Boys to Men

It isnt just a boy band from the 90s.  It is my life right now.  My boys are 17 and 1/2.  They are not my little ones anymore.  I am having a hard time with this.  When they were born, they were early, sick and all mine.  Without going into the drama and heartache that brought them to this world lets just say that we were a match made for each other.  We were the Three Musketeers.

Those of you that know me outside of the cyber world you can attest to how close I am with them.  It was just the three of us for many years.  For 13 years we were just the three of us.  As they got older that Three Muskeeters analogy became more and more apropos.  I was Aramis, the self preclaimed boss, the one who had a plan and took control.   Aaron was Athos, a quiet whit that came out when you knew him.  His humor is generally underplayed but still there.  Then Nik was Porthos.  He was a good Porthos.  Large laugh, bright infectious smile and always finding fun in things.  Even if no one else fully understood it.  

We did everything together.  I took them grocery shopping with me and we did laundry together and I was always eager to put them in situations to teach them how to behave.  See it was just me, and them.  There was two of them and one of me.  So I had to be incontrol or they would have taken over!  I know basic math.  I may have be bigger than they were but they had strength in numbers!  I knew if I didnt make sure they knew who was in charge I was in trouble.

That is where cooking came in.  Cooking can be a great way to teach life.  Cooking has many aspects and much diversity.  Beside the types of food and the style the techniques add to learning about life.  Take baking.. it is a chemical reaction so you need to be precise (to a certain point) or you will end up with something inedible.  As you become more proficient you can learn how to tweak your recipe.  This is how some aspects of life are.. it needs to happen a certain way or you will have a disaster but once you have the basics down you can learn how to think outside the box, you are still following the basic premise but you can make it your own.  Stovetop cooking is a bit more free, you can play with flavors and textures and while it may not always taste good, you are have a higher possibility of it atleast being edible, maybe not palatable but atleast you aren’t making a mess.  Stovetop cooking is like being a kid and having play time.  Baking is more like the adult where you have rules and you learn what they are.

I started the boys cooking lessons when they were about 6.  We started off with the basics, PB&J and now to cook an egg.  Then worked up to macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and mashed potatoes.  We took on lasagna and the architecture of making a meal that built upon itself, and french toast and pies.  Now at 17 they can cook, and bake and can jam and set a mean table.  They may need a recipe card for somethings but they know the basics.  Some lessons were taught and learned in the kitchen, some out in the world.    I tried to take them from boys to men in just 17 short years.    I am hoping that these lessons in the kitchen will transfer over to their life.