Creative-less Cooking (HELP!)

I am discovering with great intensity that I am a less than boring cook.

To illustrate my point: my meals’ main dish is often scrambled eggs. More often than not they’re even unseasoned. (Except when I am feeling low in sodium. Then I sprinkle in some salt.)

What can I say?! They’re quick to cook in the morning, easy to buy, cheap to buy, and they are filled with protein.

For my morning and mid-day meals I, of course, throw in some veggies and fruit. If my roommate made rice for a previous dinner, I’ll throw some of that in there too. I seek balance, if nothing else, in my food consumption.

I have been to several websites where I have seen many nice pictures of creative meals made. But how am I supposed to do this in China?!! How does a real person do this at all?!

When I come home I just want (not literally) to workout, eat some food, finish some work, read, think, shower, and go to bed. Food is not really my top priority or focus for the evening. Accomplishing tasks and getting to bed at a reasonable hour, THAT is my focus. Just eat and get it over with; THAT is my theme.

Adding wondrous meal making to my to do list just stresses me out.

And yet, my ways must be changed.

First, because of my running goals;

Second, for the sake of my roommate who must endure monotony on my cooking night (chicken – always quick, good, easy; spaghetti; chili; pancakes; French toast; scrambled eggs; PB&J; hamburgers;) and

Third, I don’t like being boring. (I want to be cutsie too!!)

How do I go about changing my ways, guys?!

If you all have simple ingredient recipes for slow cookers, send ‘em my way. I now know how to make applesauce in the croc pot. (I can also make some nice steamed pumpkin. I am working on making rice correctly in there, however. It’s always too soggy or too crunchy.)

I also realize that planning is essential.

BOO!

Why is life filled with so much PLANNING?! Why can’t I just spontaneously go to the fridge, pull out random ingredients, and make something satisfying and delicious?!

…Maybe this is why I lack creativity in the kitchen…

If someone would just show me how and why it’s worth all the effort. I would try to make it again. (Like I did after my Chinese friends showed me how to make jiao zi and fungus soup, and after I learned how to make a pizza crust…though I highly question the efforts made with the pizza crust.)

If anybody reads this…I look forward to some simple suggestions.

(Remember: cheese is expensive and “hard” to buy.)

As a point of “accountability”: I will be searching out ways to use more tofu (since I am in China, the people eat it, and it’s so inexpensive,) and I MUST master the use of the Chinese spices/sauces!! (e.g. vinegar, sesame seed oil, cooking alcohol, soy sauce, etc.)

I keep watching my friends, (too bad they don’t measure stuff out while they cook!) but my vegetables don’t taste as good as theirs…and they’re always so limp and brown, (from the soy sauce, not from being burnt. …Well, MOST of the time it’s not from being burnt…)

(Side note: Ironic that making food stresses me out. Ridiculous. GETTING food is most of the world’s stress. Guess they wouldn’t care if their meals were monotonously non-custie or not….)

…Maybe I won’t reform after all…

No. Hospitality and kindness towards others tells me I should. Maybe when I DO I can invite those who are hungry to share my food with me. (Well, why wait? Just do it now.)

Good. Guess I need to go find some homeless people...