Growing up, we would make trips “back home” every year to visit family. We had moved all over the place since I was five and did not have a close relationship with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins simply because we hardly saw one another. We would talk on the phone every once in a while but wasn’t quite the same as being there.
One memory I have while visiting my grandmother (my dad’s mom), was watching her make dinner for the group of us – I want to say there were nine or ten of us. One minute we would all be sitting around talking and the next there would be a full spread of food out on the table. How did she do that?!
My grandmother could whip things up in no time at all and make it appear to be effortless.
A little more wiser (and a bit older), I realized she had some years of experience behind her and did some pre-baking before we arrived. But still, the homemade dinner rolls and mashed potatoes would magically appear on the table.
What I appreciated the most, aside from the good food she was able to make, was her efficiency. My grandmother’s kitchen was set up like an “L” shape. There was the stove, a small counter space and the sink on the longer side. On the shorter side, there was another small counter space and fridge. In the opposite corner sat a small round kitchen table with two chairs. The room itself was maybe 10′ x 10′. It was all she needed.
Funny to think that people will spend thousands of dollars to renovate their kitchens to make them bigger and better and yet never cook in them.
I have learned over the years to become a little more efficient in the kitchen. The toughest lesson was timing things out so that they would appear on the table at the same time – just like my grandmother did. Still working on the effortlessly part.
I have also learned that meals do not need to be an elaborate affair. Just simple good food and…
…some amazing people to share it with.