On Cooking and Costs

I've noticed sadly that many of the young mothers I talk to have even less idea how to run a household than I do. Now, that's pathetic, because I grew up in a family business. Literally. We came home from school to the store and stayed there til it closed. I felt like I had to learn how to be a housewife "on the job" but with no training. I'm still not terribly good at it. Compared to the generation of mothers just starting out, though, I'm a wiz. Many of them had working mothers and all of them were fed frozen dinners and McDonald's predominantly. I was told by one friend, "I only make one meal from scratch -- Hamburger Helper." Seriously.

The really sad thing is that their lack of training makes it so much harder for them to make it financially on one income so that they can stay home with their little ones or homeschool. For example, when they want a pie, they buy a frozen one ($3-5) and put whipped topping on top ($1-2). It's so easy to make a pie if you've been taught -- and inexpensive. Even if you buy the crust ($1) and use Jello pudding and pie filling ($0.80), but then make meringue ($0.20).

Dorothy Sayers in Murder Must Advertise once said that we pay extra to have our food prepared and stripped of all natural fiber and vitamins and then buy the fiber and vitamins on the side, keeping the wheels of commerce constantly turning. Well, folks, don't let those wheels run you down: Get a good cookbook like The Joy of Cooking [Nota Bene: Buy only this edition (1975) or an older one - The All New... has removed all that made The Joy of Cooking the one cookbook Julia Child would have on her shelf if she could only have one] or Mennonite Country-Style Recipes and teach yourself to really cook. Or better yet, make friends with an older woman who loves to cook and ask her if you can "come help" and she'll help you!