solo post - LI'm a spoiled rotten mother. I have a daughter that has dinner on the table when I get home, that cleans out the dishwasher, cleans out the refrigerator and keeps her room clean. Many times I come home to fresh baked goodies – like these raspberry crumb muffins.
Several years ago we started a tradition of having my parents over one night a week for dinner. Many times Taylor would be the one to cook. When she was younger, 11 yrs. old, she decided those night would be real special – "welcome to the Pepper Cafe" she would say (Pepper was her first cat) and would give them a hand drawn menu for them to choose from (options for beverage or dressing, etc). Generally there was a theme ie. seafood, mexican, etc. The best part of it was she dressed up for these dinner nights, and I don't mean just cleaned up – she dressed according to the theme. Her seafood one was one of the best. She wore goggles and flip flops to serve dinner in. This is making me laugh out loud now as I'm writing this, thinking back on those creative years. (I would love to show you a photo but I know how embarrassed she would be if I did that – she'll probably be upset with me for mentioned this much.) She even had the waitress apron and note pad and pencil to take their orders. Anyway, it was a treat for my parents and she cooked some really nice meals - always something new and different.
These days she uses Everyday with Rachel Ray's $10 spot recipes and does the shopping but she no longer takes orders on a pad. And even though she no longer dresses up special for the occasion she does present the dish looking as if it came from a fancy restaurant. And it taste even better.
I tell you it's a treat, and I'm one lucky mom.
Last night she cooked
Salmon Cobb Burgers . It was one of her simpler meals but she had cleaned the entire house and did the shopping that day as well. Can't beat coming home to a clean house AND dinner on the table.
