I remember only one time that we had pizza with Nanny and Weenie in Olean. I got the clear idea they didn't like pizza--perhaps that's what they told me. Anyhow, in my little 10 year old brain, "old people" didn't like pizza so I always thought that was a fact of life. It's kind of strange to me that we didn't have pizza more often --it's fairly cheap especially made by hand from a mix.
Once in a while we'd have fish fry at Foits. Out to a restaurant with all of us for fish! I can't say I remember the fish dinners themselves, but I do remember that going to Foits was a treat. I still enjoy fish fry as a treat. It's not something I've tried myself. I'll leave fish to the experts.
Another treat was the mandarin orange, banana slices with confectioners sugar dessert--chilled. Ummmmm. I shared that special recipe with my own kids and they have always loved it. Thinking about it now, I don't imagine that mandarin oranges were normally on Mom's grocery list. I don't recollect having them for anything other than this dessert. But she would have had to have the mandarins on hand. I buy them semi-regularly these days to have on hand for fruit salads but I think it must have been an extra expense on the normal grocery list for Mom. This makes that dessert even more special in my eyes. If she used mandarin oranges regularly for something else, don't tell me. Oh! I just remembered jello with fruit which we never saw after she'd been hospitalized. Perhaps that's why she'd buy those mandarins.
Dad's "special" barbequed chicken sauce wasn't so much a treat as an event, as I recall. It required preparing the marinade ahead and soaking the chicken for at least a day. That was pretty good chicken too.
Another treat would be when Mom made pancakes for dinner, blueberries upon request. That was never my favorite meal but it wasn't fun for Mom to churn out all those pancakes and she did it once in a while anyhow. Mom's spaghetti sauce was a treat for me and I like making that for my family too.
I guess that's what makes some food or meal a "treat"--you just know some kind of special effort went into it and it makes you feel like it was all about making you happy. A lesson I'm happy to carry forward with my children, even though I suspect that the things I thought I was doing special for them won't be the fond memories they share around the table over beers some evening in the future. It will be something ordinary and unexpected. I'm sure Mom was as surprised by the popularity of the mandarin orange dessert as I was with Amy and Ryan. And so it goes.
4 comments:
I have to agree, Costas pizza was great! Not sure how many of the rest of the fam remembers it though.
I just love good food. Most people eat to live, I live to eat!
Mom had to do an awful lot with not an awful lot while we were growing up and I think she did a great job. I know it was a very simple dish but I loved the SOS she made, again, making alot out of not alot.
Foit's was always a good meal as I remember it. Fried fish, which I still love, I do not remember what else came with it though, not a big deal. probably the usual fries and slaw.
Speaking of food. We are off to VT for a family reunion on Lori's side and I will be grill master for 3, yes 3, whole prime ribs on the grill. Now that is good food! No worry though, this will be the second time I have done 3 at once. Like I said, I live to eat!
I remember Costa's Pizza! I loved it! I think that is why I'm not a pizza fan now. I loved Costas and thought all pizza should taste like that, and I hardly ever find any that good. Do you remember that they had rectangular pepperoni? I loved it when the edges would curl up and crisp up. Oh dear, I am showing that I, also live to eat, aren't I?
Mom did do a great job of doing alot without alot. I remember Chris loving the SOS - not my favorite at all! But I was never a real hamburger fan. I loved Mom's Macaroni, Cheese and Tomatoes. I have made it for my kids their whole lives. They loved it too. Timmy even called me from his Coast Guard base and ask me how to make it! Umm, well, Tim, the ingredients are: macaroni, cheese, and tomatoes. Nothing else! He makes it for his whole squad on base now. The tradition lives on!
Food has always been a wonderful thread in my memories. Do you remember Mom's cream puffs? What a treat they were!
I could go on and on about food... guess I better not. I'm getting hungry!
Now that you have me thinking about unique food that maybe only we had as children, I was thinking about Dad's Blue Cheese dressing. He would make great big gallon jugs of it. I think they called it Roquefort (sp?) dressing. It was so good on fresh tomatoes! But it did have a strong flavor, and I thought of that as an "adult" favorite, rather that something we kids should like. Dad made a big deal about it being his "secret recipe". I wish we still had the recipe. I think I'd like trying to make it. I think dad even gifted it to their friends in washed out mayonaise jars.
Then there was "the pink stuff" salad dressing made from chili sauce and mayonaise. That was really good too. I never make that, but I think I will. I want to try it again after all these years. It was similar to thousand island dressing. I remember Chris really liked it too.
I don't remember Mom making chicken and rice much, but Nanny used to make it. Boy, was that good too.
So many good memories.... all attached to food. I'm a huge fan of it all!
Ahhh, Mandrin oranges, bananas and conf. sugar. Now that brought me back. My mom did that as a treat for us as little girls, I loved it. and I am with Patty-Anne, I buy them often, the little cups. My kids adore them. Maybe I should mix up this little memory of a treat for them and see how they feel about it! :) I always felt that mom was a great cook, we always had the same things over and over again, but they were all good. I never really cared for her meatloaf, but it is the one thing she showed me how to make, and Sean LOVES it! I wish I would have learned more cooking from her and even Nanny!
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