Not a Foodie Really

I learned to cook when I was 9 years old.  I remember the first thing I learned to cook for the family was spaghetti and meatballs. We were living in an apartment not that far from where we live now. We lived on the second floor in apartment F. My parents were down the hall at Mrs. Johnson's house, whom everyone called Big Mama. They were there talking and socializing and I got hungry and so I decided to try to make dinner and that is what I came up with spaghetti and meatballs. I read the directions for the pasta and I had seen my mom make meatballs a million times so I knew how to do it in my sleep.  The next time I made something was French fries. I peeled the potatoes and fried them and at that time it was the snack of the building. All the kids knew how to make French fries and we would all go inside to make them when we got hungry and come back outside when we were done. After that over time I learned how to cook many more things. By the time I was 12 I could not only cook and bake but clean the kitchen afterwards which was mandatory in my family if you cooked you washed dishes and even if you didn't cook you washed dishes.

So, I have been cooking for over 40 something years and when I didn't have to do it every single day I liked it better. I am in no way a foodie. When I lived alone sandwich night was every Thursday and pizza night was every other Friday. And I only had to feed myself.

When I had my son I didn't cook every night because my mom would cook almost every night. She was kind of control freak and did most of the cooking back then and so I was more then happy to let her control the cooking. Especially when we lived in my grandmother's house she really had the cooking spirit. I think my grandmother's spirit took over her body. LOL Or maybe it was that for the first time ever we had a big kitchen and the kitchen was not three feet from the bathroom and more then 3 people could fit in the kitchen at one time and not be smashed together and you feel like 3's a crowd and 4 was not possible. The stove was nice and the oven even had a built in microwave and confection oven. My favorite appliance was the dishwasher.  So, she cooked just about every night and I do believe that she liked it. She had even started baking and my mom never really baked anything. But, she started baking cakes for birthdays and special holidays. It was like she was truly at home.

Fast forward to now and my mom has not been in the kitchen for years to cook. The last time she was in the kitchen was to make a sandwich and that was at least 3 years ago. So, I have been cooking more meals then I can count on my fingers and toes since that time. And of course my mom always has something to say about something that I cook. I expected that though. And come to just agree with her and that's that. She still loves to be right and I just let her be right as much as I can.

But, if I could afford a cook I would. I would have this cook come over at least 4 times per week and make dinner. Possibly breakfast and lunch too. (LOL) I think I have done enough cooking to last me for a lifetime. Like I said I am no foodie and don't really have any kind of passion for cooking. I like good food though but don't exactly have the desire to cook it everyday. I joked with my friend that sometimes I feel like a short order cook. She laughed and said that I wasn't that short.