Gradual and Non Traditional Resolutions

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     2016 will be here soon! As in, 2 days from now I'll start forgetting the date and writing "2015" on the boards, only to be corrected by my students, which will amaze me, because they're SO observant about the date but not about the math we're learning?!? Blows my mind.
     When I sat down to write this post, I didn't really have a direction for the content. You might have heard the saying that being a teacher is like having "a web browser with a million different tabs open in your brain,"  and if you hadn't heard it, well now you have. That is how I felt sitting down to type this post. Some examples of my brain-tabs, because I love lists:

• I'm planning on baking 5 weeks worth of baking challenges this week so I can say I finished my challenge "on time." 
• I'm finally getting over congestion from colds/bronchitis/colds/allergies and ready to work out again, and I'm trying to come up with my schedule to get back into it. 
• I am wondering HOW IN THE WORLD I will be able to wake up at 6am again next week for work.
• "I really should write another blog post."
• Many future plans were discussed with family over break- totally overwhelming at the moment.
• Still planning New Year's Eve events for when my brother and his girlfriend get into town this week. Probably should get that figured out.

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      Brain-tabs like these are often the cause of our failure at new endeavors. For example, let's say your New Year's resolution is to eat healthier. Good for you! So, January 1st you get rid of all your junk food and you only buy the healthiest stuff at the grocery store. Your breakfast, lunch, and dinner over the weekend are super healthy, you're feeling great, and then you wake up late Monday morning. You have your brain-tabs going crazy because you need to get to work on time and when lunch rolls around, you finally remember you didn't pack anything. Maybe you skip it, or maybe you go out because you NEED to eat (understandable). When you get home, you're tired and just want something quick for dinner. Your brain-tabs are trying to load for quick, healthy dinner that fits your New Year's goal...but all it can come up with is "order pizza. The kids are hungry NOW." And within a week, you feel like you've failed your New Year's Resolution already. Planning to exercise more? Your brain-tabs will, no doubt, come up with many other things that you need to do before you exercise, and eventually, instead of exercising. Having worked at a gym in college, and seeing people try to just adopt a healthy lifestyle overnight, I've written reports on gym usage year after year that prove this to be true. Wanting to save more money? Unexpected expenses are just waiting around the corner and, in addition, your brain-tabs will come up with all kinds of things you need, want, or forgot about. It happens-and not just to you!

     I noticed this trend early on in life- people just don't keep New Year's resolutions. I do like the idea of having them, because resolutions are rooted in self-improvement. Establishing a mindset focused on self-improvement is a very healthy trend in which society should invest. So, instead of spurning resolutions, I decided in college to try what I call "gradual" resolutions.  I figured that maybe I could approach a resolution gradually, and surprise, it worked! I kept the resolution all year. I tried it again the next year, and it was a success again! Rather than recounting my successes, I'll leave you with a list of examples of gradual, and non-traditional resolutions. Happy start to 2016 everyone! 

Traditional Resolutions, made gradual: 

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--> If you want to EAT HEALTHIER, try having a healthy breakfast once a week, then twice a week, then three times a week...and so on. Once you're happy with your healthy breakfasts, try adding healthy dinner once a week, twice a week, etc. HELPFUL TIDBIT: Don't approach the meal plan change all at once or you will overload. Repeat recipes- have the same healthy meal once a week for a month. Then, your brain will remember the recipe, so that when you're rushed for time, you have a brain-tab to load that is a healthy option!

--> If you want to EXERCISE MORE, there are several ways to do this. New to exercise entirely? Resolve to try a new form of exercise once a week, to see what you like. Then resolve to do it with increasing frequency. Need to get back in the habit? Resolve to workout with increasing frequency, and then add in resolutions to bring a buddy, find a new place to run, set a goal (time, weight lifted, distance) and resolve to meet it. HELPFUL TIDBIT: Make a plan and post it on your fridge, so others can hold you accountable or find a Facebook or social media group to keep you accountable. Whatever you do, don't ask my husband to text you and say "get off your butt, fatty," because he WILL do it. 

--> If you want to SAVE MONEY, make it gradual by saving a little a week, cutting out part of an expense, or learning a budget software at first. HELPFUL TIDBIT: Give yourself TIME to adjust. We started using a budget software last February, and it took us 3 months to truly feel comfortable using it, and that didn't involve any saving! While it was frustrating, since then, we've been able to save for several specific things, and that has felt great! Saving money takes time and long-term commitment.

--> If you want to make an INTERNAL CHANGE (being more positive, for example), you've got to surround yourself with the mindset before you can adopt it. Find some good books or blogs you feel are positive, are about having a positive outlook, or are even self-help books to guide thinking. Reading is an important part of an internal change. Then, find little ways to implement what you've read. Pay it forward at a restaurant or coffee shop, start a daily positive reflection on Twitter or other social media, or even in the privacy of a journal. Put positive post-it notes on your mirror for daily affirmations. Find YouTube channels devoted to giving daily positive affirmations. There is a lot out there!

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Non-Traditional Resolutions: 

~ Resolve to take better care of your skin; research your skin type and try different face washes to see which ones work best. There is quite a bit of research to read on the subject! Sally beauty Supply has great products, often cheaper, to try out. This includes finding a good sunscreen!

~ Resolve to give whenever you get. Birthday coming up and you've asked for electronics? Donate some of your old ones (research online where to donate different items). Shopping spree and you've bought  a lot of clothes? Clean our your closet and donate to friends or family in need, or to thrift stores. 

~ Resolve to question media and fact check. Find out which sources are reliable and which are not. If you hear something on the radio, don't take it as gospel because you heard it from your favorite morning show host- check it out in other sources to see if it holds up. 

~ Resolve to learn a new skill. Did you know there are websites, YouTube channels, blogs, and all sorts of free resources on the internet to help you learn just about ANY skill? People make a living providing online resources for learning, and you can benefit from them- for free! Want to learn a new instrument? Try your hand at Calculus again? Learn the art of photography (not just Instagram), cooking ridiculous foods, writing poetry, or travel trivia!

~ Resolve to be more thankful. Start by buying a bunch of Thank you notes from Target's dollar spot. Keep them in a place you spend a lot of time (by the couch, in the kitchen, etc.) to help you remember to use them. Make a list of people's addresses and print it out to post somewhere easy to find in your house. USE THEM. Ultimately, some part of a resolution involves YOU doing something YOU want to keep doing!

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CHEESY REFLECTIONS

I'm glad I finally started a blog this year! I had thought about it quite a bit, but wasn't sure I could make the time commitment. The first 3 years of teaching really are a bit of a mess, especially in terms of managing time to give yourself actual personal time. I know the blog title is a bit unorthodox but I truly believe it fits my plans for this little space in the internet. I've realized my writing is CRAP. I used to write so much, both for school and personally, and I've totally lost touch with my writing style. Writing at work is either on an average 5th (or lower) grade level, so ALL students understand, or it's writing legal documents (IEPs), both of which  leave zero room for practicing creative pursuits. I have a few followers and I plan to pick up the pace with posts, projects, and followers in 2016. Cheers!

A Crafty Christmas: Kids' Felt Christmas Tree (no-sew!)

     This was such a fun project! I saw the idea on Pinterest, looking at different DIY Christmas decorations, and immediately I thought, "I have to make this!" This felt tree has felt decorations that stick to the tree, so that it can be decorated and re-decorated throughout the holiday season. It is perfect for little kiddos who want to mess with the real tree decorations, which may or may not be something you want them to do. 

Now, I do not have any children. And despite the fact that my husband and I act like children half the time (examples: please note in these photos the Ikea "kids' track start line" rug which this crafting took place upon), I could not justify making this to put up in my own house. However! I am a teacher and therefore work with many people who have young'n of their own. My co-teacher and I got to work one afternoon making the trees and ornaments for our other co-workers. We gifted them just before our Thanksgiving break so that their cuties could decorate their own tree to start the holiday season! 

Photos

LEFT: The finished project, up on the wall and decorated 

RIGHT: A few ornaments. Some were plain cut outs (we used cookie cutters - heart, circle, bell, stars- to create patterns to cut out) 

  LEFT: We sewed glittery Christmas colored pom-poms on some of the ornaments. You could also sew on riff-raff (the zig-zag ribbon), ribbon, or other felt shapes if you wish. I recommend sewing instead of gluing, especially with the pom-poms, because those could be swallowed if they fall off!

RIGHT: Some glitter glue was fun for making the ornaments sparkle, and add personality. 

LEFT: The star atop the tree! 

RIGHT: How I hung the tree on the wall in a secure fashion that was also removable when Christmas is over. See the description below of how I used velcro and command strips to make sure the tree stays up!

Products

(for 1 tree)

~ 1/2 yard green felt (use the weekly coupon at a store like Joann's to save a bit on this!)

~ 1 package multi-colored felt

~ glitter glue (red, silver, gold)

~ spray adhesive

~ velcro sticky back squares

~ command velcro strips (refill pack)

~ glitter pom-poms

~ needle and thread, if attaching pom-poms or other decoration

~ hot glue and glue gun

~ newspaper or old cardboard (to put things on when you're spraying them with adhesive)

Process

1. Cut out the tree first. This way you know how to size your ornaments afterwards!

     Pro Tip:  Fold your fabric in half, and draw a tree outline on the fold. I did this by hand without a template, but you could search for a template to use if you needed one! Cut out the outline and open it up- voila! A tree!

2. Cut out a trunk for your tree from brown felt. I used the fold method again, so it would be symmetrical. But you don't have to be that attentive to detail...

3. Attach the trunk to the tree with hot glue and let it cool. 

4. Make your ornaments! Cut out various shapes in different colors, then decorate them with felt cut-outs and hot glue, pom-poms, or glitter glue! This is the fun part. Here is also where I sewed on the pom-poms. 

5. When your glitter glue is dry and you are waiting impatiently to be able to practice decorating, find some newspaper, old cardboard, or a concrete patio outside (but NOT on a windy day). Lay your ornaments pretty side downward on the work surface, and follow the directions on your spray adhesive for a "temporary adhesive." For mine, this meant spraying from a distances of 10 inches away and letting it dry completely before moving it. 

6. Spray the backs of the soft sided velcro squares and attach them to your tree. 

     Pro Tip: Place these at the top of the tree and then on the edges of the branches so the branches don't droop in once you place ornaments on them.

7. Once they are completely dry, place the command strips on the velcro squares so they attach, and then place the whole thing on your wall. Now you have a tree that will be easily removed when you want it to be (just peel it off of the command strips) and take the command strips off the wall. 

A Crafty Christmas: Decorative Letters

Decorating is on fleek! I'm pretty sure I used that phrase correctly. Right? I'm a middle school teacher, I don't actually know I just pretend I do. Regardless, decorating is the "in" thing to do now. Gone are the days where you have to own a large, swanky house in order to show off your home decor. The rise in popularity of blogs like Shabby Chic, discount stores like TJ MAXX and Marshall's, and countless shows on HGTV have finally gotten through to the public- "You, too, can have a beautiful place to live, no matter where that place is or it's size!"

One easy craft (even for kiddos!) to add some trendy pizzazz to any space are decorative letters. I'm making a few of these to give as gifts this Christmas, and personalizing the colors and accessories to fit the recipient.

Photos

Products
 
~ 3-D craft letters (this is a far less complicated craft if you use 2-D letters!)
~ colorful yarn or thick string
~ beads, buttons, jewels, or other adornments (check the button aisle)
~ matching felt (if using 2D letters, you probably don't need this!)
~ Hot glue gun

I purchased all of my supplies at Michael's and used a 40% off coupon, so the total cost was under $10 per letter. I got my hot glue gun a long time ago at JoAnn Fabrics; they have these low heat mini glue guns which cost $2.99 and the accompanying pack of gluesticks (~$5) has lasted me a few years! Definitely a bargain if you do not have a glue gun.





Process

1. Warm up the hot glue gun. Don't start until it is good and ready! Have more glue sticks on hand for easy resupply.

2. Start by wrapping the yarn around the letter; secure the end of the string with hot glue and let it cool before wrapping any more.
                 Pro tip: Designate one side to be the "back" and one the "front" of the letter; make sure the front is clean of any overlapping yarn or see-through spots where hot glue peeks through. If you stop to change yarns, for example, or if you're using a 3-D letter and have to stop to wrap around a different part of the letter (the middle of the A, in my case), you'll need a side where you can start and stop the yarn by gluing and it will look a little patchy. See below.

Front: All lines are pretty straight! No hot glue in sight!

Back: Note there are some wonky overlaps and
see-through spots. 

3. Wrap as tightly as you can. As you wrap, push up the already-wrapped yarn to make it a little tighter. This will prevent any see-through spots. As you go along, on the designated "back," put some hot glue every few rows of yarn, to keep it secure in case you need to stop and use the bathroom, rescue a pet or baby from eating something they shouldn't, or click "play next" on Netflix. Totally plausible situations there.
                 Pro tip: I found it helpful to make "strips" of hot glue on which to place the yarn, instead of blobs. I'd place the glue gun on the letter and drag it, so it left a strip of hot glue behind. Also, wait until your hot glue has cooled before continuing to wrap. No one likes burned fingers or hot glue tattoos.

There's a LOT of hot glue behind
that button, so I wrapped it in
felt and secured the felt with
 hot glue.

4. When you've finished wrapping, secure the end with more dots of hot glue. If you're using a 3-D letter, cut felt to fit any bottom/top spots, unless you want to get crazy and try to wrap that with yarn as well. Hot glue the felt in the center first, and then around the edges after you place it so that the felt strips are very secure.

5. Add something to either hang or rest the letter upon. No one likes a gift they have to do work in order to display! Give your giftee a way to hang it, if it's meant to be hung, or give it a little resting perch (dowel rod, for example) if it's meant to rest atop furniture or on a mantle. I cut a strip of felt and looped it, then glued it on the back of the letter so it can be easily hung.

5. Add your adornments and decorations. Make sure they are secure with the hot glue, gluing in multiple rounds if needed (let each round cool before continuing). If it sticks out from the letter, wrap some matching felt around it and secure it so that you don't see a pile of hot glue under the button (or whatever) or to help it stay in place. (See buttons secured with glue and felt to the right and below)

I placed this button on the side, and wrapped the edges like a rose
in order to hide the absolute mound of hot glue holding it to the side
of this 3D letter. Looks so much prettier now!

That's all! These are very simple, super easy to personalize, and this whole process took me maybe one episode of the West Wing. Possibly longer because I stopped to make popcorn, but that time doesn't really count against me. The point really is, under an hour to make this cute little letter!


Happy crafting! 

A Crafty Christmas: The Overview

I'm terrible at picking out presents. Terrible, I tell you! I always think that it's good fun to go and buy presents, but I am LAME at picking out good ones. Don't believe me? I'll put some embarrassing examples after the DIY list I'm sharing.

In the next few weeks I'll update this post to include some DIY gifts I'm doing that are a) not sugar scrubs, b) not junk food, and c) fairly simple to make (hopefully). I've got a few started, and one post ready to write, so here's the list.
(If the tutorial is another blog post, I'll link it as "tutorial." The project title will be my outcomes as they are completed.)

~ Birthday Calendars (Tutorial is already made but I'll link the new one I'm making)
~ Decorative Letters
~ Make-up Bags
~ Pencil Holder
~ Kid's Felt Wall Christmas Tree
~ Reversible Shoulder Bag
* edit: The strikethroughs are projects I had planned but just didn't have time for this year. Reminder: Start earlier next year!

And now, let me prove how embarrassingly bad I am at this gift giving game:

Example 1: When I was a kid, we used to pick names of our immediate family members at Christmas, and whoever you picked, you got a nice gift for them, so you didn't have to pick out something good for everyone. One year, when I was around 15, my giftee was my older brother. Slogan t-shirts were in, and claiming your inner video game nerd was starting to become popular, so I went to the nearest Hot Topic store and bought him a bunch of video game t-shirts I thought were cool. I specifically picked out this Mario shirt, with him hitting the mushroom (to grow, in case you don't know what I mean by "hitting the mushroom," obviously), and a caption that said "Size DOES matter." I thought it was a great Mario shirt! I was SO proud of choosing this shirt because you could dominate on the game when you were big Mario. I'm serious, I thought "Jackpot! I am going to win the gift giver of the year award for this." When he opened the shirt on Christmas day he kind of laughed and looked at my mom and was like "I'm NEVER going to wear this...who would even pick this out? I can't believe how awful this shirt is." I was horrified. Mortified. The innuendo of the slogan did not even occur to me in the slightest until he opened it. I had gotten my older brother a t-shirt with a penis joke adorning the front. I probably cried, I don't remember. It was terrible. (I most likely cried. Did I say that already?)

Example 2: One month into being married was my husband's birthday. I thought I was SO smart for having remembered something he liked and getting it for him. It was this Star Wars comic book. At least, that's how I thought of it. It's about what life would have been like for Luke and Leia if Darth Vader had been a real dad. I didn't know there were two of them, I just thought it was the one book. He had pointed it out months earlier and when I was thinking of what to get him, I thought, Oh! That book! What a great idea. He'll be so surprised that I remembered. The name of the book? "Darth Vader and Son." He opened it and looked at me- his face turned white- and he said "Uh..thanks. But you're not trying to tell me anything, right?" Once I realized that he thought I was trying to tell him I was pregnant, I was, again, mortified, and tried to defend it being a good gift still, even though I knew I had lost.

I know it's trendy to "DIY" your Christmas gifts, but making gifts has always been a much better option for me than choosing crappy gifts. It just feels better all around. Here's to the next several weeks being full of crafting while watching Christmas classics, or the West Wing (our current Monogamous Netflix relationship).

Polymathic gone social!

I'm branching out in the blog world and goin' social. I figure people don't always subscribe to updates from a blog, myself included. If they see an update on social media, however, they subscribe to those much more easily (myself included, again). So here it is, the link to my Polymathic Journey Facebook page! It's not much for now, but it's great to be able to post a quick pic related to the blog that I might not otherwise post to the blog or a witty update. There's really not any of those right now either. I'll get there...

Signature Baking

      One of the tasks that's kept me busy this fall was preparing an entry for the NC State Fair's Peanut Grower's Association baking contest. The theme this year was "Peanut Butter and Jelly" and the goal was to put a twist on the classic PB&J. I won't save it until the end, because it's not really a spoiler, but I didn't win anything at this contest. Apparently "everything submitted was amazing" and "there were a record number of entries this year" and also you could probably get a bit more creative with the PB&J idea (the winner made PB&J wontons...), however, these are my signature baking item. Every single time I've made them, people tell me how much they love them! So I wanted to share with the world, my PB&J cupcake recipe.

 The secret ingredient I use is my mom's homemade jam in the center.
There is nothin' like homemade jam. 

Sarah’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

Yield/Servings: 15 cupcakes

Prep Time:15-20 mins  

Cook Time: 20-25 mins

Ingredients

Cupcakes: Filling:

1 ½ Cups unbleached, all-purpose flour      strawberry, blackberry, or grape jelly or jam           

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder     

¼ teaspoon baking soda Frosting:

¼ teaspoon salt  1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (should not be “mushy” to the touch)     

¾ cup granulated sugar    ½ cup peanut butter

2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg white      1 ½  pounds powdered sugar (+ ½ cup extra to thicken)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract       milk, as needed if frosting is too stiff

1 teaspoon vegetable oil    

⅓ cup almond milk

Directions

Cupcake Instructions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in muffin pans.

In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer, add butter and sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy (using a paddle attachment if using stand mixer). On low speed, add the eggs and egg white, one at a time, until completely mixed. Add the vanilla extract and vegetable oil and mix. Continuing to mix on low speed, add the dry ingredients mixture a ½ cup scoop at a time until all is incorporated. Do not overmix. Add the milk and mix on medium speed for 20-30 seconds, or until just mixed and batter is smooth.

Scoop into cupcake liners, filling liners just over ½ full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Frosting Instructions:

While cupcakes are cooling, mix butter and peanut butter until creamed together smoothly. Add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Add the vanilla and mix. If frosting mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar until desired texture is reached. It should be stiff, but not heavy or thick in texture. Add milk 1 Tablespoon at a time if texture is too thick to pipe.

Assembly:

Take each cupcake and, using a small knife, cut a cone shaped hole in the center of each cupcake. Drop a small amount of jelly/jam into each cupcake, filling the hole to be level with the cupcake top. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes, making sure to cover the jelly securely (I used a large Star tip to pipe the frosting on the pictured cupcake, but round tips look good too!). Garnish with a small berry if desired.

Pinterest Soup Round Up

It's been a while! I was so excited to share my blog link with Facebook friends...and then I apparently fell off the face of the Earth. But really I just got sick. I'm finally feeling better and feeling way behind on many of my regular habits, including blogging. I've also gotten behind on: running, my rec soccer team, work at school, my baking challenges, socializing with people, pretty much everything. So I'll probably have several posts in the next few weeks as I try to get caught up.

Since I've been sick at the exact same time that the world is freaking out over how it feels like fall (y'all), I've been making a lot of soup. My husband is not entirely a "soup person," and he also hasn't been sick, so I'm sure he is tired of it by now. But if I'm cooking and I'm in the mood for soup, well then by golly that's what I'm making. He'll make a bagel if he doesn't want to eat it, which just means more soup for me, so I won't complain. Here are some of the soups I've seen on Pinterest and made in the last month, with a little review of each.

Red Thai Curry Soup (from Amuse Your Bouche)
Rating: Make again with revisions
Review: Everything I wanted in a curry soup, and the red curry paste added a nice change in flavor from the traditional curry flavor. I wanted it to be spicier (thanks, sinuses) but didn't add anything to spice it up aside from the ingredients listed. Next time maybe I'll add some red pepper flakes.

Sausage, Spinach, and White Bean soup (from Damn Delicious)
Rating: Make again with revisions
Review: I like soups with beans and a little kick, and this fit both of those categories because I used hot sausage. My husband and I both agreed we didn't care for the celery in this soup. It just didn't really fit in. I also did not make this in the slow cooker, and instead made it on the stovetop and let it simmer for about an hour. I really like the idea of this soup, but would definitely leave out the celery next time

Cheddar Ale and Bratwurst Soup (from Baked by Rachel)
Rating: Make again
Review: This was SO delicious. Probably because I put extra cheddar in it. Or maybe because it was the beginning of October and the world was all "Oooh Fall! Ooooh Oktoberfest! Oooh pretzels!" I had made some pretzels for my baking challenge that week and with Bratwursts in the freezer, I just had to make this soup. We ate it with the pretzels instead of out of bread bowls. Hubs said this was definitely a winner, and I agree- the flavors were strong and combined well to make a hearty soup.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Soup (from Katie at the Kitchen Door)
Rating: Make again for me, not for Hubs
Review: I loved everything about this, but the texture of it was not something my husband enjoyed. He said it seemed like it should be a bisque instead of a "hearty" soup, and I agree. I might use a canned coconut milk next time, to thicken it a bit more, but having grown up on my mother's potato soup, the texture of this soup felt familiar and comfortable to me. The recipe suggested serving the soup with brown rice and lentils. I went with plain rice and lentils; didn't bother me one bit! Adding the orange juice is an interesting idea for this soup, and it gives it a surprising citrus after taste. This was excellent sick day soup.


Soups up next on my list: 
- Chili, still deciding my favorite recipe
- Ribollita (from Erren's Kitchen)
- Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy noodle bowl, one of my all time favorites from Rachel Ray that I haven't made recently and I'm craving it again. My dad's wife made it at a family gathering several years ago and I've bookmarked that recipe and made it several times since then.


The "make again" rating system is something my husband and I use to avoid the debacle of having to say food we make is either not good or lying and saying that it is good even when we don't like it. He told me he was afraid he'd have to say everything I make is delicious, and then risk me continuing to make things that he hates. I felt the same way about when he is cooking, since he cooks less often (and I don't want to discourage it!). So if we don't like something the other one makes, we'll say "It's good, but not really a 'make again' good." No hurt feelings, all honest, and keeps us both looking for new things to make instead of eating the same things all the time.