fruit salad

You know what I miss from childhood? Food being prepared for me. Someone handing me a sandwich and telling me it’s time to eat. All the fruit being washed, peeled, cored and cut to bite sized perfection. When I was at my grandmother’s watching television she’d toss an ice cream sandwich at me from the doorway. I didn’t even have to ask.

Now, as an adult, food is such a chore. I haven’t bought a watermelon yet this summer because that would mean I’d have to cut it to pieces. That’s a lot of work. And if you don’t use it all up, where do you store half of a watermelon? It always takes me a week to cut up a cantaloupe after I bring it home. I have such good intentions, but food preparation is just another thing on the endless list.

When my babies were little, someone asked me what service I wanted the most. A nanny to handle the middle of the night feedings? Someone to do the laundry (especially when I was in the cloth diaper phase)? Someone to clean the house? My answer was, “someone to prepare the food.”

I wish someone knew my metabolism enough to anticipate my next meal need and have it ready for me. And now that my babies are teenagers, them too! I am certain that with someone preparing my food, I wouldn’t grab something pre-packaged and fat-laden simply because it was convenient. I’d have Chef Pasquale keep the house stocked with plentiful and healthy food choices. Sigh. If only.

My mom assembled the best fruit salad. Some people ruin it with orange juice. My mom always has the right proportions of watermelon balls, cantaloupe balls, grapes, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. M-mmm. On any summer trip she’d cut up a batch and store it in the orange or green Tupperware. At our birthday parties, there would be the watermelon shaped bowl full of the most colorful and most delicious fruits.

Likewise, food was always abundant in the house. Now, my mother does admit to enjoying grocery shopping. She was a champ at making sure we had what we needed. (Now with Costco around the corner, I think she still shops for a full house.)

Yesterday my husband asked what was in the house to eat. I mean, I could have scrounged up some meal-like foods. But he drove us all to the grocery store and picked out ingredients so we’d have some meals for the week. That shook me awake. I guess I had been taking summer vacation a little too seriously.

I don’t remember my mom ever complaining. I don’t remember fruit sitting around the house and her willing it to wash, peel and chop itself like I do. (She is so great!) I’m not entirely worthless in the domestic realm. I do love to fold laundry. I find so much satisfaction in it. So, we all have our faves. Food just isn’t mine. Here’s to someday having a personal chef and endless vats of fruit salad! What’s your least favorite, yet necessary life task?