Cooking therapy

Alright people. I wake up in one of those moods where I can't quite work out why I chose to get up. The kids are making messes in the lounge room, the husbands tipped papers all over the bed. He calls it sorting out stuff. My mother is calling me, nagging me about an event I really don't want to attend. The garbage bin is over-flowing, the pile of washing is building up. There is a terrible smell of dirty, sweaty socks and stinky shoes wafting from all directions, where the hubby last dropped them. Someone has been careless with the tooth paste and there are long sticky swirls down the bathroom mirror! Do I get angry...NO! Do I yell...Well, yes just a little. But does it last long? Do I let it turn into a loud, whining noise? Do I cause enough fuss to cause the neighbours and surrounding community to peer over their fences to check what the racket is? Well, maybe in the past. In the past guys, but not anymore. Why? Why is my frustration turned down a notch? Why am I quite calm on the outside, though inside is seething with rage because I found a way to calm my nerves so that I don't explode! So that I can deal with the issue when I'm ready to approach it in a calm and rationale manner. I store my reactions, I don't dismiss them. I've simply learnt to put them on hold and assess the situation in a new light. The kids, yeah they made a mess but they are happy, not fighting! The husband made a mess also but he is throwing things away and sorting out and my mother....she will have to wait because I need to think about things longer....Everything can wait because I...I need to cook!
That's right folks. Some people unwind and relax by listening to music, some dance, some do yoga, some go for a walk or run which I also find quite calming if the weather is fine...But more over, even above this, to calm my nerves I love to cook. First I clear of the kitchen bench, oven, sink, to make some space. Then I choose a few recipes. Whether it be from the internet or books that I keep at home. Whatever seems easy enough to make and that I have all the ingredients for on hand...I cook! Often it will be recipes that require, beating, rolling, stirring, pouring, banging....All those kind of recipes that require much physical movement. The more harder the movement, the more you can really get your aggression out without ever actually resorting to hurting or hitting anyone else. You are getting your emotions out on that workable, pliable substance. You are in power! You have the rolling pin to squash and flatten, thoughts, the beater to blend out the frustration, the garlic press to squash and my favorite, that big solid whacking thing to bang and pound the stuffing out of the meat! So fantastic I tell you when you want to smack the crap out of something or someone just get a thick piece of meat and off you go!
Ahhhh, comfort in my kitchen...My sanctuary. Now, after all the hard works done and you have your tasty creations in the oven or setting in the fridge, your senses are filled with sensations of other kinds. The anger and frustration of the day has been physically dealt with and now you can smell the beautiful sweetness of the chocolate, the warm spices in the savory pie and the fruity tang of jelly setting in the fridge....Just some examples. Depending on what you might cook. How can these experiences allow you to revert back to to the ugly, angry, destructive thought patterns earlier. How can you not feel a sense of contentment and proud expectation of knowing that what you remove from the oven and serve at your table is not only going to be pleasing to your senses but enjoyed by everyone around?
Sure, at some stage, the children and the hubby will have to be addressed but I have a feeling that it won't be so hard given the fact that now my mood has shifted to be able to confront them rationally and this usually has a better affect.
So guys if you enjoy cooking, if it gives you a sense of calmness why not use it as a form of therapy? Remember, the house can fall apart people will always tick you off...But as long as you can cook...Then everything's alright.
Cooking therapy.. True.Comfort in the kitchen. Try it today. It works!

Unicornstar.