Marriages, thoughts, cookies

Since my last post on spending time at the dinner table I heard a very startling news brief.

Apparently, married couples are the “minority” now in America. I heard that on 106.1 (a Columbia, MO radio station) this morning while making my daily commute to work. I was very shocked to hear this. I guess I’m still one of those few people out there that think every couple is like my parents (married for 40 years and happy as ever). But, I was proven otherwise by recent research that indicated more couples are deciding to live together and never marry.

This saddens me. I guess I can’t imagine not being married to my husband, who is also my best friend. I just can not see the point in not marrying? Yes, marriages always have problems and there are some really rough times, but think about all the good times there are too.

I am young, yes. 25 to be exact, but I think I do know a thing or two about making a marriage last. Maybe that’s because I had a good example of a good marriage because of my parents, and my husband had a good example with his parents. Who knows. But I do have some thoughts on the subject:

1.) Many people today come from single homes and don’t know what a good healthy marriage is today, maybe that’s why they’re not marrying now.

2.) Divorces in this country have skyrocketed since the 1960’s…so maybe it’s just easier to divorce than to really try and make a marriage work…is divorce really the easy way out?

3.) People are scared to get married because they believe their marriage could become one of those statistics I’m discussing now?

4.) Families today are on the run so much they don’t have time together. Many of the families I know never sit at the dinner table together to eat or discuss what’s going on in their lives. The moms and dads are so consumed with work and paying bills, they forget one key component in making a marriage last: togetherness. Whether that’s time at night to talk alone or with the kids, going out to dinner or just saying “I love you.” I think this is one main problem that I see with the couples and families I know. You have to remember to take time out for one another, without the kids or other interruptions.

I don’t think that this new marriage statistic can be blamed or pinned on one fact, but I do think that when it comes down to it the world around us is changing. Now, that may be good or bad in some eyes, but I think you know where I stand.

Plan a family outing together, take your husband or wife on a date on the town, or husbands cooks for your wives once a week, help each other around the house with the chores and the kids….it takes a lot to raise a family. Whatever you do: Sit down as a family and eat dinner together at least once a week. Ask your kids about their days, talk with your spouse about their day…you might just learn something about your kids or spouse you never realized before.

Here’s a recipe from Pam. She won first place with these wonderful cookies at our company’s Bake-Off. This recipe will help remind you to get all those holiday baking recipes out and start preparing your dishes and meals for my two favorite holidays: Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can already smell turkey and stuffing and my favorite part of the holidays…my grandmother’s sweet potatoes baking in the oven.

Molasses Crinkles
By Pam Smith
1st Place Cookie Winner in LCI Bake-Off

Mix
¾ cup Shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
¼ cup Molasses
Sift together and stir in
2 ¼ cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
½ tsp Cloves
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger

Chill dough – Roll into balls the size of golf balls. Dip tops in Sugar. Place sugared side up 3 in. apart on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with 3 or 4 drops of water to produce a crackled surface. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes-Bake just until set but not hard.

(Pam's note: Old Family Recipe of my husband’s late mother.)