
“Less Work For Mother”
I’ve always liked that phrase. The first time I ever saw it used tongue-in-cheek was by the writer and now director and producer, Nora Ephron. She wrote a very witty book back in the 70’s titled Crazy Salad.
Ephron called her book Crazy Salad, I think because it was a series of essays that had absolutely no relation to each other whatsoever. She did one essay on the star of the movie, Deep Throat, the infamous Linda Lovelace and other various subjects. But my favorite essay she wrote was about the Pillsbury Bake-Off, titled, Baking Off.
I don’t have the book any more but I can remember this essay very well. Ephron went to the Pillsbury Bake-Off and talked about how strange it was to be there as a reporter witnessing this popular yet strange competition. Anyway, Ephron is a Foodie, which is why the food shots in her movie, “Julie and Julia” were so maddeningly beautiful. But when she went to the bake-off, it was all cake mixes, frosting, sugar and refrigerated dough. I remember the line where she was smelling all of the sugar and cinnamon and dough baking. She wrote something like, “After about three hours in there all I could think about was a steak.”
But she seemed a bit disgusted by the use of “instant” this and “powdered” that. To paraphrase, and this is reaching back in my memory three decades, “Why chop fresh onions when instant minced onions will do?
This was ‘Less work for Mother time.””
There is a time and place for this. I agree that in the day-to-day, “Less Work for Mother” is the way to go. But in many ways I refuse to bend to the “instant” way of life. I like soup but I can barely tolerate the canned variety. So I make my own in about a half an hour. It’s usually delicious and lasts me a few days carrying it to work in a tiffin. After 24 years, I can’t stand the food on the plane any more. Until South Florida comes up with some better food vendors in the airports that serve up something other than barbecue or rice and beans, I’m stuck with hauling my own grub or swinging by a place to buy lunch on my way to work.

Think about it: How long does it really take to make a batch of Chop or frozen bean mix relative to the amount of time it would take you to make fresh every day? The issue is, you probably can’t make it fresh every day. And that’s a big issue.

Before I thought up the “Chop Concept,” I thought some of those “cook and serve” products were going to end my daily “slave to the chopping board issue.” And they were great! Problem was, Parker wouldn’t eat them, which I suppose defeats the purpose. So I had to come up with another time-saving solution that served the same purpose as the “Cook and Serve” variety. And that’t how I came up with “Chop.”

I’m really big on the “Less Work for Mother” concept. But not if it compromises my birds.
May 13, 2011 at 10:57 am
“Less Work for Mother” was and is a great idea. It was certainly important in the 70s when the demand on women entering the workforce was in no way accomodated shifting responsibility.
However, LWfM didn’t take into account the higher dollar amount of the pre-prepped convenience item ($=work) or the cost in nutrition/health especially in the long run ($$$=WORK).
It also failed to address, as you note, larger quality of life issues like the taste of food, the creative/nurturing environment of the kitchen, and the ecological value of recognizing food at an elemental level. “Mother” has had to work HARD to compensate for these cultural losses afforded by “convenience.”
…How about a spin-off book, “Chop for the Soul”?
LikeLike
May 13, 2011 at 10:59 am
“Chop For the Soul!” Excellent!
LikeLike
May 13, 2011 at 3:25 pm
What are the ingredients for your chop? I have only one bird, a sun conure, and he’s not big on veggies. Maybe this would be a good way to convert him.
Thanks in advance!
LikeLike
May 13, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Melissa,
At the top of my blog there are some tabs. One of the tabs says “Recipe Posts.” In that file, I have all of the links to all of the posts about Chop” There are videos there and you can see what I put in my Chop. I have videos, lists, stories, all kinds of stuff that will help you better understand the “Chop Concept.” Good luck and let me know if you need more help.
LikeLike
May 16, 2011 at 12:03 am
Hi I love reading your blog and of ur adventures and birds. I have an umbrella cockatoo named angel and she is the worst eater. She is almost 12 and a spoiled brat…but I love her sooo much. I live in fort lauderdale and was wondering if I could buy a few baggies of chop pretty please? Angel likes pasta and other soft foods…she had a burnt crop as a baby (I got her at golden cockatoo and a new girl fed her too hot formula) I Am not sure if this is why she is a bad eater. I always tell Ian he was her first mommy ! I appreciate if u could sell me even I baggie to try. Thanks lisa
LikeLike