YouTube Project
The Cook-A Monster II
Here once again is The Novie trying his hand at cooking something for ELLE-1 (nicknamed Laurita in the video).
As you already know about ELLE-1, she loves to cook and eat...and since she does, she just couldn't resist adding her comments and preferences...pretty brave for a woman who liked to remain behind the cameras for most of this video!
Besides cooking some great food from easy recipes, one that we will share with you later, this was also an opportunity for The Novie and ELLE-1 to have an honest discussion about, you guessed it, the dynamics of a relationship.
A memorable comment from The Novie, for example, was for ELLE-1 not to get too used to him cooking. He's got a point. But before you take this comment as chauvinistic, consider the concept of expectations and routines.
To have an expectation is to hope for an outcome of a situation of experience. Given that, the idea of expectations does leave room for disappointment: If the expectation is not met, the person expecting it eventually feels let down.
To say there shouldn't be any expectations or goals in a relationship is not the point. In fact, it's healthy to have a few agreements and groundwork, or a core foundation, for the kind of relationship you desire--providing they are set with the mindset that they can shift and adapt. In this way, the mind can avoid unnecessary discomfort when a routine is suddenly changed.
So, in a way, what The Novie said was actually quite healthy. This way, when plans have to change, ELLE-1's brain doesn't have to explode!
It should also be noted: ELLE-1 fell into the habit of being a vegan...just ask her family. Her favorite foods since she was young were vegetables and rice. However, she also believes in "splurge days," where she can indulge in meat and dairy. She said that she has to fast and exercise afterwards. So why do it? She had this to say about it:
"It's for conditioning the body and mind for flexibility, and staying aware of my own habits. I don't like to be too rigid when it comes to food. I feel that stubbornly sticking to an eating routine, especially if you go away from eating the foods you once enjoy, can lead to more repression.
"Think of it in terms of a pendulum. The ends of a pendulum represent extreme sides: in this case, eating on a strict diet on one side, and eating any type and any quality of food on the other end. Neither end is good to stay in for too long. That is why I like to go over to a middle ground...and for me, this consists mostly of fruits and vegetables, little to no dairy, little to no sugar (except fruit and honey), and proteins like beans and legumes and nuts and soy, with the occasional lean, white meat like fish and chicken. In this way, I can stay in balance. But I still enjoy baked goods and candies and red meats every once in a while too!"
PS: ELLE-1 wanted to point out that The Novie meant to say "sibling rivalry" instead of "civil robbery."