Labors of Love…..
What is it that you would do without any reward or compensation? What brings you joy? Well, for as long as I can remember my Labor of Love has been cooking. Even before I was old enough to cook I enjoyed being in the kitchen watching the people that I loved cook. Some of my fondest memories were created in and around the kitchen.
I remember my grandmother, Virginia, cooking and the large crowds that would fill the house in great anticipation of the feast to come. I clearly remember the stories my mother told me of the beautiful cakes that looked like angelic dolls that my grandmother, Helen, would make. It’s impossible for me to forget all of the time I spent in the kitchen with my father, who is an amazing cook. I can’t forget how proud I would be as our home town pastor, Pastor Reid, would compliment my father on yet another great Sunday meal. One of the first things I learned to cook and perfect was white rice and an over-easy egg, simply because it is one of my father’s favorite meals.
Even though my mother says that she is not a cook, there are meals that I still request of her to make to this day. These meals take me right back to my childhood…cream of mushroom chicken, pento beans and rice, smothered hamburger patties with mashed potatos and english peas. Isn’t it amazing how a dish or certain foods can make a memory so clear.
I remember it like yesterday when Mrs. Dixon taught me how to make the perfect omlette. I remember my sister, Chericka, and I cooking in countless kitchens together. It is our unspoken routine to turn on some good music, split up the cooking responsibilities and enjoy our time together. I remember cooking for my brothers and always knowing that a dish was great when they would go back for seconds. I remember the smell that filled my freshman dorm when I made those large pans of lasagna. I’ll never forget all of the meals I prepared for my best friend, Candice, in our college apartment. I remember the first meal that I ever made for my husband. I knew I was in love when I prepared a three course meal for him.
All of these memories still make me smile today. Cooking has always been and still is…My Labor of Love!