So you’re grocery shopping. Again. Stocking up on food. And you’re probably wondering just how much space is left in your freezer. These days technology has done some amazing things for us. Never before have we had so many pre-made meals available. They’re quick. They’re easy. It’s great!

Except for one thing: they’re crap.

The meat is like a dog’s chew toy. Rubbery. Tasteless. Crap. The vegetables aren’t much better. The sauces are like plastic. And there’s enough sodium in one frozen meal to replace a cow’s salt lick.

But compared to the cost of produce and fresh meat, it’s cheap. And compared to the time and effort it takes to cook a real meal, it’s so easy. And let’s face it, how many of us today could even cook if our lives depended on it? With our meals at home, if it’s not a pre-made convenience dinner, it’s ordering delivery or take-out. And that’s when we don’t just eat out in the first place.

Really, it’s no wonder that even the crappiest of fast-food like McDonald’s can do so well these days. It’s not just that real food is expensive, or that we don’t give ourselves time to prepare a meal, or even that we’ve forgotten how to cook. It’s that our pallets have forgotten what real food even is.

Well bollocks to that!

Technology is great. But when technology has stopped truly enhancing our lives, and worse, when it’s a detriment to our lives, then it is no longer serving its purpose. So I say make a night of revitalizing your taste buds. Really think about what you’d like to eat, and then cook it. Yourself. In your home! And have fun doing it. Cooking isn’t a chore to feed a bunch of ungrateful mouths. Cooking is a joy of life to be shared. It’s all about the attitude! If you go into something thinking it’s going to be awful, you’ll be sure to make it so. But if you go into something with a mind full of wonder and fun, you’re going to enjoy it. And food is something that we really should get back to enjoying, not just for our physical health, but for our mental and emotional health as well. Any chance to add joy to your life is a chance worth taking.

Yes technology can make great improvements to our lives, but don’t forget to balance that. Don’t let technology replace the good parts of life with some convenient easy solution. Remember, you’re here to have fun!