KISS THE COOK

On any given morning, Miss Stacy and Miss Emily can be found perusing their recipe and scouring the cabinets for the ingredients they need for the day’s feast. Soon, delicious smells begin the waft down the hallways, small distractions that float all the way to the third floor. By 10am, the aroma permeates the whole school. Mouths water, playground conversation naturally begins to revolve around lunch, and teachers kick feed their sack lunch to the dog. And what is their secret? After all, not every cook gets this kind of reception. Lean in close, and let me tell you. The secret to their success is that they make many of their meals lovingly from scratch, sometimes coming in the night before to begin preparations. Beefaroni, for example, doesn’t come prepackaged from a box. The ground beef is browned and drained, onions sautéed, just the right spices are added to the tomato sauce, and before you know it, these wonder twins have prepared a meal fit for a king, or at least for a hungry student. Though they don’t stray far from childhood favorites like macaroni and cheese , pizza, and spaghetti, Stacy and Emily also improve some less sophisticated palates by expanding the menu to include things students may not have tried before, such as teriyaki chicken.

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Out of curiosity, I asked several classes if they have favorites that Stacy and Emily serve. The reply was a unanimous “YES!” The students were as enthusiastic about discussing their favorite meals as they are about eating them! Answers varied, ranging from “Macaroni and Cheese,” to “Barbeque Chicken Cheese Wraps,” to “What do you mean ONE favorite? I have, like, TEN!” Actually, that last response was the most common one that I received. These kids are so grateful for the high quality of the food they are served. Oh, who am I kidding? Our students measure their meals on the DQ (Deliciousness Quotient), and Stacy and Emily ALWAYS rank highly.

So now it’s your turn! Have you had a school lunch this year? What was your favorite? We want to know!