Throwback Thursday – Childhood

This week’s prompt for Throwback Thursday is: Family Meal Rituals. https://fromcavewalls.wordpress.com/author/magcindy/ has given us a cause to remember our childhood. I loved her food stories, and pancakes with syrup is a favourite of mine.

Let’s start at the top of the day, breakfast! Did your family have a sit down breakfast or were you more grab and go? What beverages were served at breakfast? What was your favorite (and/or least favorite) breakfast meal? I don’t remember a full sit down breakfast, however we always had breakfast of some sort. My favourite was Weetabix, with hot milk, so it was more like porridge. I loved the gold top especially on things like cornflakes or rice crispies.

Did you snack before the mid-day meal? Yes, and I still do now. Although Slimming World has made me revisit the snacks I do have.

Lunch for most children was eaten at school with the exception of weekends, holidays, or summer vacation. At school, did you buy your lunch from the cafeteria, or did you pack lunch? In high school, were you allowed to leave school grounds during the lunch period? At infant, and junior school I had school lunches. Some of it still haunts me. Liver and onions, Semolina, prunes. Yuk. We had to eat every morsel, or we couldn’t leave the table. What made it worse was my mum was a dinner lady and took her work home with her.

For times when you had lunch at home, was it sandwiches, leftovers, or a newly prepared meal? Sandwiches (without crusts), leftovers were great, but only if it were bubble and squeak (mash, vegetables fried in a pan) Mum wasn’t the greatest cook, and meals were fairly plain. The most exotic was pizza (pineapple and ham of course)

The evening meal is usually the most formal meal in many homes. Did your family sit down together and enjoy the evening meal or were you more of a TV dinner in front of the TV family? Dinner on our laps mostly, and I used to sit near Dad. His dinners always tasted better than mine

How did your weekend meals differ from your weekdays? There was a variety on a weekday, but weekends tended to be a cooked breakfast, and on a Sunday a roast dinner (chicken, beef, roast potatoes, vegetables) My favourite part of the weekend was going to the Golden Egg and having pancakes with syrup, on a silver plate.

Who did most of the cooking in your household? Did that person also do the meal planning and grocery shopping? Were you taught to cook or were you shoo’d out of the kitchen? My dad never cooked; it was always Mum. I was a little lazy, in that respect as a child, and never ventured into the kitchen, unless it was desserts that is. Although my dad did all the ironing, being in the army taught him how to make the best creases. He would put a blanket over the kitchen table, and iron on there.

Did you have dessert served at your meals? If so, what types? On the weekend we would always have a dessert.

Who cleaned up after meals? Was it a shared responsibility between men/women, girls/boys or was it delegated based on gender? Again, it was mostly Mum, as Dad worked full time.

How about late night snacks? Okay or discouraged? I try and be good with my snacks these days, but I used to love biscuits with a cup of tea or coffee.

Were dining manners stressed in your household? No elbows on the table, no hats at the table, no belching, please, thank you, and may I be excused? Manners were important.

Did you have occasions where you had large family gatherings for meals? What occasions? Christmas we would always go to my Aunty Rene and Uncle Stan’s house. They were both exceptional cooks and we never went away hungry. They could make pies, and cakes that just melted on the tongue.

Did you say grace or have a blessing before meals? Yes we did.

Now for the fun part. What dishes are you glad disappeared over the years? What dishes have you carried forward into your own home? Liver, fish pie, spam. My mum couldn’t cook much, but her stews were comfort food in a big bowl. Even when I make them, they are never as good. They cooked all day, and the smell, the dumplings, the potatoes, vegetables, Oxtail soup, gravy, and lentils to thicken. That and piece of chunky bread, yum.

BONUS: Care to share any favorite family recipes? See above.