Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Cheesies

My Mom was a stay at home mom for the most part of my growing up years but there were a few times that she held part time jobs, for a short time to make some extra money. She would work in the evenings and Saturdays when Dad would be home with us kids. I remember when I was only six or seven she got a job, waitressing, at the Lobster House Restaurant in Yarmouth. It was just down the street from where we lived so she could walk to work and even though we knew she was close by, it was still hard to know that Mom wasn't there with us, like she always was.

I don't ever remember my mother having a 'me' day that seems to be so popular now. I don't ever remember her not being there when I came home from school except for once when she had been caught in traffic and came home five minutes after I did. She gave me the security I needed when I was young to have the confidence I have as an adult today. She was always there for us.

 So it was a little hard for us the first night she went out to work a job. Dad understood how we were feeling and  wanted to do something special for us so he made us 'cheesies'. We had never had this treat before and I don't know where Dad got the idea, but it sure was a success. Mom was always the one cooking for us and to have Dad come up with a recipe was something special.

He took pieces of bread and generously spread them with Cheese Whiz and then cut the bread into four pieces. On top of each square he placed a piece of bacon. Then into the oven, under the broiler, the baking sheets went. When he knew they were 'just right' he took them out. The cheese had a developed a dark shell around the bacon and inside it was all ooey and gooey melted cheese. Oh it tasted so good! We made short work of cleaning our plates and wanting more. Dad made us up another pan, pleased that we enjoyed them so much.

We never had cheesies on regular nights, only nights that Mom had to work. Dad reserved that treat for those special times that he was alone taking care of us. He made those times so special for us. We still missed Mom when she had to work but we knew that Dad would make cheesies and we looked forward to it.

I have always tried to do the same kind of things with my kids. Whenever their regular schedule would be disrupted, I tried to find something special to do with them so it wouldn't become an unpleasant thing but rather something to look forward to. When they were very little I would keep a big, black tote bag packed and ready to go, by the front door. It was filled with toys and books and snacks that they couldn't play with at any other time other than when we had to go somewhere. The kids soon looked forward to the times they would get to play with the contents of the tote bag. Whether it was going to church or visiting grown ups or going to a restaurant, that black tote bag was a blessing to parent and child alike.

I hope that you will try to make Dad's cheesies and will enjoy them. I have since made them as an adult and they just don't taste the same as when Dad made them for his little girls. I guess the fact that it was something special, reserved for special occasions made them taste just that much better.

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