Thursday, August 25, 2011

What's For Dinner?

Dinner. Such a harsh word.

Especially when you have children hoping that tonight will be the night they get to eat something else besides a sandwich. Something like a nice, hot meal. Different from her standard breakfast for dinner. Of course, when they aren't extremely hungry, just a smidgen; a small pang of hunger, they'd like to enjoy something petit, and delicious. Something without the word cereal in it.

These are thoughts she is sure her kids must think quite often. You see, cooking has never been her thing. She doesn't see or feel the passion behind preparing a meal. For her, it's just another chore.


With effort, of course, and a recipe, she can knock out some edible dish. Sometimes good. Sometimes "it's alright." And on rare occasions, actually "delicious." For some reason, though, she can't seem to find her groove in the kitchen.

Her husband did, and does. He would groove all day long. Enjoying every little detail it took to get the evening's dinner just right. Right down to the presentation. So, not only did it look mouth watering delicious, it tasted exquisite. He made anything, and everything. She and the kids would make requests and there it would be on their dinner plate that night.

Well, as it stands, hubby is not there. With them. He's making those great meals for himself, to enjoy alone, in his mountain-air apartment. He sends pictures, via a cell phone, so they can drool over his plate full of give me some food.

Really, he does that, not to rub in the fact that he is eating nicely prepared meals nightly or that he knows we definitely need him in the kitchen; but rather, it's his way to share with them. To maintain a connection. A virtual tour, if you will.

She felt ambitious guilt overtake her tonight. Dinner would be warm. Prepared, cooked, and served with her two hands.

Some might say she took the easy way out, making store bought just pop it in the oven meatloaf and Rice-A-Roni easy to make rice, but her kids really do love that packed meat and flavorful rice. And naturally she was thinking of them. Of their wants.


She gives herself kudos for making the rice with the homemade makes the rice so smooth stock her husband left behind, rather than using plain water. She felt a little chef-ish. Well, not really, actually.

Belly's full. Kids relaxed. She can now rest easy that tonight was a good fill 'em up dinner night. Her job is done.

Until tomorrow.....

4 comments:

  1. hey, when my Mom had a rough day, we had yoyo night. Your on your own, which translated into bowls of cereal and a lot of laughing attempts at culinary experimentation.
    Nice blog

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  2. thanks gene. i like that... yoyo.. i'm stealing that to use with my kids. :D

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  3. Your blog is lovely. I am in awe of what you and your husband are doing.

    And I love this post. Your "voice" is so engaging.

    Thank you for popping over to my blog the other day - really appreciate it.

    xx

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  4. Thank you. Thank you, Lucy. I, too, appreciate you reading my words. Daphne

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