When Sliced Bread was King

First, let’s start with Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I suppose we should have shared a recipe fitting for Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving, but that seemed a bit late to me. Which is why today’s share is all about childhood memories instead.

I’m not saying we grew up poor. And if we were truly poor, we didn’t notice. Back then, “things” didn’t matter. How much you had wasn’t a measure of success. And as children, we didn’t know brand name recognition. If your shoes fit, great. They didn’t need to be endorsed by some big name.

People were practical. You bought (or baked) a loaf of bread. Bread was at the table instead of dinner rolls. Rolls were reserved for special occasions – like Thanksgiving! Bread was the foundation for all sandwiches. Bread was a hot dog bun or hamburger bun. We didn’t need much – just a loaf would do.

And I’ll let you in on a little secret – the bread to burger or dog ratio is perfect with bread. Bread isn’t really part of the burger, but rather a means to get the burger into your mouth. Sometimes the bread was toasted, but more often than not is was just two slices of soft white bread.

Sometimes when I want to relive those simple times, I’ll grill up a burger and slap that seasoned patty between two slices of bread. One bite and I’m a little girl again. I can see our big farmhouse kitchen. I can hear Mom and Dad talking. And Brother Dear pretending he’s GI-Joe. Our dog is at my feet, hoping some little morsel will fall to the floor. And my younger sisters are “rocking” on the sofa. How they loved to rock, even if the sofa wasn’t a rocking chair. They would rock away, singing made up songs and laughing. We might not have had much, but we had love and laughter. And that’s truly what makes you rich.

Childhood Burger Night
1 lb Ground Beef
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
8 slices White Bread
Mustard (or Ketchup) as desired

Divide ground beef into 4 equal portions. Shape into four hamburger patties. Season with salt and pepper. Chill well.

Heat a Forman Style Grill. Cook burgers, 2 at a time, for about 6 minutes with grill closed. (If using a skillet, cook 6 minutes per side). Remove burgers, pat with paper towels to blot any oil that may have gathered.

Lay four slices bread on individual plates. Smear with some mustard. Top one slice of bread with a hamburger, top burger with remaining bread. Serve and enjoy.