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God knows, I am not a perfect mother. I never taught my children to be conscientious about cleaning up their rooms. I sometimes let them go outside without a coat, and just today, I noticed my daughter was wearing flip flops outside in 34 degree weather. But there was one thing I got right....
I taught both my children how to cook.
As soon as they could stand on a chair, they have stood by me as I taught them anything and everything. There was no rhyme or reason to our lessons; if I was making it, they were helping me however they could.
Now they are "tweens" and I’ve been teaching them the incredibly personal art of making pasta sauce. It’s funny how the children have taken this one dish to make it their own.
One thing about my extended family — each woman has her own recipe for sauce. My sauce borrows from my grandmother (a little bit of sugar and a LITTLE pat of butter). My mom uses a bay leaf. I do not.
Now my son and daughter have developed their own special recipes. Daniel adds kalamata olives, shallots, garlic, and red wine to his (fear not, I handle the wine for him!) Julia, always the independent one, has gone off in her own direction- no red sauce! Hers is almost a pasta toss — shallots, garlic, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, chicken broth, olive oil, a splash of fresh lemon juice, and fresh Parmesan cheese. They are true Italians, and do not work off a recipe. Everything is to taste.
My grandmother would be so proud!!! Plus, having kids who can make dinner is so wonderful when I really don’t feel like cooking.
Marie Cinti lives with her husband and two children in Penfield. A former college academic advisor and school counselor, she is passionate about community service and blogs about life in Penfield, books, events, and more. She enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and geocaching. If you have an idea for her blog, please email Marie at sfinkels@rochester.rr.com.
