
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
This sandwich may be the most perfect of all-American foods. I say this with all due respect to the hamburger and the pit barbeque. They’re a dream of home, the idyll of childhood.
If people don’t like them, we need to be wary, these folks may be a friend or foe. Or they may even be deserving of our pity for being lactose intolerant. If someone makes a good grilled cheese sandwich, we know to keep them in our lives forever. If people love them, we know we can love them too. And it’s something I counted on yesterday especially.
Janice sat in a recliner and refused to talk to me. Her chair was swiveled purposely back to me as I stood in the kitchen. I borrowed her favorite peach cardigan and ripped a hole in it… My apologies fell desperately short. I was running out of ideas how to right my wrong, then it came to me.
“Janice it’s lunch time. I can make us a couple of sandwiches.”
Janice unhurriedly turned around the recliner and at last decided to make eye contact with me. She shrugged and said, “I’m in no mood for peanut butter.” My eyes fixated on her arms that were crossed.
“OK, what about a grilled cheese?” Her hardened smile quickly thawed. “Bleu cheese, fontina, or aged cheddar maybe?”
“As long as we have sourdough bread Tara!” Her excited tone gave me newfound hope of a reconciliation. “Because that’s what makes it… it’s the sourdough!”
The sizzling sound of buttered bread in the frying pan may never stop the nations from going to war, but it finally terminated our sibling rivalry. All is right in my world once more. The good news— lousy doesn’t last forever. I give my thanks to this sandwich. More specifically, the cheese and the fried bread for making her happy. Truces such as these can be discovered in deliciousness, and they can arrive in five quick minutes. Just don’t forget the sourdough bread.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleMelissa, I needed some good news, and you just made my day! I have never heard of a grilled bleu cheese sandwich, but it sure sounds great.
Now I am so hungry!
Chris, thanks for your comment! I think a grilled cheese sandwich is something we can all agree on. It is delicious and comforting. I know this simple sandwich has been appreciated by me plenty over the last two years.
Melissa, this is the perfect story to begin the “Good News” contest! You are so right. A grilled cheese sandwich is the ultimate comfort food, the universal panacea for anything from a skinned knee to a relationship ending. I’m like Chris, though – now I am so hungry!!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleFuji, if technology allowed for such things as feeding everyone here, I’d certainly do it! I recently read a study that found such things as comfort foods proved to be successful in helping us to feel less lonesome, especially when we are isolated. It provides us with a sense of belonging. This is great news, I thought! Kind of sums up what most of us were searching for throughout the last couple… Read more »
Ok, that’s it, Melissa. I’ve been thinking about your story ever since I read it the first time. I finally broke down and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. Comfort food, here I come!!
Fuji, that sounds so good! I hope you enjoy it!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleHello, Melissa. Thanks for sharing this story with us. Like Chris and Fuji – I feel so hungry now.
Thank you for your comment, Lotchie. Food can be comforting, it’s something we can all agree on!
You’re welcome. Yes, I agree.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleInteresting, funny, and cheerful story!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
What a simply delicious story, Melissa. Thank you for inspiring me to experiment with different cheeses.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you for your comment, Margarida. Life isn’t quite life without cheese.
Beautiful story, Melissa! I’m the oldest of five children and know first hand the need of a sibling truce! And good food:) I must say, however…I’m dairy free and grain free, and I haven’t eaten a grilled cheese sandwich in years! This made me miss it, though!
Thank you for your comment, Arianna. I have three sisters myself. So… the truces usually revolved around stolen clothes! The good news is that we all have food choices that we draw comfort from. You are dairy and grain free, but I’m sure you have something equally satisfying and special in your diet that makes you smile.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThis was so cute. Sadly, I think I’m more of a Janice, though.
Thank you for your comment, Kayja. I think I see a bit of myself in Janice as well. I have three sisters, tiffs weren’t exactly uncommon in my household.
If only I’d known the power of the grilled cheese sandwich when my sister and I were younger, Melissa. Your mouth-watering story not only put a smile on my face but also had me reaching for the toaster! A great read.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleI remember being the age of ten and making my eight-year-old sister these sandwiches. It was the first thing I ever ‘cooked’ on my own. They are pretty comforting! Thank you for the lovely comment once again, Linda,
Your story not only made me hungry (like other readers), but also made me laugh out loud when I read that the sound the bread and butter make in the frying pan “may never stop the nations from going to war…” It’s a wonderful story, Melissa, and it shows both your good sense of humor and your skills in the kitchen. And now, I’m off to the kitchen. Luckily, I have some… Read more »
I’m glad you enjoyed the story, Christer. Yes, I think we all could use a grilled cheese these days!
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