Macaroni & Cheese and Linda

When I was a very little kid, Mom and Dad would leave me at Jenny's house when they went to work. Jenny's mother, Linda would let us play together in the den while she got some housework done. We had a lot of things to play with- every game imaginable and tons of coloring books. We had things like the Spin Art machine and Spyrograph. Jenny and I were best friends and had the best time together. We shared a lot of the same interests and we were happy that we lived right next door to each other.

The best time at Linda's was lunchtime. I remember Linda sitting down to watch her favorite shows. Pretty sure they were soap operas and I never knew what was going on in them. There were some days when we had to be extra quiet because something important was going on with the soap. Usually she started lunch around noon. I remember her making us peanut butter & jelly and she used the new kind that had them both in one jar. My Mom used to laugh at Linda, because if there was a new food product out in the grocery, Linda couldn't help but try it- so if my Mom wanted to try it, she would ask Linda if she had used it already and get the low-down. Sure enough, Linda would have already purchased it, tried it and report to my Mom if it was worth buying. The peanut butter and jelly in the same jar was an innovative idea, but I don't know if they still make it. It used to mash up together and looked very unappetizing after a few uses. Plus, doesn't jelly have to be refrigerated and peanut butter stays at room temperature?

Linda also made really good grilled cheese sandwiches. She used lots of butter to get the bread golden brown. Extra cheese would pour out the sides of the crust. There were also ham and cheese sandwiches and I think she would use butter instead of mayonnaise. She would also make Spaghetti-o's to go with our sandwiches or Chef Boyardee Ravioli.

The meal I remember most was that Linda would make Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Although this is a very basic meal from a box to prepare, Linda had a special touch with it- she always made the cheese sauce perfectly creamy- and not watery like other moms would make it. She would then add a touch of black pepper. Just enough to add a little kick to our lunch. I remember thinking how different this was for me and I enjoyed it.

I really liked the black pepper in my mac & cheese and I usually will add a touch now when I make my own at home. I miss my days at Linda's house and I miss all of the fun lunches she made for us.