who's in the kitchen

"What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander."

A friend shared this wisdom with me when I was a young mother. The point? If someone else offers to assume one of your tasks, particularly one you are dreadfully loathe to do even one more minute ... jump on it!

Such was my good fortune on Saturday night. My dh and dd (dear husband and dear daughter) shooed me out of the kitchen and got to work. An hour or so later, they called me to the table for a delicious new dish: lemon pasta! Tangy, parmesan-y, with spinach, grilled chicken and a baguette alongside. I couldn't have been more pleased. (Apologies to The Pioneer Woman: what can I say? This family usually alters recipes: dh and dd used spinach instead of parsley.)

Had it taken five hours of preparation for a bowl of oatmeal, I'd have been thrilled. Oh, the food was delicious. But sitting down at the kitchen table, having NOT prepared the meal was divine.

A side benefit, and you mothers out there might understand, was the time and conversation between father and daughter. Some of the best conversations with my children take place in the kitchen, so it was sweet and special to see it happen with dad, too.