I love to bake. I find baking relaxing, and it is one of my favorite hobbies. Cooking, not so much. With our often hectic schedule, cooking, especially on weekdays, is somewhere between a chore and a burden.

Once in a while, we will get takeout, but that can be a strain on a tight budget.

So I have become very proficient with making fast dinners. Sometimes, they’re easy and dull, like hot dogs, chips, and a veggie. But some of my fast favorites are much better, like smothered chicken, and tortilla soup.

Making meals on the weekend and freezing the excess for the week is helpful. So is cooking more chicken than I need for one dinner, and using the rest for other meals. And the farm share is a big help, providing a variety of fresh vegetables.

Of course, one of my kids is a vegetarian, and the other is still thinking hot dogs and chicken nuggets are the world’s best proteins. Thankfully, the vegetarian is self-sufficient, and while I often make chicken nuggets or hot dogs along with a meal, I have managed to get the child to eat un-fried chicken or sausage sometimes.

While I don’t love to cook, a good meal is sometimes satisfaction in itself.

I save baking for the weekends. Cinnamon donuts, anyone?