A STITCH IN TIME

Back in the fall of 1968, when I was in 7^th grade at Grove City High School, (7^th-12^thgrades were all lumped together back then), I wore a skirt to school for Homecoming and the reason I remember this is that skirt landed me in the Principal’s office. I must have grown over the summer, because the lovely eggplant velveteen skirt from the winter before, didn’t meet the school code length requirement.

That morning, when our family of 6 had whirled around the house doing chores, making breakfast, cleaning up and dashing to the bus, nobody was really policing the other’s clothing choices. I still remember my outfit: a loden green sweater, tights and the oh-so-fashionable chunk heeled shoes. And I remember thinking that I looked just fine in the mirror that morning. My body tended toward lean and leggy back then (in no way sexy) but, boy oh boy, you’d think my appearance would cause a major distraction with the way I was heralded to the front of the class and herded to the principal’s office. The principal, never a fan of mine or vice versa, smugly measured my skirt with me in a kneeling position and pointed to the Home Ec room where I was given the task of taking down the hem on my skirt and re-hemming it to the desired length. Well, I couldn’t even sew a button on back then. I was almost in tears as I rummaged in the sewing box dear, sweet Mrs. Minke handed to me. She sympathized with me but supported the rules and suggested a seam ripper when I reached for the pinking shears. I think I toyed with the idea of cutting it into a miniskirt. She then found me some matching thread. Are you kidding? She hadn’t had me in Home Ec class yet, so she overestimated my abilities.

The hem came down fast enough with only a few piercings in the delicate fabric. Once I got the needle threaded, I struggled to neatly tuck the bottom of the skirt to the desired length, measuring and taping as best I could. A simple baste was suggested. Okay. Yup. Got it.  NOT! I really didn’t mind missing math or science. But, instead of looking like an even bigger loser, I didn’t want to admit that I couldn’t possibly complete this project before the end of the day. So, I simply stopped mid-stream and taped it the rest of the way before hightailing it out of the room and into the 3^rd hour class.

When I got home and recounted the tale of woe to my Mom, she threw her arms around me assuring me that, yes, we needed to respect the rules and then move on. Her motto was always to pick your battles. There were better hills to die on, bigger fish to fry. And respect authority, no matter how illogical it seems. She just felt badly that she hadn’t paid more attention to me that morning.

I may be a bit scarred by this event, seeing that I still remember every detail. I just wish that Mrs. Minke (and maybe the principal) could see the domestic goddess that I’ve become, the handiwork that I have completed. Some pretty fine stitches. I wish they could know that. And that I never even became a hooker in a short skirt.  

SKIRT STEAK

1 pound skirt steak

Extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a shallow baking dish, season steak with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with olive oil and toss with vinegar to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes. Grill over medium high heat 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare, 3 to 5 minutes for medium. Slice steak thin on the bias and serve immediately.

SCHOOL RULES HOTDISH

8 ounces egg noodles, cooked and drained

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 box mushrooms, sliced

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can milk

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook noodles according to package directions. In a large skillet, brown beef with onion and celery. Add salt and pepper to taste. When meat is browned and onion and celery are tender, add mushrooms and cook until tender. In a small bowl combine soup and milk measured in empty soup can. Combine all ingredients in a greased 1-1/2 or 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

 HOMECOMING PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

2 cups milk chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Beat in eggs and then add vanilla and pumpkin. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes until cookies are browned around the edges.