Monday, March 10, 2008

“Don’t you just love their bread?”

Ironically, Cindy and I were just talking about how hungry we were this morning, when the two women came up behind us on Wacker Drive.

“I had a pretzel roll at dinner on Saturday – I know I shouldn’t have.” the other one said.

That made me even hungrier. It also made me think about growing up and how integral bread was in our lives.

Being from a family of 10 – bread was cheap and we ate a lot of it.

Such as:

Toasted bread with butter dipped into a piping hot cup of homemade cocoa during the winter months;

Sugar on white bread sandwiches;

Fried eggs and toast for dinner;

Tuna ala king over toast;

Toasted cheese sandwiches;

Cinnamon toast;

French toast;

White bread and bologna sandwiches;

Hot dogs with a piece of bread wrapped around it (there were no hot dog buns bought);

And at every dinner there were two constants –

Poppa starting off the saying of grace was one;

And our Momma sitting at one end of the table – being the butterer of the bread and passing it around;

You needed more bread and butter – you asked and Momma obliged and she still does.

I am the butterer in my family now – as a small group or with many guests – I butter and they pass.

Although in the watching of the weight program I am on – bread has a bad rap - a no-no, unless you assign points to it and at only 5 points a day – you can’t have much bread and still lose the weight.

But being one of my favorite comfort foods – I take the points and just power walk an extra mile.

cause it makes me smile

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't forget that bread also makes an excellent weapon, both in the form of a club (in baguette form) and as a projectile. Although I wouldn't suggest trying to hit the grapefruit with the bread-bat because... well, it will break the bat.

Speaking of bread and bread-like things, I believe Chester may be dining on my hot cross bun, as I believe it may be sitting on the stairs.

-phatty

Susan's Snippets said...

I might have used a baguette as an improv bat one night when I mistakenly drank way too much before I had eaten - it seemed ingenious at the time.

life of crime

Anonymous said...

What happened to "The Staff Of Life?" At least 5,000 years of bread being a main staple in every human society known, this business of saying it is not good for you is for the birds. (Sorry, I couldn't resist that).

Modern breads, mass produced, needs supplements to make it healthy. Duh! Why don't modern bakeries *experiment!* and try putting out healthy bread and see how it sells?

Try 12-grain bread. It has been a surprise to me. Even toasted.

And, Chicago should have somewhere some old-world bakeries. And I'm still looking for the authentic Sheepherder's bread. There are imitations out there, but not nearly the real stuff.

Maybe we should call Edinburgh - because that is where I was introduced to it. (In another life-time).

Anonymous said...

hmmm...
you don't like "mexicans"
but you do like "white" bread

and
why are you always on "wacker" drive?

Anonymous said...

I remember we use to tear out the middle of a piece of Wonder bread and roll it into a ball and stick it in our cheek. Somehow that doesn't sound as yummy as it was when I was a kid.

What about the famous pb&j!! & My brother use to love to eat cheese sandwiches with honey...can you say yuck!

To this day I still love those pineapple sandwiches my Great Grandma Julia would make for me. You take two pieces of soft white bread, slap some mayo on and canned ring pineapple and wa la...can you say yummy!! The memories.

Susan's Snippets said...

Cin - my Momma wasn't a big PB&J fan - so we did have it once in a great while - but it wasn't part of our regular menu.

And a WELCOME BACK to the Dilf - who has been quiet (for a change!) - Wacker is a long, winding street and it happens to be the majority of my mile long walk.

And it is spelled WACKER - not WACK HER - in case you ever get confused.

abused

Dave said...

And when we were kids, bread for sandwiches and meatloaf and dressing/stuffing which stretched the main event with three ravonous boys to feed. Cinnamon toast was a wonderful dessert, I have cinnamon on the shelf mostly for the purpose of making it every now and again.

Susan's Snippets said...

Dave -

Welcome to my Snippet's!

I forgot about my Momma's bread stuffing with day-old bread, eggs, seasonings, chicken stock, onions and celery!

Yummy!

tummy