Time in the Kitchen

There's a funny little cyclical relationship that exists with mommies and kitchens -- meaning, one element leads to the next, then that one leads to another, which eventually leads back to the original one... Makes me think of a doggie chasing his tail...

It is difficult to sum it up into one pithy principle. Maybe after you've read about it, you'll be struck with inspiration and you can share how to wrap this all up into one statement.

Basically, if I am too busy with non-mommy things, I spend too little time in the kitchen. Therefore, I end up buying fast food or pizza or whatever. Then, I notice I don't have enough money, so I pursue more non-mommy stuff to try to make a little extra dough, which makes me too busy for kitchen-time, so I buy convenience foods, which are far too expensive, and then I don't have enough money again.

I own a recipe book called "Dining on a Dime" in which the author, Tawra Kellam, says dirty dishes cause debt. No one wants to prepare or eat food in a dirty kitchen, so rather than spend the energy to clean up first and then cook, we tend to just throw up our hands and go out to eat.

This same cycle works the other way, though, too -- unlike a country music song. You know what happens if you play country music backwards, right? You get your wife back, you get your dog back, you get your job back...

Anyways -- back to the kitchen cycle. If I am devoting considerable time to motherhood, then I can be more focused in on how to R.A.I.S.E. kids -- and remember, the "E" is for eating, exercise, and energy! I will purposely spend time in the kitchen working on nutritional meals, which saves me money, so I don't worry about not making money. It's like I'm employing myself and paying myself with savings -- plus, there are myriad benefits that may not seem directly related to finances, but can impact them.

Eating homemade meals is less expensive -- we've established that -- plus it's healthier, which could turn into savings on the medical side of things. Making meals for my family can be quite satisfactory, if I have enough time to devote to it. Teaching my children how to eat -- and eat well -- is best done over the repetition of hundreds of meals together.

This also gives us bonding time and memories. I've mentioned before that I grew up with a mom who couldn't focus on maternal duties because, in the absence of a husband, she had to go make money. I have so few memories about eating together -- it was mostly a fend-for-yourself attitude in the kitchen. And two of my siblings ended up with alcoholism and two others with weight issues (which is a major concern for a lot of Americans right now -- two-thirds of adults, actually!) Could those trials and difficulties be decreased if not eliminated by having a mom spend time in the kitchen?

Well, they say there's no such thing as a crystal ball to see the future. However, there are text books to help us see the past. Acknowledging that society is going downhill is easy to do -- and if we can see what has changed that might be contributing factors to the negative impacts on society in general, I would point out the slow disappearance of the mommy.

I suppose I'm waxing a little philosophical there! I pledge as a mommy to spend more time in the kitchen, and to spread the love as I spread the peanut butter.