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| Library of Congress: Sunday dinner on the McLelland homestead, 1942. |
In my shopping bag were familiar name brands of groceries. I had Campbells soup, Tony's Pizza, Keebler cookies, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I was waiting for someone, and just thinking. Then I realized that I had just bought convenience foods that took little effort to make. While this is common in this modern day, it takes away the joy of enjoying Mother's home cooking. If I had just bought some flour, sauce, cheese, chocolate chips, pasta and vegetables, I could have most of the ingredients I needed to make these foods myself.
Something is missing in my home, when my husband and children are more excited to see a grocery bag full of name brand foods, rather than being excited when I serve them a delicious homemade supper.
Have I really paid the convenience food industry to take away one of the most precious jobs of motherhood and wifehood? That of being the one to bring joy to the home by my home cooking?
Have you ever heard of travellers who eat in restaurants and diners, yet dream about sitting in the kitchen of a traditional home and just having a good home cooked meal? Can that even be found anymore in this day?
In my old cookbooks from the 1960's, there are sections with wonderful advice for the home cook. There are tips and tricks and detailed instructions which teach any aspiring cook how to make a good meal herself. With practice and time and a lot of patience, most homemakers can get back to the old arts of cooking. These homemakers can Take Back the Kitchen!
This will bring better health to our families, joy to their hearts, and a better quality of life. This will also create a bond and tighten the love and happiness at home. Much money will be saved when mother cooks her own foods. Children and husband will also have appreciation and gratefulness for the sweet lady in the kitchen who (gladly and willingly) takes time and effort to prepare their food.
Many years ago, when frozen dinners and convenience foods were introduced to the general public, skilled housewives thought it was an insult and refused to buy such things! How lovely it would be to have that same pride and capableness of taking on the joyous task of doing our own home cooking!
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
Simple and Frugal Living with a Waltons' Budget - Old Time Homemaking.
Homemaking Help - Pacing Oneself to Keep House.
Lovely Days at Home - A Home to Keep.
Mrs. White's special book for homemakers:"Introduction to Home Economics: Gentle Instruction to Find Joy in Christian Homemaking." Paperback, 200 pages.
- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -
20 comments:
Mrs White, I just HAD to say thank you for this excellent wisdom, and to add my heartfelt Amen. It also made me want to get into my own kitchen and rustle up those pots and pans with renewed enthusiasm.
Lesley x
What great encouragement!
I sometimes wonder if we've forgotten how to cook by scratch!
Thanks for a great post!
Thank you very much! I work hard to make homecooked meals for my family, to stretch our food budget, and teach the kids there's more than a box meal and frozen dinner.
We'd gotten into the trap of box meals and such, and the kids fought and screamed when I did more from scratch, and now they come to expect it. I seldom use a box anymore, except for Mac and Cheese--a few cents for the box saves me extra money on high dollar cheeses.
It's sad how our culture has gotten away from the home cooked meals and into the box/frozen stuff. Moms aren't home much anymore to do the meals and have them ready for their families. :(
This came home to me today. I always make biscuits from scratch, today, (after coming home and leaving my dead car in town, the one with the brand new battery!) I tried some with a mix my daughter has, Jiffy Mix, a cheap version of Bisquick, YUCK. it was lumpy and hard to mix. biscuits are dry and crumbly.. back to the real kind for me!
I used to be the one who liked the taste of convenience foods. My husband has always liked my cooking better (as humble as it is, especially as it was in the beginning of marriage). We moved to a small town with not many fast food options and the grocery store not very close. I now LOVE making homemade meals better than convenience or take out. Even not super healthy meals I make are loads better than boxed - such as Mac and Cheese. Plus, mine tastes loads better too! ;) Have a blessed weekend Mrs. White.
Since our grocery budget is only $400 per month, which must also accommodate holidays and company meals, I MUST cook from scratch. Our adult children's favorite part of visiting home is the home cooking. Mr.B's supervisor tells us his favorite aspect of coming to this profit center is his inviation to our home for supper. These compliments are priceless!
Mrs.B
what a blessing your posts always are.
I always do a lot of homecooking, by frugalities sake :-)
my dad always said Mom's cooking always tastes better when she's out of groceries.
neccesity is the mother of inventiong & just plain good food :-)
A subject that is so near & dear to my heart, Mrs. White. Times are extra tough for us right now....the adventure of unemployment is kind of a scary one! But anyway, I do believe that my homemaking skills are really being put to the test now! There are a great many things which could change for us, but the reality of homecooked meals for my family offers a kind of anchor, a constant.
I love studying up about various ways I can stretch things in the kitchen. For us, whole meats offer one of the best deals around, especially bone-in meats, because I make my own stocks. I truly don't know how I'd cook without having containers of that in my freezer!
There are so many physical & practical benefits to cooking at home, from as scratch as possible, and there are emotional benefits too! What could be nicer than to see the faces of your loved ones around you, or to hear complimentary words from visitors such as Mrs. B. mentioned in her comment, people around your table partaking of the fruit of your labor....nothing can compare!
Brenda
"Take back the kitchen!" I love that, Sharon.
We have dramatically cut down on processed foods in our house, but I would encourage you to serve yourself a nice helping of grace.
You deal with health issues and weakness-how you know I can empathize with that!
You are also a grandma now, and are probably helping to love those babies and teach their mama how to love them as well.
If there was a canned product labeled grace, I would be sending you some!
Your blog is a blessing. Thank you, Mrs. White! May I recommend Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig as a resource for those wanting to prepare home-cooked foods.
Mrs White, I really enjoyed this encouraging post. I hadn't thought about it before - how many people don't know what a truly home- cooked meal is. It is such a shame!
Linda
I just discovered your blog this afternoon. God bless you! This blog is JUST what I need.
-Alek
Mrs. White, you are spot on in your observation:
Have you ever heard of travellers who eat in restaurants and diners yet dream about sitting in the kitchen of a traditional home and just having a good home cooked meal? Can that even be found anymore in this day?
I was recently back in the US with family for a few days of vacation, prior to spending two weeks on a business trip. My aunt was apologizing for her homecooked options. I was quick to assure her, having the option to eat a healthy, homecooked meal (with the option of seconds!) was much preferred over a restaurant meal any day of the week!
I find people underestimate such simplicity, but really it's a hidden gem for those of us who travel for work.
Ah! You got me again, Mrs. White! I have been struggling lately with exhaustion which leads to> disorganization> fast food> overspending... Its a downward spiral! Thank you so much for your sweet words of encouragement... again!!!!
I really like this idea, that homemade food is about more than just the meal itself - it's about who prepared it, and their relationship with you.
I have to make a lot of things from scratch because we have food sensitivities in our family, but now that I've gotten used to it, it's amazing how simple grocery shopping becomes - simple, whole foods. There are a few things I buy premade as treats because they would be messy to make in the kitchen, like chips, but otherwise, most things are homemade.
Thank you for this. I am expecting and my energy level has been very low. My children always request biscuits and are thrilled when I make them. Nothing fancy, but nothing beats a fresh biscuit with butter and honey. I can't judge you. I have been wanting some Keebler cookies myself. :)
Yes, an encouraging post. I love to cook and bake, so this is not a chore for me , but a labor of love. Alot of young ladies don't know how to cook and bake and sadly, a box of hamburger helper is about as close to home cooked as they can get. The training of these young ladies would be a good start:-)
Thanks for following my blog, Mrs. White:-)
My husband's company had contractors in from Italy to work on a machine. They were here for a month and not a single person had invited them over for dinner. My husband offered to have them for dinner. It was supposed to be just two of the contractors, eight grown hungry Italian men showed up at my door two hours early. They were so appreciative of my American meat and potato meal with homemade dinner rolls and pies. They were so surprised to find me making my dinner from scratch. It was really wonderful for my morale. They requested a few pies to take home to their families...I have no idea if my apple pies actually made it back to Italy but hubby teases me about my pies being internationally known.
Hello and once again your post hits at the heart of the matter for me. I suffer from some debilitating disorders and have done since I was 27! It has been a challenge over the years to cook homemade! My youngest daughter told me that one of her happiest childhood memories is of my standing in the kitchen listening to worship music while cooking dinner for the family. She told me she hated coming home from a friend's house to see me laying down and no smells of food wafting through the home. Even now with life being just me and himself he is very thoughtful about my down days and will get a frozen meal for me to make instead of trying to cook when I'm really ill! I hate to say this but my feelings are hurt when this happens. I feel like I'm cheating on a math test when I have to cook a frozen entrée. I'm thankful for them as they do help keep him going when I can't but I really prefer cooking instead! Today I was able to bake some banana bread and the house smelled so good all morning! It was cool enough to open the windows too an added bonus! I'm glad this post was sent so I can be encouraged too!
I am always inspired by your articles. I would love to have a cookbook that you write someday soon that is full of home cooked recipes for families
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