We were talking the other day with the boys about school lunches. The older three went through many years of the public school trenches together, and knew the routine pretty well. They reminisced about the different meals they did and didn't like. They also recalled the black market for goodies brought from home, especially popular among the students whose parents packed healthier snacks.
My wife and I tried to recall some of the foods we had. I was about packed lunch kid about two thirds of the time. Sporting an 'Adam 12' lunchbox, it was usually a sandwich, a Hostess chocolate snack (Ho-Hos being my favorite), and a thermos (Adam 12 set) of drink - probably Kool-Aid. Perhaps chips for a side, but I can't recall. I'm sure it wasn't anything close to veggies or carrot sticks or the like.
In the cafeteria, we had weekly warnings about the menu printed in our local newspaper. First, we always had fruit, no matter what. That must be said. Among our favorite main dishes were fish sandwiches, sloppy joes, tater tots, and king of them all - cheeseburgers. Pizza was served but it was eh. Sort of like cardboard with tomato sauce.
There were also some dishes that prompted an increase in lunches from home. Baked macaroni for me is a dish I will not eat - ever. Also a popular catalyst for packed lunches was cream chipped beef on mashed potatoes. Another one that always sent me packing was Johnny Marzetti. I remember hearing the daily menu on the morning announcements, and hearing that name. It always seemed a strange thing to call a lunch dish.
Well, it turns out there's a story there! And right here from C------s, Ohio no less. If you've ever heard of Marzetti salad dressing, you now know where the pasta dish named for Johnny came from. Amazing. It's one of those things that's locked in your memory that you never use, but never quite understood. I guess there are some good points to the Internet after all!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Let me know your thoughts