Dinner for 25 Cents

             Three decades ago, when I was a single mother, I was broke. I was doing work I loved, but the pay was poor.  I was going to college, and, thanks to my grandparents, I had a place to live, but there was little money for food.

             And there was also the little one to worry about...

            As a mother, it was my job to sacrifice if needed, to ensure my daughter had what she needed to grow and flourish.  She got sausage and eggs and oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch was at her daycare center.  And dinner--for her--was usually some sort of "hamburger helper" along with whatever vegetables I could entice her to eat. One box and a small mound of meat would last for several meals for her.

         On the other hand, I ate macaroni and cheese most evenings. In those days, there was a section of "plain label" groceries---plain white boxes and simple black labels---and you could get 4 boxes of macaroni and cheese mix for a buck.  That meant a dollar would buy me dinner for four nights. (If I was living particularly high on the hog, I would add some sauteed onions, which elevated them to "gourmet.")

photo by Laura A

         Today, I still love macaroni and cheese, with some sauteed onions thrown in for a zing of flavor. It's strange how we return, again and again, to get comfort from the things we had to eat when things were tight.

          Almost forgotten, these memories were unearthed when I read Pearl's heart-warming post.  It's called "Wherein I Get Sentimental About a Bird I Once Knew." Usually, Pearl is irreverent and gut-bustingly funny.  This one is poignant.

          Check it out. It'll warm you up tonight, despite the cold weather...



icicles hanging right above our front door



snow in the great white North (County)