink white wine (even great!) as I don't drink white wine and wouldn't have a clue what to buy..

Anyhoo - after my brain doing overtime and scouring the thousands of recipes I came up with my favourite:

LASAGNE - What else....of course....why didn't I think of that earlier. Why is it that when we are faced with a challenge that we revert to what is safe and familiar - fear of rejection??? fear of experimenting and not coming up with the goods??? I suppose you should experiment on family prior to presenting it to guests - oh why didn't I think of that earlier - they will be here in 6 hours and I still need to vacuum, buy the groceries, cook and set the table - oh I better get going...

Then there is the conversation you have to think of - will they be relaxed easy going people? or will we just sit there and look across the table staring at each other thinking of the next thing to say. I'll never forget a time Mal and I invited over a new couple from the church several years ago and the conversation was so stunted that it was painful - at least 20 seconds in between each spurt - oh that was a painful night and glad to be over. Mal & I are easing going people and will talk about anything to anyone "not another Telstra story again pullleasse...." anyhoo

Some people you can just gel with and the night goes quickly and you walk away feeling "that was a really great night - we will have to have them over again" or you just stared at each other and talked about the weather and the news most of the night - "painful night - won't have them over again - ever". Then you pray for an opportunity to talk about Christ and what he's done in our lives - sometimes you can open up and no problems and other times its like "don't mention the war" if you get what I mean...

So I'm thinking...what is it going to be like tonight??? Complete strangers to me and to Mal almost - oh what have I gone and done - again...

Then there is the music to think of - do you put on some romantic classical jazz or latin or do you play christian music that has a message in it or do we put on our favourites Phil Collins, Sting, U2, Hunters & Collectors - this all relates to the atmosphere you know - wrong music can kill a dinner party...

Oh and then there is the awkward moment when they first walk in and you say hello to each other - do we take them to the loungeroom or go straight to the dinner table - do you offer drinks first and nibblies or go straight for the table and being the evening meal - and what if their child is a homewrecker and touches my stuff and wrecks things....and wants to eat straight away.....aagghh I think too much and I say I'm not a worrier - well this is one area of my life that I worry because I just want the night to be a beautiful experience for this couple...and to feel the love of Christ in our home.

Better go - Mal just sent me a text message - grrrrr......