Posted on 06/26/2019 1:58:12 AM PDT by vannrox
You can go all over the internet and find all sorts of advice on how to keep your love and life alive. Here is mine. I argue, quite convincingly, I must add, that happiness can be had by any couple that enjoys fine food and drink.
There is an old saying that goes a little like this…
“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
Oh, it might not be all that popular in today’s progressive reality of gender-less, role-less, lifestyle. But it is a very strong truth. If you want to keep a family strong, tight, and together, make sure that everyone is fed with delicious home-cooked delicious food.
You know, there is something very special about home-cooked, home-made food. Now, certainly, it all doesn’t have to be made from scratch. What is important is the care and attention that goes into the food preparation. Then, once the meal is made, it can be shared together with your loved ones at a table.
Traditional meal In traditional conservative households, the meal is the MOST important event of the day. It is a time where family members can relax, talk about their day and life. It is a time where you can share experiences, stories, laugh, cry and just have fun all within a safe protective environment. The most important caretaker of this ritual is the housewife. For she is the rock, the anchor from the the family revolves around. Let everyone else play their games on their phones. Let them grab a burger at the local drive through. Let them steal bites while they are playing a game on the computer or watching the news. That is their life. Not yours. You and your loved ones can enjoy a meal together in peace.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, keeps a family together than delicious food shared together without interruption.
Vintage Christmas meal in the 1960s. After nearly fifty years of traditional housewife bashing by Hollywood, and the mainstream media, the idea of traditional roles and life is frowned upon as a throw-back to “The Handmaids Tale”. Well this article is the rare, rare push-back to that well known and well-understood narrative. It describes the joys of delicious food, and praises those rare special people who put all their heart and energy into cooking delicious nutritious foods for their loved ones. The meal
The most important meal, is of course, dinner. But here, we are going to concentrate on the second most important meal. Lunch.
And, of course, this entire article implies that the family members will somehow work out an arrangement whereas they can share a mid-noon meal together (and if possible) a siesta afterwards. It’s not always possible in today’s world. However, with some planning and preparation, it can be part of your life as well.
Of course, there are many meals that can be used for lunch.
I like steak and wine myself, but here we will concentrate on the most fundamental of American meals; the delicious soup, sandwich and icy cold beer. Ah, who doesn’t like beer? Who doesn’t like a thick and hearty delicious soup? And, for goodness sakes, who doesn’t enjoy a wonderful well prepared sandwich?
I met a few on the internet. They are ugly sad souls indeed.
Pepperoni pizza grilled cheese sandwich with homemade tomato soup. Pepperoni pizza grilled cheese sandwich with homemade tomato soup. When my Mrs makes this up for me, I get all twitter-pated towards her. She goes to all this effort, and it is so very delicious. Such care and attention, what a wonder! Food is a way for people can express their love for each other. Now, you do not need to make the soup from scratch.
Many times, the Mrs. would simply get a can of Campbell’s (creamy) soup, add milk or creme instead of water, and thicken it up with cheese and crunched up crackers. Oh, I so do love a thick soup. Especially something like creme of broccoli or celery.
I never really appreciated thick hearty creme soups until I was well into my 30’s. But, once I was bitten, I couldn’t get enough of this wondrous, tasty and delicious food.
Campbells soup Campbell’s soup can be obtained in China. However the American favorites aren’t all that popular. Instead, other favors are more popular like Borst, and clam chowder. The wife loves to take the can and embellishes upon it. Like adding rice to tomato soup, or thickening the creme soups into hearty delicious masterpieces. Now, buying fresh bread is pretty hit and miss here in China. If possible, we will buy a loaf of fresh french or Italian bread if possible, and then use it. However, many times we are stuck with the various flavors of sliced white bread.
No matter. The creative can certainly work out a great sandwich out of it. It could be a “Dagwood” with everything, to a simple grilled cheese. No matter what, I personally enjoy all sandwiches with a tomato somewhere hiding between the layers of meat and cheese.
A bowl of delicious creme of broccoli soup. A bowl of delicious creme of broccoli soup. I love to eat it “extra” thick with yellow cheese (cheddar) and saltines. It is so hearty and very, very tasty. You can make it from scratch, oh the person who can do this is a master chef indeed. Or you can “cheat” and use an embellished can of commercially available soup. Delicious Soups and Sandwiches
I think that it is a shame that many people in the United States today has forgotten the importance of soup and sandwiches made “home style”. Americans have grown up to accept high-caloric fast food alternatives as the preferred ways and means to enjoy lunches.
Typical diner food Most of the food that you can buy at a diner can be made at home for a mere fraction of the cost. It enable you to save money, and yet provide home-cooked, delicious foods for you and your loved ones, made exactly how you all like them. When you are saving such money, you often do not NEED to have a second source of income to support your accustomed lifestyle. By eating healthy, with carefully prepared meals by those that you love and trust, you can not only lose weight, but eat better and spend quality time together. Gals, listen to me. No man will leave a woman who is a fantastic cook. We’d have to be out of our mind.
Seriously. Name one man who does not like to eat. Name one.
Of course, that’s coming from a traditional old stogie like myself. I cannot tell you what Justin Berber, Bill Clinton, or Ellen DeGeneres would do.
Delicious sandwich. My wife constantly surprises me. She has made an all vegetable sandwich for me, and I could not tell that there wasn’t any meat in it. Seriously. All the vegetables were cooked. It was so very delicious, and she used just the right amount of seasoning as well. Amazing! There are so many ways to make the soup and sandwich meal special. Personally, I think that tomato selection plays an important role. I also think that the selection of the type of onions (if you use them) are critical. Red onions taste differently than white or yellow onions.
The bread selection is important. Potato bread makes for great grilled sandwiches with melted cheese, but the Italian and French loaves with big air pockets add a special kind of taste that really emphasizes the meats.
Sliced rye bread and meat for sandwiches. Thin sliced roast beef with cheeses condiments and sliced rye bread for sandwiches. Careful budgeting, and control of the budget has enabled housewives over the centuries to provide delicious and tasty healthy meals for their families. By careful budgeting, the household can be eating wonderful, carefully prepared nutritious meals every single day. The children would love to come home for lunch instead of eating the government-approved Michelle-Obama lunch menus. There are so very many ways to make sandwiches. You can go all vegetarian, or go lean on the meats, and go heavy on the delicious vegetables. You can lightly cook the vegetables, and melt cheese. You can add eggs, tuna, sausage, meat spreads, peanut butter, or just anything that you heart desires. Let the chef of the house decide. You will not be disappointed.
It’s female nature. Not all, but too many are like that.
How many stories have we all heard about long successful marriages that started out with the guy having to work overtime to win over an initially uninterested prospect?
The simple truth is men tend to fall fast and women quite slow. Your idea, where there is apparently some guaranteed quid pro quo of the woman putting out in return for the chicken special is essentially cheap prostitution.
Yeah!
There is a theme. They want sexy women but behave as though women are out for their money or otherwise ball breakers around here. Makes me picture them spending hours at a computer desk with a woman yelling at them in the background.
No, why do you ask?
I have the no devices at dinner rule. We eat together at least 5 times a week as a family and take turns cooking. Cant imagine not having family dinner. I usually put on some nice soft dinner music. Usually some type of cafe music from the countries dish we are serving.
I raised my kids the same way - talking to them all the time. My parents - especially my father - was incapable of relating to kids. He got home at 5:30 every day, fell asleep on the couch until dinner, got up for dinner, during which he said not a word, then went back to sleep on the couch until bedtime. A total dud who meant nothing to me. I was determined it was going to be different for my kids.
Nope. You mischaracterized what I said.
I inveigh against where the woman goes out for a neal with the premeditation of having a free meal then shutting him down ; regardless of how polished her post-prandial excuses and exit.
It’s the having decided in advance that makes it wrong.
*sigh*
Oh yes, none of that bad stuff ever happens with males. They’re pure as the driven snow. (rolling eyes emoticon)
It seems PAans don’t talk much, especially at the table.
My DH is one and geez, you’d think after all these years he knows how I was raised to talk at the table and might be more active. Then our pastor mentioned all by himself how his wife and family never talk at the table - also mid-central PA.
Basically, they want the sex. And nothing else. Only what they want.
It’s sad so many males seem to be that way, or at least are mouthing off like it is their way.
Luckily my dad wasn’t anything like that, nor my husband. I don’t think my grandfathers were, either, especially my dad’s dad. Yet they were men’s men.
Nah, some women are just hypocrites because they accept dates with men they have no interest in just to get the free meals.
“And when the woman knows in advance that she has no intent whatsoever of continuing contact or a relationship, it’s fraud.”
Definitely. I had a girl at my work who wrote a blog post about how when she first moved to the city and was hard up for money, she accepted dates from as many men as possible because that was the only way she was going to eat a decent meal. Never looked at her the same way again after reading that.
“So because HE made an offer, that he doesn’t have to, she is supposed to be reeled in hook line and sinker?”
No, she is just not supposed to accept the offer of a date with someone she has no interest in dating. Some women will accept it though, knowing it will lead nowhere, just so they can try to squeeze as much free stuff out of the man as possible.
“Your idea, where there is apparently some guaranteed quid pro quo of the woman putting out in return for the chicken special...”
The only one I see expressing that idea is you.
How often do you hear of women taking men out on non-birthday dinner dates?
“sponging off of someone else while implicitly promising something (a relationship) never delivered”
If women can’t accept a dinner invitation unless they are ready to promise a relationship with the guy our species is at risk of extinction.
That's servitude.
Going out with a guy, even out of pity or "I doubt it'll work, but I'll give him a chance" is fine.
Going out knowing you intend never to see him again, but perfectly willing to have him spend his hard-earned money to feed you, in his hope of starting a relationship, is bad.
They're two different things.
Not all women want to be happy.
Some want excitement, some drama, others to be the Queen Bee.
Others mistakenly throw it all away thinking they can do better.
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