Day 333: Domestic Goddess Part I

I have never been hugely domestic. It's not that I'm incapable of it, just that there are a lot of things I get more pleasure out of than preparing extravagant meals and trying to bake the perfect pie. I admire women who do these things with enthusiasm, though, and I have moments when I try to become one of them.

I had one of those moments today.

A good friend of ours is having back surgery soon. While he is recovering, his six-month-pregnant wife will be solely responsible for taking care of him and their other two boys, ages three and one. This is a lot for one woman to handle, and to top it all off, she has a job! I wanted to help them out, as the coming months are going to be hard on them. And it occurred to me that, if this incident were occurring on TV or in a movie, the friends would be dropping by with casseroles. So today, I decided to cook.

Now, let me repeat that I am not a gourmet chef. I am capable of following a recipe and making a nice meal, but my experience is lacking and therefore most of what I make is experimental. But one thing that I know for sure will turn out right are my mother-in-law's enchiladas.

If I can go off topic for just a moment, I'd just like to note that the day Karla gave me the recipe for her enchiladas (which I'd been eating with uninhibited enthusiasm for years) was the day I truly felt I'd become part of the Eames family.

I've made these in my own kitchen a couple time since then, and, while my dish never comes out quite like hers, the recipe is really no-fail. So this is what I decided to make for our friends. I cooked the meat, filled the shells, and laid my creations beautifully in their pan. Then I stirred the sauce and shredded the cheese. When I was done, I had created a perfect ready-to-bake meal. All my friend has to do is turn on her oven and let the enchiladas heat up.

When I dropped the dish off at her house this evening and she thanked me for saving her children from eight weeks of chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese, I felt like quite the kitchen superstar.

Slowly, but with enthusiasm, I am becoming a domestic goddess!