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