I've got that not so fresh feeling...

I've got a problem and so far it's not too serious but I sometimes wonder am I the only person who feels this way.

I consider myself to be a halfway decent cook and I think that Mr. C would agree. I like to experiment sometimes and like to take great pride in making sure that my food looks, smells and tastes appealing. I like to use my "good dishes" quite often and I'll set the table formally for dinner at least once a week - on Sunday's generally.

However, I've got a serious problem with leftovers. There's something about food that's been re-heated past one day that really turns my stomach. I can't stand the smell of it, the sight of it or the taste of it.

I listen to people who talk about cooking on a Sunday and then not having to cook again until Thursday or Friday and I think - how efficient and THANK GOD I don't live with them. Past one or two days even the best tasting meal loses it's appeal. I've tried to figure out why this is a problem and I think it's cause of what happened to me as a child.

My paternal grandmother was a fabulous cook and she cooked every day. My mother did not. My granny made every meal super exciting and oh so tasty. My mother did not. Granny was a fabulous baker who never measured a thing. My mother - not so much. Granny taught me how to cook and bake and my mother did not.

Now don't get me wrong - it's not that I don't love and appreciate all of the things that my mother has done and continues to do for me but she has no idea of about to cook just enough food for two days. She's been staying with me for a few weeks and I think that she's starting to get bored.

On Monday we decided to make a big Sunday dinner and I gave Mother the recipe for a casserole that I've made many times before and I knew would last for 2 to 3 days. I went outside to water the plants and when I came back and looked in the oven where there should have been one dish there were two.

Mother added some extra ingredients to "spice up" the recipe cause she felt that it could have used a little "help". In addition to the extra ingredients, she decided that she should double the recipe because the one dish would clearly not be enough for three adults and one dog. In absolute frustration I left Mr. C to deal with her while I continued to water the plants. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind but instead of overcommunicating - I decided to focus on something else instead.

At the end of the day, the pie was baked and it was okay but now we be eating the casserole until Saturday. I can feel my stomach churning already and the bad memories of not-so-fresh food returning.