THE SOUS CHEF

Due to an ineptness on my part to find my way around a stove-top and oven when I got married, it was a personal goal of mine to raise Mother’s Little Helpers who were, well, not as inept as their mother when it came to meal preparation.

For them to be self-sufficient, kitchen organization was key to my grand plan.

First, the kitchen dishes had to be at a level they could reach which meant I was the only mother that stored kitchen dishes in the bottom kitchen cabinets. Every kitchen where we lived had dishes in the bottom cabinet.

Second, the pots and pans had to be within reach as well. They, too, found a home on the lower bottom shelves.

It defeated my purpose of raising self-sufficient Mother’s Little Helpers if I had to always retrieve the dishes and the pots or pans for them.

One of the helpers loved to bake. Another helper liked to make pasta. None of the helpers liked to clean up the mess.

It was out of utter frustration that one day I was forced to call in late to work. The kitchen cupboards were bare of pots and baking pans. The counter-top and sink was full to the brim and overflowing with dirty kitchen equipment.

I found a large cardboard box in the basement. All the pots and pans were ferociously scrubbed; then the pots and pans from the kitchen counter were loaded into the sink so they had a turn at getting scrubbed and rinsed. Once dried, everything went into the box. The box went into the trunk of the car.  Off to work, leaving one small pot and one small frying pan for the Mother’s Little Helpers.

Outrage was the expectation from all. Instead, not a peep! The box remained at work for days while I waited for the outrage. I was so disappointed. The box was hauled back home. Pots and pans were restored to their prior shelves. In the end, Mother's Little Helpers did grow up to be self-sufficient in the kitchen. Except now, the pots and pans are in their sinks and on their counter tops!

SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: If you live near a pick-your-own berry farm or fruit orchard, involving Mother’s Little Helpers is a great way to purchase fresh fruit and save money. A bounty of berries can be frozen, made into a fresh jam or berry sauce for ice-cream, even smoothies for great snacks….while they last!