Cooking: The Making of a Great Vacation

We spent 10 days in warm-and-sunny-weathered home. Got home on Xmas eve, spent a few days at home, then 3.5 days at the beach, and a few more at home. It was great because all the siblings + significant others + babies were in town.

T and I were talking the other day about how nice it was, very relaxing, a real vacation. One thing that made it great was all the home-cooked meals we had. This was different from the last couple of times we've been home, when it's been a bit hectic. We thought at first with all of us, including one newcomer, we'd be going out more so my Mom wouldn't have to cook so much and spend more time with her grandsons. Of course, with so many plus two babies, going out is no easy task. We had most dinners at home and just spent the night hanging out, which was great and it made everything better. My Mom is amazing when it comes to cooking. She preps a lot ahead of time, the freezer is full of yummies and meals seem like a breeze. (I try cooking stuff in advance and spend hours in the kitchen, so I know it's not easy.) And of course, everything she makes is delicious and incredibly yummy.

For our vacation within our vacation, Mom and Dad got these great apartments, with big kitchens and dining tables. We figured they'd be great for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner, why go through the trouble and we could just find a place to eat? Instead, Mom packed up a cooler, a basket and rice cooker full of food. She was up at 5am the day we were leaving cooking chinese fried rice with lap cheung. MMMmmmm. Her magic fed 10 adults and 3 babies over 3 nights, plus 2 guests on two different nights! We had the rice plus salad, arroz con guandu and bbq ribs, tamal and roast ham!!! Again, she's amazing. :) Lunches were at a restaurant, but even breakfast was great! Panamanian bollos, fresh cheese, sausages in tomato sauce, ham and eggs... (getting hungry just thinking about it).

Here's to my parents - THANKS MOM AND DAD!!! It was one of the best vacations ever!!

PS: This topic came about when we were talking about weekend plans and I said "No plans, I just want to grocery shopping. Haven't cooked in so long" (We've been eating out/take-out since we got back). T said something along the lines of "Hehe. Ok, I know how cooking de-stresses you - you love cooking. On this trip, I saw where you get it from, you get it from your mom". I do love cooking, I had a fun 3 hours today preparing and cooking lunches and dinner for the rest of the week. :) So, thanks for this too, Mom! :)