(Final Draft) Bringing the Family Together One Meal at a Time -Clajoie

“All systems go!” Jason boomed.

“Roger, preparing for take off!” I acknowledged back.

Sitting on the rust spattered remains of a jungle-gym, I began to flip switches in the imaginary cockpit. Jason, my brother, began pitching his voice higher and higher as the count down neared launch. Mimicking the rocket boosters, he started to make his way towards me as our imaginations took charge of the current space mission.

“Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Ignition!” I shouted.

As my brother and I shot through the atmosphere, feeling the Earth’s gravitational pull push down on us, our ship’s boosters detached and the main engines took charge…

“Chris! Jason! Dinner's ready!” Mother called out through the screen door.

In the backyard with the midday's sun gleaming down upon us, whether playing “deep-space,” baseball, or just plain rough-housing; my brother and I would always work up an appetite. Feeding two growing boys on a budget was a lot of hard work for my parents. It took time, skill, and effort to put the love into every dish they made. My parents always took turns cooking through out the week. Mom did the majority of the baking and prepared a lot of the meals that were time-consuming. Dad specialized in Brinner (breakfast for dinner) and always did the grilling for the household; burgers, BBQ chicken, fish, you name it, he grilled it. Both of my parents worked full time, but it was still important to sit down and eat together as a family every night. To this day, a few dishes still stand out and make me salivate every time I think about them.

My father wasn’t much of a cook, but the few things he could whip up would satisfy any appetite. One of my favorites when I was a youngster was his Wagon Wheel Pie. Whether he got the recipe from the side of some box or came up with the idea on his own, I don’t care, it was delicious! You knew Dad was cooking up something special when the pungent odor of browned sausage links and green onions filled your nostrils as soon as you opened the door. Right then and there, I knew instantly what he was concocting. This dish is very unusual. Almost a casserole, but not the typical breakfast, it has all the components that one would consider makes up a hot morning meal. Egg, biscuit, sausage, potatoes, and an assortment of diced vegetables that often get put into an omelet. With a dash of this, an extra teaspoon of that, my father had put his own side notes on the recipe card. Through the many years of cooking this treat for the family, he had perfected the art of the Wagon Wheel Pie. Splotched with grease, the ink on the card now fades from the occasional spill or mishap of creating this masterpiece in the past. The card that carries his secret is all I have left of this meal these days.

But my father's meals weren't the only fond culinary memories from my childhood; my mother is also a fantastic cook. Looking back, I can remember anticipating sitting down and eating with my family. Choosing a particular entrée to mention however is tough; there are many dishes that come to mind. One of my personal favorites was her Green Chile. It took a week to prepare the Chile, so like any impatient adolescent it was painstakingly hard to wait for it. Being teased by the daily preparation of ingredients made me just want it more. One day, it would be the intoxicating smell of pork browning in the skillet; and the next day your mouth wouldn’t stop watering with the smell of Hatch Chiles floating through the air. The hardest part about the wait was having the Chile slow-cook over a period of two or three days. All you want to do is taste it, and believe me I tried, but that was a good way to get your hand smacked and a lecture about how it’s not ready to eat. The day that it was finally ready was almost like Christmas morning for my brother and I. The table would be silent the whole meal because everyone was just smacked upside the head with contentment and a side of euphoria with the rush of endorphins flowing from head to toe. The Chile would last two or three meals; smothered burritos were enjoyed, but the breakfast burritos were worshiped.

The time our family spent sitting at the dinner table was priceless, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Bringing together our family with the incredible meals my parents prepared is something I am very thankful for and I hope to pass the tradition down to my children. I remember sitting around the table and sharing my daily events with everyone. Family time goes beyond eating, it’s a great way of communication and staying connected with your loved ones. I didn’t get to see my parents a lot growing up, but dinners brought us together. I hope to one day cook these wonderful dishes for my family and put as much love into it as my parents did for us.

Once again it would not let me reference photos.

Picture 1(Space shuttle)- http://astroprofspage.com/archives/1063

Picture2(Wagon wheel pie)- http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Wagon-Wheel-Breakfast-Pie (Fyi it is not the same recipe listed)

Picture3(Green Chiles)- http://nochoiceatall.blogspot.com/2009/10/hatch-green-chile-stew.html