Down in Lunch Lady Land

Food - When was the last time you had a school lunch? My mother was a head cook for many years at one of the local schools, so maybe that has something to do with my fondness for them. I love school lunches! The sloppy joes, pizza burger, hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes, turkey gravy over mashed potatoes, chocolate pudding, pizza french bread, lasagna, garlic bread....am I bringing back fond memories yet?

But as much as I loved them, there were always the days I dreaded eating them. Like when they served spinach or liver and onions. Just the smell alone gave me the dry heaves. You HAD to eat it, the"lunch lady" would walk around and watch as you ate it. We didn't even think of not eating it, any more than we would have thought about going home and complaining to mom or dad that the lunch lady made you eat something you didn't like (remember not leaving the dinner table until you cleared your plate?). There would have been no sympathy if we would have complained, they would have said: "Good - it is good for you."

Sloppy joes, slop, slop-py joes yeah! School lunches have made a strong impression on us. So much so, that Adam Sandler has written and preformed a song about the "Lunch Lady." The late, Chris Farley, played The Lunch Lady. Click on the link below, and sing along, it is quite a catchy tune.

Here is a recipe of one of my favorite school lunches. I got this straight from "The Lunch Lady," my mom.
Pizza Burger
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1 T. dehydrated onion
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. sugar
1 cup tomato paste
12 oz. grated/shredded american or cheddar cheese
12 buns or 24 slices white bread

Combine hamburger, salt and dehydrated onions in fry pan and brown, and drain, if needed. Return to heat, add oregano, garlic salt, sugar, tomato paste and stir. Fold in cheese.
*If using buns: place 12 split buns on aluminum foil lined cookie sheet, top with 1/3 cup meat mixture, spread mixture out evenly. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until crusts are brown or cheese is melted.

*If using sliced bread: place 24 pieces of bread on aluminum foil lined cookie sheet, top with 2 -1/2 tablespoons meat mixture, spread mixture out evenly. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until crusts are brown or cheese is melted.

What was your favorite school lunch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_-KbstEG4E

Dish - Bringing you the most recent update on the Petters case. http://www.startribune.com/business/33287804.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUs

Little Rock News Anchor, Presley, has died. It appears that it was a burglary, her purse is missing. However, her father speculates there maybe more to it than that. She did try to fight off the intruder, but she was found severely beaten with a massive amount of broken bones in her face and arm. She was brought to the hospital and was sedated, she put up a valiant fight to live and her parents were hopeful, only to have their hopes and dreams shattered as she passed into death. My thoughts and prayers are with her family. http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/25/tv.anchor.attack/index.html

Plea goes out for missing 7 year old nephew of Jennifer Hudson. Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were murdered in their home Friday and her 7 year old nephew was kidnapped. A suspect, William Bulfour, is in custody and being questioned. He is married to Jennifer's sister and is the step-father to the missing child. My thoughts and prayers are with this family and for the safe return of this missing child. http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/10/25/illinois.shootings/index.html

Embellish - enough violence, we've got to love one another right now!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE!