Let's Live as a "Happy Couple" - Mom Appreciation Day November Edition

I'm Taishi, and I love my wife!
(A middle-aged man with ambition | 👉Self-introduction)

Last time, I wrote about the purpose and activities of the "Mom Appreciation Day" that I do with my sons every month to continue being a "happy couple" with my wife as a husband and father.

This time, it's the record of the November Mom Appreciation Day.

November "Mom Appreciation Day" Meals

Since my eldest son goes to cram school at 8 o'clock, I woke up early with my second son and made breakfast starting at 6 AM!

Breakfast
・Super Ultra Deluxe Sandwich (sandwiched with cabbage, cucumber, salad chicken, sausage, and fried egg) ・Corn soup

I learned that when making sandwiches with lots of fillings at home, wrapping them in plastic wrap keeps them from spilling even if you pack them full, and it looks good and is easy to eat!

Dinner

I went shopping and made dinner with my second son too! ・Two-color rice with chicken soboro and scrambled eggs ・Pork miso soup with lots of ingredients ・Shrimp mayo ・Caprese

The two-color rice, pork miso soup, and shrimp mayo were chosen by my second son based on what he wanted to eat and what he thought Mom would like. The Caprese was my choice because my wife likes it. As a result, it became a collaboration of Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine! Lol

Lessons from the November "Mom Appreciation Day"

In the process of doing a series of household chores, I received some grateful teachings from my wife, so I am recording them as a memo for future level-ups.

1. Clean the dryer filter before running the clothes dryer.If there is lint in the dryer filter, it will only stay damp no matter how many hours you run it. "If you skip the first little step, you waste time and electricity. The next load can't be run. That's always how it is when you run the dryer."

2. Choose avocados that are brown and soft."Many of the avocados at Yokado are still hard and not ripe. You have to buy them thinking about when you want to eat them."

3. Check the home stock before buying groceries."You bought too many cucumbers. Check the stock before you buy. I'm the one who always has to think about using up the leftover ingredients."

4. After cooking, wipe not only the stove but also the floor."If there is oil splattered on the floor, it just makes me feel disappointed the next morning..."

5. Wash the pots thoroughly."After you wash them, they are always greasy. I'm the one who always ends up washing them again the next morning while feeling disappointed."

Ugh...

Even though the thorns in her words sometimes prick my heart, I deeply appreciate that my wife, as a wife, always naturally thinks of and takes care of even the smallest details.

With a feeling of constant gratitude, I must not make her say the same thing twice. Leveling up my housework!

At the end of the November "Mom Appreciation Festival"

And so, the November "Mom Appreciation Festival."

After receiving her grateful teachings and leveling up my housework, she was happy with all the food I made! Especially the shrimp mayo! My second son was also so happy that Mom was happy!

I mass-produced chicken soboro and shrimp mayo to stock up on ingredients for my eldest son's cram school bento, so the bento minister, my wife, now has a stock, making that mission a success too. My eldest son was happy as well!

Also, when I cook with my second son, my brain spins at full speed thinking about the order of cooking, how to divide the tasks, what would be fun to do together, and how to manage the limited number of burners, pots, and frying pans, and I'm finding joy in the process of the meal coming together. We taste-test together, talk about our impressions of the flavors, have strategy meetings to adjust the seasoning, and when Mom is happy, we high-five! It's wonderful!

That was the November Mom Appreciation Festival!
I wonder what I should make next month!

(Reference)Cooking Book for Elementary School Students
This time, the cooking was centered on my second son's choices from his cookbook. This book is packed with clever ideas that make it easy, fun, and delicious for even elementary school students to cook.

For example, for the scrambled eggs in the two-color rice bowl:
・Crack an egg into a microwave-safe container, add sugar and salt, and mix.
・Leave the lid slightly ajar and microwave at 600W for about 1 minute.
・Take it out of the microwave and fluff it with a fork.
And it's done!
It's full of super easy time-saving techniques, which is a great lesson for a father like me who doesn't have much cooking skill.

As an introductory book for children's cooking, I recommend it to anyone who wants to try cooking with their children at home!
(It might even be in the elementary school library!)

To be continued