Dining Out

Today is Saturday and both my husband and I did not feel like doing the normal tasks of the day. We wanted an adventure! It was lunch time and we decided we would go travelling and see if we could find a cafe or restaurant that might hold the promise of some tasty food. We are surrounded by several towns, all within a half hour's drive. We chose a town that we had not been to in a long time but knew of it. I seemed to have a dim memory of having lunch there once, at a rather quaint tea house. So, off we drove.
When we reached the city limits we began looking for a suitable establishment. We saw the usual fast food places but those were not for us today. We were looking for a "Mom and Pop" operation that would be cozy and filled with aromas that would make our mouths water. We turned on to what we thought was Main Street and searched, saw only one which promised the best Chinese food in town. Not a difficult promise to keep if you are the only restaurant in town.
We were slightly discouraged but not ready to give up. We drove further along the highway, still hoping for that tea house. Nothing. We turned around and decided we would go to the next community a few miles away. We had never been there but were hopeful we would stumble on to that eatery we were imagining.
This new town immediately looked more promising, but sadly the few restaurants that had the look we wanted, were no longer in business. We were left with Lee's Chinese Food. It did not promise the best food, but it looked clean. We sat down and ordered. The gentleman who took out order had dabbed on way too much shaving lotion, so the cooking aromas we had hoped for, were overpowered by his fragrance.
My husband and I could not help but laugh about our adventure which brought us to this small town. It was as unglamourous as it could get, the menu held no promise of haute cuisine, but we were still having fun. As we sat sipping our green tea, we looked around the dining area. On one wall we noticed large family photos of our server and his family. We decided that we did indeed find a "Mom and Pop" business. We enjoyed our meal. It wasn't the best Chinese food we had ever had, but it was good.
I can not remember how old I was when I first ate in a restaurant. Our family's idea of eating out was having our meals in the summer kitchen. Our summer kitchen was a granary, with a wood burning stove and tables and chairs. There was a real need for a summer kitchen as the summers in Manitoba were very hot and you did not want to cook, bake or can in the same house that you would later try sleeping in.
That summer kitchen holds a special place in my memories. I remember the times in it to be very warm and special. Meals were of great importance to our family. My mother was super cook and I believe she loved to cook. In this summer kitchen she would can the produce from the garden: peas, corn, carrots and beets. She would also can the fruits that we grew on the farm, strawberries and raspberries, and the wild ones the family would pick, blueberries, saskatoon berries, and cranberries. We were never lacking for cranberry jam. It was the last to go. My mother also canned chicken and freshly caught fish. Suckers, we called them. She also picked wild mushrooms and canned them. She would fry these mushrooms in butter and make a creamy sauce and I just loved them.
At harvest time, the summer kitchen was were all the workers ate. We called the crew the "Threshing Gang". This crew was made up of my father and brothers and neighbours, and sometimes even hired help. The two things I remember that we served were creamed tomato soup and corn on the cob. The soup was Campbell's but with some extra stuff thrown in, including elbow macaroni. It was mmmm-mmmm good! The hired men were always complimentary to my mother and I know she liked that. Sometimes family members take good food for granted.
I don't remember my mother ever sitting down to eat. I like to think that after the men left, she and I sat and enjoyed our meal together.