After picking up the 11-year old this evening, I asked him what sounded good for dinner. He looked hopefully at me and asked, "Grilled cheese sandwiches?".
" I think there's leftover pizza in the fridge- would you rather have that?"
He didn't even miss a beat- "No".
Grilled cheese sandwiches, huh? I would usually consider that more lunch-appropriate, but I really had no solid argument against bread and cheese.
"Sure".
He smiled and actually rubbed his hands together in delight.
Not much later, I placed a square of toasted bread and cheese on his plate. He took one bite, closed his eyes, and declared, "you make the BEST grilled cheese sandwiches in the WORLD, Mom".
I don't know why, but that one sentence just made my day. My grilled cheese sandwiches are nothing special. I use Kroger-brand American cheese and margarine- whoo hoo. I doubt he has even had grilled cheese anywhere else but our house. But for some reason, my grilled cheese made the top of the list.
Many of us have that one thing our parents make that others just can't match. I like all sorts of chili, but my Mom's is the only true bowl of beans in my book. Hers was thinner than most, and to this day I just can't get ecstatic about a chili that is thick enough to double as a topping. And I have never found banana bread to even come close to hers. except for mine, of course- but only because she gave me the recipe and taught me how to make it. When my step-son was preparing to leave for 6 months overseas, we had him tell each family member what he wanted us to make for his farewell party. Guess what he requested of me...yup. Banana bread.
So today's pic represents the culinary standards that are set for us in our younger years. Be it Grandma's fried chicken, Dad's chili, or Mom's banana bread. Hopefully, when the 11-year old is an adult and eats some fancy-schmancy grilled cheese at a trendy restaurant, he'll appreciate it for what it is, yet think in the back of his mind that it's just not quite as good as Mom's.
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