Our olfactory senses are very keen. Cooking aromas, when you’re hungry, evoke feelings of warmth and love. “What smells so good?” was always my first question walking through the door.  The good cooking smells envelop you. They give you a big, warm hug. We show our love by feeding our family, our friends, our pets, our business associates, our neighbors. Good food. What could be better? We remember those that have invited us for a meal. We remember them fondly. Breaking bread. It bonds us.

When I was young, I hated the kitchen. So much work. Chopping, cutting, slicing, setting the table, dirty dishes, dirty pots and pans. Ugh.

I loved eating, though. Mother was a great cook. Dinners were so tasty. But it was always my job to clean up.

Mother had a bad habit. She tended to leave the pots sitting on the counter without soaking. So, by the time dinner was over and I got to wash dishes, things were hardened to the bottom of the pots. I could never convince Mom to put some water in the pot after usage so as to soften what was left at the bottom. Oh well, nobody is perfect.

When I married, I did not have a clue about cooking as I had avoided learning anything about the craft the whole time I lived at home. Learning how to put a meal on the table - one that was edible, that is, took time - a long time.

Eventually, it became a pleasure - mostly due to my change in attitude. Instead of looking at it as a chore, I regarded it as an art form. But it didn’t happen overnight.

This blog is a collection of dishes Mother used to make and those that I developed over the years. No, this is not the art of haute cuisine. This is every day kind of food. I also hope to get all you young ladies and gentlemen out there organized so it becomes less of a chore.

I realize young women no longer stay at home until they marry. I realize young career-minded men and women strike out on their own early in life. Some, sadly, fall into the habit of buying take-out or stocking up on frozen dinners. Those dinners never taste good and are surprisingly expensive. Plus, all that package material takes up so much room in the freezer. Big package - little food. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Let me take you by the hand and walk you through the process.  Then, when your significant other walks through the door, you’ll hear, “What smells so good?” and it will make you feel good, too.

However, in case you get an uncontrollable urge for fast food, click below and maybe win.

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