What's cooking in the kitchen?

                Imagine back to your childhood, and it’s almost dinner time….what do you smell? What do you see? What do you hear? In my family we all participated with cooking dinner once we were old enough to handle the stove, but before that my mom and dad would always make dinner for us. I could always tell when it was dinner time because I could smell whatever was cooking and I could hear the pots and pans clanking around or the microwave going. And when I walked upstairs I would see whichever parent was on dinner duty that night cooking.

                Now let’s think back a little bit more, do you remember what was cooking? In my family my brothers and I are quite picky so the range of what could have been cooking in our kitchen did not vary too greatly, but we had some staple items in our kitchen that are still there to this day.  And for some reason I cannot bring myself to buy brands of food that are different than what we used to eat as kids, even if it means paying more for them. Why is that you ask? Nostalgia would be the correct answer. Those different foods make me remember the good ol’ days before Sodexo food and ramen noodles for dinner. Those were the days when mom cooked my meals and I just got to sit back and enjoy.

                Now that I can cook for myself I tend to cook the same type of foods that I ate as a kid (at least I do when I am at home and have access to all the cookware needed).  I will make tater tot casserole, or cheeseburger pie, or Mexican mummies, or countless other things that I ate as a kid. Now some of you are probably thinking “what the heck is cheeseburger pie?” It is a delicious creation made by Bisquick. I’ve had a few variations of cheeseburger pies and none are as good as the one recipe that my mom made for us.  Bisquick is one of those brands that I will not trade for anything, not Hungry Jack, not Aunt Jemima, NOTHING. My feelings go pretty well with how this commercial coveys Bisquick (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoTfPv1i4og&safe=active). 

                I have quite a few brands like that, brands that I will buy until the day I die. I can’t buy any other brand of maple syrup except Mrs. Butterworth’s, I always get Hungry Jack mashed potatoes, and Act II popcorn, because that is what I had as a kid. Everyone has something that they will buy not matter what and if you think about it, it is probably because you had it as a kid.

                Psalm 90:12 says “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Does that mean that we should dwell on our past? Not particularly, but it also doesn’t meant that we should forget about our past. Our past is what gives us wisdom and the wherewithal to make good decisions in the future. Remembering the good ol’ days is a good thing, until you dwell on it so much that it causes you to forget about the future and what is going on right now.