Has Home Cooking Gone out of Fashion?

As a child I used to watch my mother cook. I would help her prepare the peas for dinner, taking them out of their pods and placing them in a bowl at the kitchen table. Potatoes were washed, peeled and sliced and placed in a saucepan of water. Meat was bought from the local butchers, taken home and prepared fresh on the day. My mother would usually prepare a dessert; rhubarb picked fresh from the garden, prepared and made into a rhubarb crumble and served with home made custard was not uncommon. Cakes were baked weekly for a little something to have with a cup of tea. The family would "come together" at meal times. I would hear about my fathers day at work, the type of day my mom had, what kind of day my brother had at school. I was able to talk about my day and if I had any worries or problems. The kitchen was always the busiest room in the house; the heart of the home.

At school we were taught "domestic science" which not only involved preparing, cooking and serving a meal but also scrubbing the larder floor! "It's all part of being a wife and mother!" my tutor declared. If you didn't know how to cook, how would you cope when you eventually married? "The way to a mans heart is through his stomach", we were told. Whether this is true or not I'm not sure but men, (and women) certainly appreciate a good home cooked meal.

Nowadays a lot of people seem to be busy working full time in high income jobs in the cities to pay for an overpriced mortgage just to keep up with "Jones's". The attitude is "I want, I want". Material possessions seem to play an important part in their lives. Yes, it's nice to have a nice home and a nice car and a holiday every year with the family but the home is hardly ever lived in because everyone is at work, the car sits in the driveway looking pretty and the holiday is the only time the family have quality time together! No-one has time to cook! They get home from work, take something out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave and, hey presto! A family meal! That's all well and good maybe once a week, but every day? No wonder the population is becoming unhealthy and overweight!

A couple of years ago I saw an advertisement on television for a high tech kitchen. The couple on screen were admiring the oven and hob, the stainless steel handles and knobs - everything was black and silver and shone like a thousand moons in a dark night sky. The woman suddenly took out a packet of bread rolls, placed them on a tray and proceeded to put them into the oven. The man stopped her in her tracks by shouting "you're not actually going to use that, are you?" Yes, it's nice to have a large kitchen with all the attachments and gadgets but apparently, it's just something to look at and admire, not to use!

There's nothing quite like eating a home cooked meal. Prepared from scratch it is much tastier and more nutritious than something pulled out of the freezer. It's also very satisfying to know that you have cooked a tasty and healthy meal for your family. Even if you don't know how to cook, there really is no excuse as there are
plenty of cookery books out there!

So next time you go to the freezer or order a take-away, think first! I am sure that your family would appreciate a home cooked meal once in a while! Go on, try it - you just might like it!