Memories of Food and Family

Today, I went to Souplantation with bro, FBIL, and LLP for lunch. I like to think that Souplantation is one of me and my bro's favorite restaurants partially for nostalgic reasons. When vegetarian Mom still lived in So Cal, we used to go to Souplantation all the time. I never got tired of it. What could be better than a frozen yogurt buffet? (One of my unrealistic dreams is to open up a frozen yogurt/ice-cream buffet.)

At Souplantation, we reminisced about Dad's pizzeria. When I was in Kindgergarten, Dad opened up a pizzeria for a year. We used to go there after school all the time. FBIL asked if we ever got chunky from eating so much pizza. Not really because the typical routine was that we'd get there, grab a cup, and fill up from the soda fountain. I'd drink myself silly with root beer until one day, my bro said, "Root beer's gross; it's made of beer." Then I stopped drinking it. What a curiosity; I don't like root beer now (1) but don't mind an occasional Stella. I remember my bro and I used to make little figures out of pizza dough, bake it, and eat it. In retrospect, I wonder why we never got to make and eat pizza! We just ate plain baked dough! WTH was that about? I love pizza!

Anywho, I came back home and started studying again. Shortly after, BF came home with a dozen YumYum donuts. I thought I had never had YumYum donuts until just a few minutes ago, bro called and said they were going to get donuts and asked what 6 we wanted. What a coincidence! (Seriously, we don't have donuts all the time.) I said BF bought YumYum donuts this afternoon, which I don't think I've ever had. He said, "Don't you remember? We used to have YumYum donuts every morning.(2) At the hotel. Until we got the Otis Spunkmeyer cookie machine."

I totally forgot. Back in the 80s, my family owned a hotel. Many of our childhood days/years were spent there. You could say my first job was filling up Coke machines, rolling up the coins, and folding fresh linen. Many meals came from Del Taco, Carls Jr., pizza delivery (not from Dad's pizzeria), and YumYum donuts. Dang, I wish we still had that Otis Spunkmeyer machine.

*****

(1) As much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE ice-cream, I will not have it in a root-beer or soda float. A part of it is b/c the soda melts the ice-cream, which totally bums me out. I want to eat ice-cream, not drink it.

(2) When my bro said "donuts every morning," I thought he meant the donuts we had every morning when we lived in Glendora. We'd wake up before God did to drive in traffic for 1.5 hours to get to school (that's another story). I always missed first period and went to second period late. I remember this brat used to announce to the class as I tried to sneak in, "Cheryl's late again!" (Junior high was rough man.) Regardless, I looked forward to the morning breakfasts. Almost every morning, my dad stopped along the way to buy us donuts and chocolate milk from a little hole-in-the-wall. That was probably the best part of my day.

ADD: When I say my dad stopped for donuts, I mean, he had us wait in the silver Volvo while he jumped out really quick. So, we never knew exactly what we'd get. On the really special days, my dad would surprise us with donut holes! :D

*****

I feel like this is a "Joy Luck Club" post -- writing about family memories that are centered around food.

*****

It skurrs me to realize how easy my mind wanders onto Memory Lane, when I desperately need to study. Back to the Bohemoth Blue Book. Less than two more weeks until the exam...