groundhog pudding and california burgers

Every evening I write the next day's menu on the board at home so the kids can see what's for lunch and make a "hot or cold" lunch decision before it's too late. (you know...as in... sorry we're walking out the door it's too late).

The school lunch menu lately is a bit interesting. Yesterday they had "California Burgers". What exactly is a California Burger? Is it some sort of west coast thing I don't know about? My dad is in California visiting my sister right now. Maybe I should call him up and have him order a California Burger and see what they say it is. Cuz I asked the girls... "What was the California Burger". The answer? It was just a regular old hamburger. So, what makes it a California burger as opposed to a Midwestern Burger? We have good beef in the midwest... maybe the California burger is some kind of processed meat that isn't really meat at all because they don't have good beef. And maybe... just maybe... the school is calling it a California burger because they know the kids in the midwest would balk if they called it a hamburger.

Now, I was born in California... and sent a good part of my life there. Growing up I had a friend who would invite me over to her house and I'd end up staying into the "meal" hour. I remember one time we were at her house and it was lunch time. They only had one hamburger. Her parents weren't home so we decided to "share" this hamburger. We cooked it up... and she put it on a bun and added some ketchup and such. Then, she did the strangest thing.... she had a strange way of sharing. Me? I would have cut the thing in half. But, she took the hamburger off the bun and put it on a different bun. She gave me the bun with no meat and said "taste it". "Even though it has no meat, the meat WAS on there...so it tastes like there was meat there".

So, what did I do? I ate it! And she was right.... if you're hungry enough in the middle of the afternoon, you don't care if it's a hamburger or a hamburger juice with ketchup sandwich!

So......... MAYBE....... that's what the school lunch means by "California Burger"..... maybe the meat WAS there... but now it's not.

Today? Groundhog pudding. I can't wait to hear what THAT is!!!

Comments

Anonymous said…
When I was a waitress in the 70's (yikes!) if you wanted a burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, then it was called a California burger.

Groundhog pudding?? Because it's brown? Or are they going to put little gummy bears in it and call them groundhogs? To be con't.....

And we are going to have you guys over and make one burger! It will be so easy!!
Friday, February 02, 2007 1:44:00 PM
Sarah said…
That's hilarious. Sounds like something I would have tried.

I grew up in CA too. I sure miss it sometimes.
Friday, February 02, 2007 4:14:00 PM
melanie said…
did your friend eat the burger?? sounds like my brothers convincing me that leaves really could be good!
Saturday, February 03, 2007 11:51:00 AM
Tina said…
you bet your sweet buns she ate it... (no pun intended). And I didn't mind a bit! sooo gullible.
Saturday, February 03, 2007 12:48:00 PM
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