Quirky Cooking

Quirky Cooking

Am I the only one who starts dinner and walks away to work on the computer or finish up something else - suddenly to be jolted into remembering dinner is cooking by the smell of something burning?

Honestly, one would think after being  the household cook for over 40 years, I would have learned by now that I am easily distracted and have a tendency to burn or at the very least, over cook dinner.  But, Nooooooo! it still happens.

In our house when I made rolls with dinner, it was sort of assumed that they would be a little dry.  Actually, that is not true.  It was assumed they would be so dry, we could use them to build a patio in the back yard.  Thus, when the kids asked what was for dinner, the menu might have been recited something like this: 'Beef Stew, Salad and Patio Blocks'. (i.e. rolls)  My daughter-in-law lovingly refers to my cube steaks as "foot steaks".  I am not offended by this because it is true.  My pork chops were so tough and dry they would inevitably land in someone's lap while they were trying to cut them.  To this day, we still refer to them as "lap chops". 

In the early years of our marriage, I was devastated when dinner would be burnt.  I wanted to be the best wife and mother ever.  I wanted to fill those tummies with food they thought was delicious.  Over time though, all 4 kids and my wonderful, understanding husband just accepted it as a part of life.  I am who I am.  And I cook how I cook.

We found it wasn't the meal that was so important -- it was the time spent together 'at' the meal that was important.  It was the discussions, the laughter, the tears and the sharing that made the meal, not necessarily the food.  Although, the fond memories created over mom's cooking skills still make all of us smile.

You see, they love me in spite of my cooking skills.  That's the way it should be in a family.  Everyone has quirks!  We need to just accept one another for who they are.  Patio blocks, foot steaks, char-grilled cheese sandwiches and lap chops - the kind of cooking that makes a chef cringe but my family laugh and smile with acceptance, understanding and fond memories - because that's life in a family!

The take away from today's blog for families is:  It's important to sit down to dinner together as a family and make memories.

                                      "Love is patient, love is kind."  I Corinthians 13: 4a