Kitchen

[house_cat]

I've always loved to cook, but I wasn't always good at it.  When I think back on the first few dinner parties I gave and meals I fed to my friends and in-laws, it's kind of embarrassing.  They were always gracious guests, but I can imagine what they said on the ride home.

I guess it's weird that I even remember?

Do you?

[jeanlake]

I remember times when I wanted things to be perfect and would stress out over how the house looked and preparing the meal. I'd be exausted and kinda in a bad mood by the end of the evening -- and when younger, husband didn't help around the house (that's changed). My entire approach to hospitality added stress. Changed now.  

[Desertdi]

My ma would not allow anyone to even touch the fridge or stove.   They were "hers alone".    If I wanted something, I had to ask for it.......

When I got my first apartment, I actually FEARED the stove and fridge.  I learned to cook by watching Julia Child on TV.

[Carmie]

My parents owned a business ( restaurant with bar) and  they worked very long hours. Their hours were 7 am to 2 am.    I used to come home from school and there would be a note on the table that said. “Pork chops in the fridge.  Make mashed potatoes, corn and salad too”

I was cooking family meals at age 11 from scratch for seven people.  I thought nothing of it.  I also did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen afterwards with my younger sister.

I do not remember my first attempts at cooking.  I am sure I was very young.  Cooking is easy for me, but I have made a few goofs along the way...usually by burning something because I was multitasking ( on the phone or watching TV to be honest)

No one ever taught me...I must have learned by watching my mother.  All three of my children cook too.  I think they learned by watching me.  Once in a while one will call for me to go over the ingredients, but not too often.

[jeanlake]

@Desertdi  I wonder why the kitchen was the mom's territory. Same for my mother-in-law. My sis-in-law grew up not being able to spend time in the kitchen at all. She'd get shoo-d away, even while in high school. MIL poured cereal into bowls and place napkins over the top. When kids and husband were ready for cereal, she'd hop up and pour the milk and retrieve a spoon.     

[Desertdi]

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wrote:

@Desertdi  I wonder why the kitchen was the mom's territory. Same for my mother-in-law. My sis-in-law grew up not being able to spend time in the kitchen at all. She'd get shoo-d away, even while in high school. MIL poured cereal into bowls and place napkins over the top. When kids and husband were ready for cereal, she'd hop up and pour the milk and retrieve a spoon.     

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@jeanlake    I don't have a clue.....my ma lived to 97, and I still didn't know what made her "tick"...........

[RedTop]

Yes.  What I remember most are the poor results with my first biscuits, cornbread, milk gravy, and pinto beans.   In my family, if you can’t make those 4 things and fry a skillet of potatoes, you can’t cook!   

[Carmie]

@jeanlake  one of my friends and her sister lived with their single mother and grandparents.  They were not allowed in the kitchen at all.  They were not even allowed to get a glass of water by themselves.

my friend was my partner in home economics class.  It was sad to see her struggle.  I remember when her older sister got married.  She couldn’t cook, but her hubby did.  She was supposed to do the dishes.

 I was at my friends house when her sister called and her grandmother was telling her over the phone how to do dishes by hand.  I thought it was funny to hear the conversation, but it was sad too.

Parents should make sure their kids have basic life skills.  Some don’t and they don’t have them either.

[Snowpuppy]

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wrote:

Yes.  What I remember most are the poor results with my first biscuits, cornbread, milk gravy, and pinto beans.   In my family, if you can’t make those 4 things and fry a skillet of potatoes, you can’t cook!   

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I found that out the hard way!

I dated a guy from your neck of the woods. We went camping, he thought I knew how to make sausage gravy and wilted lettuce with dough. 

We broke up not long after. 🤣

[Nightowlz]

LOL!!! Yes I got married 8 days after I turned 18. I had no clue how to cook & neither did DH. I now consider us both good cooks.

1st flop I had was making a chocolate pie with a pie shell you had to cook first. We took a bite & I said something is wrong with this. I did not cook the pie shell. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I called mom 1st time I made a can of corn. She said put it in a pot & heat it up with butter, salt & pepper. That was easy enough.