Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

This was inspired by pet lover's-dad's-snafu-at-the-bank thread over on the General forum. After reading about her problem, I went in the kitchen and made pancakes and sausage for breakfast (home-made sausage, I'll have you know).

While I was pouring the batter in the skillet I was reminded, as I always am, how much I miss my mom's pancakes. My mom is a world-class pancake pourer. She made us bunny-rabbit shaped pancakes for Easter, Santa Claus-shaped and Christmas tree-shaped pancakes for Christmas, shamrock-shaped pancakes for St. Pat's Day, and her annual mid-winter masterpiece: groundhog-shaped pancakes for Groundhog Day. And none of these were little dinky spatula-size pancakes either. These were the big, plate-filling kind. I can't do it. Mine are just generic little pancakes. Maybe that gene skips a generation?

We all have someone back home who handles bank accounts and sends care packages. My mom's 81 and still makes a mean Christmas cookie. Don't wanna hear what you got in your last care package.

What I'm curious to hear about are the little skills and talents your mom (or dad or whoever) has that makes you miss them on a sunny mid-March Sunday morning.

[zappadelta]

That's a nice post. Although I can't really think of anything specific right now, it made me think of my mom and family, and that was what I needed.

[itaewonguy]

my mum is the BEST when it comes to events!
she could bake , cook anything better than it looked like in the cook book!
she is pure class! I remember my birthday parties my mum would out do herself every year! the cakes she made for me and my brother were so cool!
all the kids use to freak out and the mothers were just like OMG!
nothing fancy like wedding cakes, she would make real cool kids cakes! but I mean damn!! use to take her 2 days! things like rocket ships, or full trains and not skipping anything on detail! trucks castles you name it
growing up in OZ and NZ anzac bisuits were the big thing for us! and every year she would make those!
but I mean pretty much certain sundays she would cook up a storm in the kitchen which would empress a KING! when ever my mates came over to my house for dinner they were like! "dude, do you eat like this everynight"? umm like this?? naaa this is just normal! hahahaha
but naaa.. I mean my mum was a great cook and I really MISS HER COOKING!! my dad well becuase he is a restaurantuer he use to make some killer feasts on sundays! ususal thing was bringing home a pig or a sheep , which would have us like UMMM DAD whats that pig doing in the backyard? or why is their a sheep on the front lawn?
then 20mins later when I walk around the back yard my dad has just killed it! and is now skinning it 1 hour later its turning on a spit over the fire with an apple in its mouth! hahahaha this happend at least once a year!

so I guess my parents thing was food.. my dad was a master with the game , fish etc.. and my mum well she would do everything else..

damn I feel like going home now! thats YATABOY for bumming me out

[PEIGUY]

My mom made the best peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies and biscuits. Whenever we had family over for dinner they would always be watering over the cookies and the biscuits. My mom would often bake a batch to send home with them and they'd be gone within the day. I have 2 weeks left and now my mouth is watering!

[Rteacher]

My mom, just turned 76, is also a talented cook - mostly middle-Eastern stuff. She's featured in a cooking video to raise funds for the local Armenian church, and she always volunteers to cook for fund-raisers and to help the needy. She makes the best bulgur pilaf, sarma (stuffed grapeleaves) and spinach pies... She learned many Turkish recipes from her mother, who managed to survive the massacre by Ottoman Turks (after losing two kids to starvation) by working as a servant in the home of sympathetic Moslems in Istanbul. Her mother and father were both simple, hard-working people who suffered a lot but kept strong faith in God (even though my grandfather was a Communist for a while...)

She's recently lost both her older sisters (an an older brother) who she was close with, and she remains in close touch with their families. Although they argue a lot (especially over TV channels) she takes exceptional care of my dad, who has slowed down a lot at age 83. A light sleeper, she gets up every night to check to see that "he's still breathing"... She also puts up with his watching "Sanford and Son" every night - a show that she's never much liked...

My dad also loves to watch "All in the Family" and "Honeymooners" - and he obviously identifies with the "Ralph Cramden" and "Archie Bunker" characters. He is one of relatively few immigrants actually born on Ellis Island, and he was a very popular math teacher for about thirty-five years at Classical (now Central) High in Springfield, Mass. An avid sports fan, he used to take me to RPI and UMass hockey, football and basketball games, and we made the pilgramage to Fenway Park a couple times. He was kind enough to take me to a theatre showing of the first Ali - Frazier "Fight of the Century" in spring of 1971 - shortly before I left home to become some kind of "revolutionary"...

[canuckistan]

[Ya-ta Boy]

Ms canukistan,

I'm using the 4 year old twin boys' from downstairs and meat from the used-to-be barking dog next door.

Actually I just make bulk. It's the flavor that counts. I'm trying Garlic Sausage this week. Used some to stuff the roast chicken I'm having for supper tonight.


Other posters: You need not limit yourselves to cooking skills. For example, another of my mom's skills was rearranging the livingroom furniture on Sat. night, so we'd HAVE to turn on the light when we came home late.

[Ya-ta Boy]

double post

[pet lover]

My mother has never cared one bit about what anyone outside of the family thinks about her. As for those of us who belong in the family, our thoughts are worth anywhere from two to five bit. She does whatever she wants to do, however she wants to do it and you are either along for the ride or left reading postcards about it (if you are lucky enough to make the mailing list).

My dad? He was able to realize that he had some major personality defects and make some giant changes despite having already hit middle age, a period where most people are very set in their ways.

Great role models in all.

[mole]