Geraldine and her six kids
With all the dietary restrictions, you'd think we were Jews. NO pop (soda),** NO wonder bread, No pre-ground beef.* NO TV or any other frozen dinners. NO Beefa- Rice- a or any other kind of rony, or any other prepared foods. None, ever! NO Mc Donald's, NO Miracle Whip. NO Kool-aid. Any new item that was popular in all our friends' homes, Spaghettios, for example that we'd want her to make was met with instant almost comical derision. "EWWWWWWWWW," She'd shriek, "Never!" Total food snob! LOL
To her eternal credit, though, she made everything from scratch, and it was all so delicious. Beef Burgundy with home made French Bread. Broiled Lamb Chops. Chili Sauce. "Pa" Soup (her father's beef & vegetable). Butter cakes twice a week. Indeed, she would make French Fries, but we had to cut the potatoes in this giant metal contraption. In fact, she pretty much included us in the cooking, and the Friday night vice was potato chips & dip with milk shakes. Home made, of course.
I distinctly remember when she'd be making a single pie dough recipe instead of the usual double, because that meant Chocolate Cream and Lemon Merangue pie, and we'd all get a piece of each. How I LOVED those chocolate & lemon days. Normally, it would be the double for 2 fresh apple, peach, cherry, or one meat pie and one mincemeat pie.
All six of her kids can cook an none is overweight, and we'd all die before we'd eat at Mc Donald's.
But I AM going to go out tomorrow and buy a box of Rice-a-Roni. Never had it. Only Spanish, though, right, and skip anything else?
* We would ask Walt, the butcher for 2 pounds of round steak ground twice for burgers, or the same ground with a pork chop for meatballs. Her Spaghetti & Meatballs was and is to die for.
** When they would go out without us, rarely, the sitter was allowed to order pizza and Pepsi. We'd get drunk and giddy on the pop.
Fun, fond memories, Sandy & friends. Thanks.