As we celebrate Mother’s Day, I was thinking about many food lessons I learned from my mom and live by. So here are a few of them…
Plan your meals.
My mom is a planner. She knows what she will make each week. It was the case when we were growing up and, as far as I know, it is still the case. This is something I am getting pretty good at. I love Sunday morning, as I plan and prepare all my meals for the week.
Leftovers are your friend.
My mom is the queen of leftovers. My dad always jokes about sacrificing himself to eat all the leftovers in the fridge. I see nothing wrong with making a tasty dish and eating it again several times during the week. My husband can’t (or very rarely agrees) to eat the same dish twice in a row and it drives me bananas. I don’t really get it. Leftovers are good! And you can even create new dishes by mixing up a few leftover dishes.
Create a balance between healthy eating and tasty splurges.
It’s okay to treat yourself to a nice richer-than-usual Saturday dinner if you spent all week eating balanced meals. What I get out of it is that if you indulge all week, not only can this be very harmful to your health, it will also lose its value. A rich dinner tastes a lot better if it’s a once-in-a-while treat! For a couple of years, Jeff and I would eat out almost every other day. It lost its magic. It was just a habit. We weren’t enjoying it anymore. Now that we only eat out once a week or less, it feels a lot more special!
Don’t be afraid to shop the sales!
Look at the weekly circular and see what’s on sale. Build your meal plan on these items instead of picking things that are out of season and overpriced. I’m still working on this. Some weeks, I just want to make whatever I’m craving. But overall, shopping the sales is always the best alternative.
Find your classics!
There are many dishes I associate with my mom. Some I like more than others. But those are dishes she knows she can easily whip up, whether she’s expecting guests or planning a quick weeknight meals. Although I am still working on discovering my own classic dishes, I do think I am starting to figure out what I can make more easily and dishes I enjoy repeating.
Cooking days are fun!
Several times a year, my mom plans a cooking day with her best friend, Lucie. These include “spaghetti sauce” day and “pie”(chicken, meat, fruit…) day. They make these once a year and freeze or can it. That is definitely something I would like to start doing when I’ll have a bigger living space (i.e. more freezer space).
Bonne fête des mères maman
et merci pour tout ce que tu m’as appris!
The Hungry Quebbie 