All That Cookin'

A Tribute to Mom on her 80th Birthday

How did you manage all that cookin’,
Staying slim and so good lookin’?
Seven days a week, three meals a day,
Plus special meals each holiday.

Fish on Friday, chicken on Sunday,
Spaghetti on Wednesday—What was Monday?
An egg for breakfast—no mistakin’
Once a week, it was liver and bacon.

Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas roast,
Dinner for ten—you were the host.
Taking turns with Aunt Mary Maker:
One would be chef, the other baker.

Finest china, serving platters,
Polished silver, it all matters.
Linen tablecloth, ironed as able,
Don’t put the pickle jar on the table.

And if a sit-down dinner wasn’t enough,
Later that evening, there was supper stuff.
Cold cuts, salads, chips, and Jell-O,
Another big spread—it must have been tough.

And don’t forget the Easter ham
Or perhaps a leg of lamb.
Ginger creams, Bananas Foster,
And even once—a 12-pound lobster!

Christmas cookies, covered dishes—
Almost everything was delicious.
Just one thing—I wasn’t too keen
On meals you served with Lima beans.

After-school snacks—kids like to munch,
And a husband who came home for lunch.
You prepared American Chop Suey
And banana cupcakes, extra gooey.

In the summer, what a break!
Up to camp, more food you’d take.
Burgers, hot dogs, sizzlin’ steaks,
More meals by Mom cooked at the lake.

No pizza delivery, no fast food deals,
No McDonald’s happy meals.
No short cuts from local delis
Ever touched our well-fed bellies.

Three hundred sixty-five days a year,
Three squares a day to keep us alive.
Multiply by fifty-five years—
You’ll get sixty thousand, two hundred and twenty-five!!

Pasta, tuna, beans, and rice.
I think we maybe ate out—twice?
How did you manage all that cookin’,
Staying slim and so good lookin’?

3/19/03