Cooking and Baking

It's Pancake Day!! I'm a lemon and sugar sort of girl, but I might branch out today and have something different on mine :)

Cooking and baking has been the only outlet for my creativity over the last few months, due to my limited mobility and energy levels. It started at Christmas when I realised I would have no presents to give my (almost!) in- laws. I couldn't go shopping for gifts, so I ordered my groceries online and searched for recipes that would make nice gifts. I made chocolate fudge, paté, mince pies, chilli jam and lemon curd. The chilli jam seems to be the favourite. I have since been commissioned to make it on a very regular basis, and have made (and given away) over twenty jars at this stage. The chilli jam is VERY tasty, and very addictive. It goes with most meals, and is now a permenant fixture in the fridges of my family and friends. My boyfriend worries that he may have to send me to rehab... some days I have it with lunch AND dinner :)

The thing about cooking is that it relaxes me. I can take breaks and don't have to work to anyone else's deadline. I also really love creating something from nothing. It pleases me to make people happy through feeding them nice things, a quality that I learned from my gorgeous mother.

I have been off work since my MS burst on the scene in October, and really missed the sense of purpose my job gave me. Cooking for people gave me my sense of purpose and achievement back. Cooking allows me to multi- task, use my organisational skills, manage my time effectively, be creative and use my own initiative in amending recipes to individual tastes.

Suffering with the symptoms that MS brought has definitly given me the time to explore other hobbies that I can take part in, despite mobility/ dexterity issues.
Cooking is my new favourite!