Family Cooking

I’m sorry I’ve been a bit MIA this month.  Things at work have been crazy busy, and I’ve been out of town every single weekend in May (and will be for the rest of the month…).  Needless to say, I haven’t been cooking much. 

This past weekend I was back in Pennsylvania visiting my dad and brothers.  When I’m home, I try to help out my dad and clean up the house - it’s a lot of work cleaning up after two boys - and I try to cook a nutritious meal, since I highly doubt they eat any kind of vegetable when I’m not there (they’re subscribers to the meat and potatoes diet).  While I’m usually on my own on the cleaning front, I usually end up with at least one brother acting as my assistant when I’m preparing dinner.  Cooking for my family has turned into one of my favorite parts of going home.  Even though it’s a lot of work, I like being helpful and get really excited when they enjoy something I’ve cooked. It’s even better when my brothers join in to help.  Cooking together has really become a bonding experience for the three of us. We’re all very different, but hanging out in the kitchen seems to be second nature to all of us (must be the Italian blood).  It gives us a chance to talk and is one of the times I feel like I can teach them something useful.  Showing them how to incorporate vegetables, make things more flavorful, or just teaching simple cooking techniques is a chance for me to really embrace the “big sister” role.  I value that time I get to spend with the boys, and we all get to enjoy the end result after! 

Cooking is such a great activity to spend time together.  The next time you are making a meal, simple or complicated, for a few people or many, I encourage you to ask for others to join in.  Use that time in the kitchen as part of the time you spend with others, rather than a task you have to complete before you get to enjoy time with your loved ones.