Growing up, dinner time was VERY important to our family. It was the only time of the day that we would all stop what we were doing to gather together to share a meal. My Mom never liked to cook and always looked at it as a chore she had to do each day. Getting that feeling from her probably had a lot to do with my desire to show people how easy a GREAT meal can be to make.
At the time, it seemed she just threw it together without much thought, but as an adult, I know that there is always at least a little planning that goes into making dinner. It may be just being sure to have meat out of the freezer so it can be thawed in time to cook or checking the pantry to see if you have what you need to pull it all together.
Even though she said she didn’t like to cook, my mom had some pretty amazing dishes she would alternate into her catalogue of weekly standards.
Many nights we’d have hot dogs or hamburger helper, but others… she made “real” dinner. Some I remember most are Country Fried Steak with gravy (a few times she would use beef liver instead of cubed steak thinking no one would notice… I don’t recommend this, they WILL notice), she made wonderful Porcupine Meatballs and a great Tuna Casserole. A lot of her great dishes have been inspirations to the mixes I create for Kitcheneez.
I’ve never looked at cooking as “just something I HAVE to do” but as a way to take care of the people I love. I can’t think of a better way to show you care than by taking the time to prepare something that they’ll enjoy. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time, skill or complicated prep work. You don’t have to use ingredients that you’ve never heard of and couldn’t spell if you had to.
Feeding yourself and your family IS important. Don’t let it feel like a chore, but something you get to do to sit down and enjoy those around you.
This is why I created Kitcheneez. We really can help you enjoy more meals at home, and we want to!
What are some of your favorite meal memories from childhood?
(Shown is our Chili Mac ‘n Cheese Skillet Meal- Dinner really CAN be quick, easy AND delicious!)
Lisa Shively~ owner of Kitcheneez, LLC