Well, hello there, welcome to Mama’s Restaurant!
We’re a very casual dining establishment. You can roll in wearing pajamas, help yourself to a fridge full of beverages, and holler at the chef for refills of your favorites.
Confused?
Me too. Kind of.
I mean, if I got tips this whole short-order cook gig would make A LOT more sense. I mean, the hugs and thank-yous are great, but still — I didn’t know this was part of the mom career path.
When I became a mom, I didn’t realize I was also opening a restaurant. I didn’t realize I would be a short-order cook to so many little customers with very bold and specific requests.
But I totally am
Spaghetti with no sauce and extra butter? You got it! PB&J with light J? Sure! Only the orange and yellow veggies straws? OK! Scrambled eggs with a sprinkle of cheese? Watch me sprinkle! Fried egg with a broken yolk? Mama can do! Oh, you don’t like eggs? You’d like yogurt with granola on top instead? Be my guest.
See? It’s definitely time to add short-order cook to my repertoire of skills these days.
Now, some might argue that I should serve up our family meals with a take-it-or-leave-it philosophy. Eat what is served or don’t eat. That would cure this predicament, wouldn’t it?
If only I could
I think it goes back to my own childhood. I was a terribly picky kid. The only meat I would eat was deli turkey and my preferred vegetable was canned green beans or corn on the cob. For a few years, I called myself a “fruititarian” because if I could have just one food group, I figured I could live on fruit and fruit alone. I had legitimate fears over trying new foods and constantly worried I would gag.
So, I get food preferences. I want to be gracious with my kids as they try new things and explore all the truly delicious flavors in our world. Because guess what? We all have food preferences. It’s actually really normal to like your eggs prepared a specific way or your sandwich in specific ratios.
They won’t be picky forever. I can almost guarantee that every picky kid widens their food tasting horizons sooner or later. I grew out of it. Not until my 20s, but I did eventually start to try many new things, and now I’ll eat almost anything.
Yes, I’m a short-order cook
I’ve finally accepted it. I mix and modify and find alternatives on a whim. Every. Single. Day.
My patrons are pretty demanding, while also being pretty adorable, so I manage. They’re also really thankful. I’m happy they recognize my efforts to make their meals a good experience. We talk about food and make decisions together. Nutrition is an ongoing topic and the reasoning behind “please try that zucchini” isn’t lost to them. They try “thank you” bites of new recipes — even the ones that cause them a little stress. And, sometimes, they find new favorites.
As long as my kids are making decent food choices, I'm embracing the fact that everyone likes little modifications here and there — and wearing my short-order cook badge with pride.
