It is no secret that Zach and I have a special love....
For food.
Oh, and each other of course.
But I truly think we have a stronger marriage and love for one another because we cook WITH each other.
Yes, I love when I get the night off and he surprises me with dinner (major swoon!) but I also thoroughly enjoy the time we get together when we are both in the kitchen preparing dinner.
Now, before I lose you because you think this is all romantic fluff, I'll be totally honest. There are some times when I'd prefer to have the kitchen to myself...like seriously.."get out, you don't know how to cut an onion even though I know you've done it a million times" type of feeling.
I fully believe in the saying "too many cooks in the kitchen."
BUT, at the end of it all, we always have a delicious meal and we got a little extra time together, which is really all that it's about.
And to me, if you can do something on a regular basis that strengthens your relationship, you better be doing it!
So, if you're still on the fence on WHY you should cook with your spouse (because they'll never really be as good as you are;)) let me break it down for you in these top 5 simple reasons why I believe cooking with a sous chef is better than going it alone.
1. You get help - seriously, no brainer. But if you're having a hard time imagining your S.O. being helpful in the kitchen, let me give you an example of how even the simplest of things can be helpful:
I've had the pleasure of being in charge of our family's Thanksgiving turkey and bourbon cider gravy for the last 3 years. In addition to that, I've been making a cranberry sauce (don't knock it until you've tried mine), for the last 6 years, AND I believe my family has given me the "pleasure" of making homemade biscuits as well for the upcoming years. I simply could not get all of that done in time if it weren't for help. Even the smallest thing helps. When my hands are covered in spice rub and butter and I'm trying to transfer the 24lb turkey into an oven bag (thanks babe for helping!) without knocking over my baking dish (which has happened because I wanted to go it alone) or dropping the turkey, I NEED HELP. Zach is there to help me maneuver the turkey into the bag (every year, he helps with this), stir my gravy or cranberry sauce (thank you!), take the biscuits out of the oven so they don't burn (yup, he's done this too), all of it. If he weren't there for even the smallest of details to help me, Thanksgiving quite literally would be ruined. I'd really like to think I'm superwoman, but I think she's a liar if she says she doesn't have help.
2. You get better - I started cooking at a pretty young age, roughly 7 or so. But in high school is when I started making up my own recipes and trying new things out in the kitchen. However, I got comfortable. I knew what I knew and I liked it. Then welcome Zach. He had a couple recipes up his sleeve and shared them with me. Shortly after, we were in the kitchen concocting all kinds of recipes. For a long while, we made so many types of scones it was ridiculous; blueberry, ham & cheese, lemon poppyseed, strawberry, etc. It was never ending. Then at some point I remember trying to filet my own fish. It's escalated from there and now I'm making my own bagels, crepes, enchilada sauce, chicken cordon bleu, vegan cheese, almond milk, pizza dough and sauce, pasta, biscuits, caramel, shrimp and grits, burgers (vegan & not), vegan ranch dressing, breakfast bars, etc.
I have learned SO MUCH from Zach. Not always directly new skills, but the confidence to TRY. Because we know every meal could become a new adventure for us, we don't have the pressure to make it perfect the first time around. He is there helping me get better just as I am there to help him when he wants to experiment with new recipes.
3. You get to catch up - this one is simple and to the point. In a world full of technology and screens, it's nice to unplug and TALK to one another. This is the best time to catch up and discuss your day, goals for the week, gratitude, a new podcast you've listened to, anything. Step away from the phones and step toward each other.
4. DANCE PARTY - I can't tell you how many times our cooking has turned into him taking me by the hand and dancing with me. While the chili is simmering, or the potatoes are in the oven, he surprises me and leads me in a small dance in the kitchen. It doesn't always last long, but it's a reminder to slow down and embrace the little things.
5. You learn to work together in other areas - Cooking isn't exactly difficult, but it can become stressful when you've got too many things going on at once. When we first started cooking together, we had no idea how to work around each other. It was hard to "assign" what each of us should be doing to get dinner done in a fashionable time. However, fast forward 7 years later, we can walk into the kitchen and (almost) seamlessly cook dinner without even saying what we're doing next. I know that while I'm doing my part, Zach is doing his and this has filtered into other areas of our lives as well. It's helped our cleaning routine, renovating and remodeling, designing, taking care of the dogs, planning and executing dinners with friends and decorating for them. Themed parties? We got that down. Wedding coordinating? ON LOCK. I hope this makes sense. We work well together not because we cook well together. But we've strengthened that part of our relationship because we cook together.
There are plenty of other reasons why cooking together is just awesome; it can be sexy, develops better communication in other areas of life, teaches your kids how to work with others, you never stop learning about your spouse; likes, dislikes, etc.
But my number one reason why you should cook with your spouse?
YOU GET A MEAL OUT OF IT.