I know it's not the main point of your story, but I love the description of your mother's cooking. It sounds a lot like my mom's cooking. We didn't have steak too often either (too expensive), but mashed potatoes and canned corn were regular fare and the potatoes were almost always instant. My mom's real specialty was casseroles made with Campbells "cream of" soup - cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of celery.