As a child I used to watch my mother cook. I would help her
prepare the peas for dinner, taking them out of their pods
and placing them in a bowl at the kitchen table. Potatoes
were washed, peeled and sliced and placed in a saucepan of
water. Meat was bought from the local butchers, taken home
and prepared fresh on the day. My mother would usually prepare
a dessert; rhubarb picked fresh from the garden, prepared
and made into a rhubarb crumble and served with home made
custard was not uncommon. Cakes were baked weekly for a little
something to have with a cup of tea. The family would "come
together" at meal times. I would hear about my fathers day
at work, the type of day my mom had, what kind of day my brother
had at school. I was able to talk about my day and if I had
any worries or problems. The kitchen was always the busiest
room in the house; the heart of the home.
At school we were taught "domestic science" which not only
involved preparing, cooking and serving a meal but also scrubbing
the larder floor! "It's all part of being a wife and mother!"
my tutor declared. If you didn't know how to cook, how would
you cope when you eventually married? "The way to a mans heart
is through his stomach", we were told. Whether this is true
or not I'm not sure but men, (and women) certainly appreciate
a good home cooked meal.
Nowadays a lot of people seem to be busy working full time
in high income jobs in the cities to pay for an overpriced
mortgage just to keep up with "Jones's". The attitude is "I
want, I want". Material possessions seem to play an important
part in their lives. Yes, it's nice to have a nice home and
a nice car and a holiday every year with the family but the
home is hardly ever lived in because everyone is at work,
the car sits in the driveway looking pretty and the holiday
is the only time the family have quality time together! No-one
has time to cook! They get home from work, take something
out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave and, hey presto!
A family meal! That's all well and good maybe once a week,
but every day? No wonder the population is becoming unhealthy
and overweight!
A couple of years ago I saw an advertisement on television
for a high tech kitchen. The couple on screen were admiring
the oven and hob, the stainless steel handles and knobs -
everything was black and silver and shone like a thousand
moons in a dark night sky. The woman suddenly took out a packet
of bread rolls, placed them on a tray and proceeded to put
them into the oven. The man stopped her in her tracks by shouting
"you're not actually going to use that, are you?" Yes, it's
nice to have a large kitchen with all the attachments and
gadgets but apparently, it's just something to look at and
admire, not to use!
There's nothing quite like eating a home cooked meal. Prepared
from scratch it is much tastier and more nutritious than something
pulled out of the freezer. It's also very satisfying to know
that you have cooked a tasty and healthy meal for your family.
Even if you don't know how to cook, there really is no excuse
as there are
plenty of cookery books out there!
So next time you go to the freezer or order a take-away, think
first! I am sure that your family would appreciate a home
cooked meal once in a while! Go on, try it - you just might
like it!
My name is Julie Stone and I live in Kent, England with my
son and five cats and I have enjoyed reading and writing from
an early age. My other interests include art, crafts and cooking.
If you enjoyed this article, you may like to visit me at http://www.squidoo.com/Minicart/
