Fast Food Revised

 

 

Since I've been working my time in the kitchen has been greatly reduced. There is a part of me that doesn't mind and also a part of me that has missed my soulful, culinary cre8tions! I worked full time, with two children for 9 years. When Pryce came along my dream was to be able to stay home full time. It was an easy decisions though I deeply missed the social aspects of my teaching career. All moms are working moms. Period! If you are a mom, you work and most of the time it is not just in one place or one job, there are many. I knew rejoining the work force would greatly expand and shift my perception and alas, I was not let down.

I've felt slightly guiltly for the abundance of convenince food that we've been consuming so I whipped out the knife and baking sheet and went to town on three large sweet potatoes. I've wanted to try this out for a while now though I needed to be home for more than one hour to pull it off! Food can be fast or at least can seem that way if you cook it slowly while you are attacking other chores. The only labor intensive aspect of making roasted sweet potato chips was peeling, slicing and seasoning the goods. I did this about as soon as I walked in the door so by the time I was done helping with homeworking, moving laundry, reorganizing the kichen, clearing some counter space, packing lunches and walking the dogs, our tasty, wholesome meal would be ready! Within an hour we could all smell the delicious aroma of olive oil, cinnamon and nutmeg covered sweet potatoes coming from the oven. Pop them out, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and voila......Fast Food Revised. At least it seems fast since I was occupied with other chores!

I am seeing things from a different view this month and has become clear that if I were working outside the home full time, I would be spending a lot more money on convenience foods and services. I don't think I would be saving much of my income because the first thing I would do is pay someone else to clean my house! I haven't had the slightest energy to do so myself! I would also be eating out as much as possible and buying more packages, mre's. It takes time, creativity and a heck of a lot of energy to run a household and hold down a job! Though I appreciate and welcome the added dollars in my bank account I can see a lot of old, unsupportive spending habits have croped up; "yes, go ahead and bring me a Jimmy John's sandwich and those tasty salt and vinegar chips, I don't feel like cooking tonight!" or "hey kids, want some hot dogs and spaghetti-o's again tonight?" or "just leave the mail on the counter, I'll sort through it....... next year..........." yes. I would become very lax in my home-keeping, child-rearing, and culinary skills if my energies were spent outside of these luscious walls! I understand more of what living to work or working to live means!

I have several intentions in mind for the windfall of income that I'll be getting (if you really know what teacher's get paid, you'll see the humor in those words!) Every bit helps though and after February, my Journey expenses on the credit card will be knocked out. Victory! So while my paying job ends, I see a lot more work opportunities piling up; sadly the payment is only my emotional satisfaction for checking off one more item on my to do list. Oh well, at least we'll be eating well again!