Chopping Onions in the Kitchen with Mom
Oh, how I wanted to help out in the kitchen when I was a little girl, but my mother absolutely hated to have anyone else around when she was cooking, especially for holiday meals. One Thanksgiving I begged to be allowed to help out by chopping up onions for the dressing. Finally, Mom relented and let me give it a try. Sure enough, in spite of my best efforts to stem the flow, I was soon blinded by tears as the onion’s pungent fumes made contact with the sensitive membranes of my eyes. I am sure you can almost guess what happened next. Yes, I ended up cutting my finger with the knife. It wasn’t a terrible wound and did not require medical attention, thank goodness. If a trip to the doctor had been warranted, on a holiday of all days, then my mother would have never have let me forget the inconvenience. But she summarily took over and I don’t believe I was allowed to chop an onion again in her kitchen for a long, long time, maybe not even until I reached adulthood.
Oh my Mary! My mom had us in the kitchen as young and as often as possible and I avoid it now as often as I can. LOL
Thanks for the comment Kathy. My mom could not stand to have anyone in the kitchen when she was cooking. She didn’t even want you just sitting there quietly. I wish she had been more amenable to teaching me how to cook. I’ve had to learn everything on my own pretty much. Now she would let me help her when canning or making jam. I guess my assistance was worth the discomfort of having me in the kitchen then. 🙂