S.O.S.

I realized today while planning dinner, that what you eat really depends on your family. For instance I had not eaten or even heard of S.O.S. until I was in middle school. Nor had I eaten brussel sprouts, and to my memory home-canned peaches (yum! I miss those). All of these I had at a friends house, and enjoyed, despite all the bad press brussel sprouts get.

Dana loves S.O.S. and when we were first married I endeavored to make it for him, although I'd only eaten it once years before, had no idea what to put in it, and was at the time a vegetarian. Let's just say the attempt to please him failed, because what I created was a mess and had to be thrown out!

I grew up in a home where cauliflower, zuchinni, lima beans, artichokes, and most fish was never served. Luckily, I had a grandma who served my brother and I all of the above, and except for fish I love to eat them. My mom likes fish, but rarely had it at home, so we grew up for the most part not eating it, and to this day I eat very little seafood.

It really makes me wonder what my kids will and won't have an opportunity to eat. I can guarantee that unless they eat it at Grammy and Papa's they will not acquire a taste for:

• bologna (I cringe just thinking of it)
• beets (I tried them again in college, and still couldn't stand them)
• wax beans (I remember being forced to eat these, and I still swear they tasted like ear wax)

Kaia loves to help Grammy and Papa eat fish. She is also totally thrilled when I splurge and buy Dungeness Crab. The neighbor also gave her a freshly caught trout, which I even managed a bite of, but the memory of his gutting it was too much to eat more. I really haven't found a thing Mo won't eat yet, but as he heads into the terrible two's, I'm sure the day will come.

S.O.S.

Melt a little less than half a stick of butter or margarine in a pan. Melt it. Add enough flour to soak it all up. (don't ask how much, I just grab a handful) Add salt and pepper. Once flour and butter is mixed, start adding milk. Just a little bit at first, make sure you get it incorporated and no big clumps. Then after adding small amounts a few times, you can dump in a bunch. Cook until it thickens. (this is a basic bechamel sauce) Then add one package of cut up beef lunchmeat. This is the really cheap thin processed meat, don't use anything fancy. Add some cut up cheese once sauce is close to being the desired thickness. Serve over hardboiled eggs and toast. This is a favorite camping breakfast for us.