Coming Soon ... Quad Cuisine Segments

Jeff and I have started cooking together more in the last several weeks. He finds recipes online - or just creates them in his head - then he tells me step by step what to do, and I do it.

Here's a visual of the process:

Jeff gives instructions to me - I drink wine and cook - and somehow it produces a meal.

And that's how we make food together.

It's worked out surprisingly well so far. We've whipped up some pretty tasty meals.

I know that cooking together doesn't sound like much of a big deal. Lots of couples do this, right? Most people have at least some skill when it comes to navigating a kitchen, right?

Well in case you don't know the history of me in the kitchen, let me sum it up for you:

There is none. It doesn't exist.

Me and cooking have just never really gotten along. It's something I never was really interested in, and therefore something I never pursued.

Besides, I had a husband who could cook. Who loved to cook. Who loved to turn on music on the weekend, throw back a few cocktails, and churn out some delicious eats.

Well, that is until he was paralyzed and could no longer move his arms.

This isn't necessarily a new topic for the blog. I've written before about my first time ever barbecuing. How Jeff had to instruct me on how to turn on the barbecue. How to not be afraid of the flames. How to keep the barbecue lid shut when I kept wanting to lift it and check on the meat. How and when to flip the meat. How to carve it.

And he's done all of this without any physical demonstration. He's verbally walked me through every single step.

He is immensely patient.

I've become pretty confident on the bbq, at least in terms of turning it on and not being (too) afraid of the flames (my first time bbq-ing hamburgers was eye opening!) I handle the physical stuff and Jeff handles all the other details, like temperature and timing.

But things have been a little different for us lately in terms of cooking. We've started to do more stove top cooking. We're spending more time in the kitchen together. And I've noticed a change in Jeff. He's becoming interested in preparing meals again. He bookmarks recipes and makes up his own. He gives me an overview of what's on the meal agenda, then he breaks it all down step-by-step. He is really good at coaching me through a technique I've never attempted before (which is most of them), and he's playing a big part in helping me build up my culinary skills.

And the best thing is that we're both enjoying it.

So when we were in the kitchen discussing dinner a couple weeks ago, I told him that I think this would make a good segment on the blog. We've found a way for him to be a part of something he used to love doing before his injury. Except of course now his disaster-in-the-kitchen wife is the one wielding the utensils. Who wouldn't love that?

He joked that we could call it Quad Cuisine.

Which, of course, he immediately regretted, because it's all just too perfect to pass up.

I even made a fun little logo:

And so I've begun documenting the adventures of a cooking quadriplegic - whose family comes together to make fun, yummy meals. And from time to time, I'll share them on the blog.

Jeff always wanted me to cook with him. He used to say, "Let's make dinner together tonight."

And I never wanted to. And so, in our old life, we never did.

But now, in our new life, we do. We have to. Just not in the way he'd imagined.

But it turns out that our new way of cooking isn't all that bad. He needs me and I need him. And that combination is proving to be a pretty great thing.

Here's a little preview:

Thanks to my father in law for taking this one!

My selfie stick is coming in handy!

Even Evie is developing her skills in the kitchen. So far, pounding the chicken is her favorite.

More to come soon!!