During my carefree summer days as a little girl and teenager, I knew my parents did not have a large disposable income. My dad was really the only one with the income, and he was supporting a family of five! So, in the summers, my mom would watch some family and local children (this is how she eventually opened her daycare). This would allow for my parents to have extra money to purchase new school clothes for my sister, brother and I, as well as start a Christmas layaway. Generally, the kids did not bother me, as I would just take myself up to my bedroom and immerse myself into a book, take off on a bike ride, go to my cousins house, and other goofy things that children do.
Yet, there was one thing that would get to me. Summer lunch!
Due to the fact that my mom had extra mouths to feed during the summer time, she had to stretch the food budget a little more. So, instead of using smooth, creamy Kraft cheese slices on a grilled cheese, my mom would slap on a slice of unmeltable government cheese. Milk was watered down with powered milk, which was just disgusting and I'm surprised I drink milk to this day! The Donald Duck OJ was just too bitter to drink! Alas, there was also boxes of King Vitamin or Kix cereal to eat for breakfast. Mac and cheese was my mom's specialty though. She'd chop up a package of hotdogs and make several boxes of mac and cheese, enough for about ten kids, and that was lunch! And my husband wonders why I don't care for either one to this day!
We had some nasty lunches growing up, and I'm glad that standards have changed! I'm glad that God has blessed my husband with a stable job so that I'm not dependent upon the powered milk routine. I'm also happy I don't have to use generic cheese that just doesn't melt, because you can't have a good grilled cheese without the cheese oozing down your fingers! Yeah, my kids like mac n cheese with hotdogs, but so does their daddy, so I cannot fault them there!
Those summers were long, boring and drawn out. . . and even though the food sucked sometimes, I don't think I'd trade them for the world, as they have taught me to respect the fact that my mom did the best she could under the financial circumstances we were under!
Yet, there was one thing that would get to me. Summer lunch!
Due to the fact that my mom had extra mouths to feed during the summer time, she had to stretch the food budget a little more. So, instead of using smooth, creamy Kraft cheese slices on a grilled cheese, my mom would slap on a slice of unmeltable government cheese. Milk was watered down with powered milk, which was just disgusting and I'm surprised I drink milk to this day! The Donald Duck OJ was just too bitter to drink! Alas, there was also boxes of King Vitamin or Kix cereal to eat for breakfast. Mac and cheese was my mom's specialty though. She'd chop up a package of hotdogs and make several boxes of mac and cheese, enough for about ten kids, and that was lunch! And my husband wonders why I don't care for either one to this day!
We had some nasty lunches growing up, and I'm glad that standards have changed! I'm glad that God has blessed my husband with a stable job so that I'm not dependent upon the powered milk routine. I'm also happy I don't have to use generic cheese that just doesn't melt, because you can't have a good grilled cheese without the cheese oozing down your fingers! Yeah, my kids like mac n cheese with hotdogs, but so does their daddy, so I cannot fault them there!
Those summers were long, boring and drawn out. . . and even though the food sucked sometimes, I don't think I'd trade them for the world, as they have taught me to respect the fact that my mom did the best she could under the financial circumstances we were under!
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