What happened to the other me?

We gave Luke his choice of where to eat after the first day of school. "Red Lobster, because they have the best bread in the whole world!" And what did I say next that completely shocked both my husband and myself? "We don't have to go to Red Lobster for cheddar biscuits. I can make those at home."

Ponder that statement for a moment, please. Remember, I am the person who hates to cook, and I generally don't think I'm very good at it. I am the person whose child used to eat out so often that he would beg to eat at home! And suddenly, I'm the person who says "hey, we don't need to go to a restaurant, I can make that." And, I can tell you that the last few times we've eaten out, I've been disappointed. It just hasn't tasted that great. Even if I can't make exactly what it was we had at the restaurant, most of the time lately I feel I could make something different that is better.

Clearly something is wrong with me! We used to eat out 3-4 times a week, sometimes more. How is it that none of that stuff tastes nearly as good after only a month of diligent cooking at home? And I'm making weird things like poached chicken and brown rice! If you'd told me in June that I would actually prefer to cook at home because it tastes better, I would have told *you* to have your head examined.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still craving a few things "out" here and there, like Golden Corral (their pot roast is wonderful), Mexican (we've been eating at Los Loros for nearly 15 years; I miss the people as much as the food), Sonny's (they have the best smoked turkey), and Japanese. Oh, and McDonald's sweet tea, mmm! Yes, I can make sweet tea as good, if not better, at home, but it causes kidney stones, and I can't control myself with a whole pitcher of tea in the house. I have to settle for the occasional cup from McDonald's (just $1 for a large). But I've also really started craving some of the things that *I* make, too, and more than just my favorite dish. So strange.

Hopefully, this is a permanent taste bud change, and it will continue even after work/funding returns to normal (I've had a few nibbles, but most have fizzled out, and one is still hanging out there in "I have no idea" land). Until then, I'll just enjoy it. I can't say that I'm really "enjoying" the process of cooking any more than I was, but it does seem like less of a chore with the recent practice. And I really am enjoying the food.

Who am I, and what happened to the other me?!
Currently feeling: who is this person?