Food Prep

For as long as I can remember, my parents have cooked homemade meal for my family. I would always hear stories of children who ate McDonald’s and Wendy’s every night, but not in my household. While we did indulge in a McChicken or a frosty once in a while, eating out at fast-food restaurants was not super common. My family had nothing against fast food, it is just that we preferred the time spent together during family dinners.

            Home prepared meals were cooked by my mother, who was a great cook. I vivdly remember her “recipe box” that she would keep under the kitchen cabinet and her and I pulling it out every night to choose a dish. The recipes were handed down and collected over the years, and came from grandparents, parents, friends, and cooking websites. I would ask, “how do you have so many recipes?!” I was nerous that I did not have any collected and would never learn how to cook. She told me not to worry and that one day I will have just as many recipes as her. I was always amazed by how many recipes she kept in her head.

            Grocery shopping was done by whomever had the time to go, typicaly my mother. Because my dad worked Monday through Friday, there was never much time for him to shop, other than on weekends. My mom was also full-time, but her hospital job did not require her to be there every day of the week. I loved to tag along with my mom for the grocery trip. Since I would a young girl I loved roaming the aisles and looking at all the different food options- I also loved the free sugar cookies from the bakery section. We made grocery shopping an enjoyable event, rather than a chore. My brother helped to unload and put away the food while my mom would start preparing dinner. When my dad would get home from work we would all sit down to eat and talk about our day. It was more of a conversation started rather than a formal meeting to share about our days. Dinner time has always been an enjoyable, family centered event in my home.

            One dish that I recall my family enjoying is my mom’s Taco soup. It was a blend of ground turkey, beans, corn, broth, tomato paste, and various spices. There may have been some other ingredients added that I cannot recall at the moment, but it never disappointed. It was a dish that everyone in the family loved, and it was also healthy! My mom always appreciated a health-conscious dish, which is where I believe I first developed an interest in healthy eating.