Enjoying your favorite TV show and your favorite foods at the same time … what could be better?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: What could be more basic (and nostalgic for many) than the TV dinner, although who would’ve thought something so simple could generate such different reactions from Red & Black?
As a kid, Red loved TV dinners (and truth be told, she still does, but hates the calorie count), especially because she found it a perfect combination of comfort food (with her favorite being fried chicken), convenience, and everything arranged perfectly,
I remember them having four compartments – a meat, two veggies, and dessert. Usually apple cobbler. But as long as there were mashed potatoes, I was happy.
But what made her even happier? The compartments in the aluminum trays! (It’s hard to believe they were replaced with plastic microwave-safe trays 40 years ago.) As weird as it might sound (and as much grief as Black has given her about this for decades), Red used to have a “thing” about her food touching. Not to mention, she had a habit of eating her food one item at a time. Which made TV dinners ideal for her, and regardless of what they might have been named, Red used to love eating them at any time of day. Or night!
Mention TV dinners to Black, and she’ll agree they’re perfect … as an example of brilliant marketing. She’s fascinated by the fact that frozen meals were not a new idea, but they just had never gained traction, until 1953 when television was a new phenomenon. But the connection was due to Swanson, the frozen food company, greatly overestimating demand for Thanksgiving turkeys that year, and was desperate for ideas,
The story goes that a salesman suggested turning the turkeys into frozen dinners using three-compartment aluminum-foil trays similar to what airlines used for in-flight food service. But, the key was tying the marketing campaign to the new must-have prestige appliance – the television. Even the packaging was cleverly designed to look like mini-TVs, including tuning knobs (you have to be a certain age to remember those).
Black wondered if they had any idea how successful “TV dinners” would become, or that they forever changed how people ate their meals – making it acceptable to eat in front of the TV instead of gathering around the dining room table. Red, on the other hand, had never thought about either of those things, preferring to reminisce about the simple joys of TV dinners.
However, when Red learned there was a National TV Dinner Day, she decided the best way to celebrate would be to stroll through her favorite grocery store’s frozen food section and buy at least one … for old time’s sake. And whether it became dinner, lunch, or a just a snack, she’d savor the mashed potatoes and enjoy it … in front of the TV.
If you’ve never thought about May Day, don’t worry, most of us haven’t.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red appreciates that some holidays have historical significance, some have ancient traditions, and some are opportunities for one of Black’s unexpected, but often amusing and clever, comments, but May Day checks all those boxes.
As soon as Black mentioned pole dancing, Red, a lover of movies, immediately thought of “Hustlers.” No, not “ The Hustler,” the 1961 classic with Paul Newman as a small-time pool hustler. Instead, “Hustlers,” the 2019 release with Jennifer Lopez about pole dancing hustlers that showed it took more than a desire to make money, but skill and athleticism.
But Red had no idea the significance of May Day Maypole dancing. When she lived in England, May Day was a bank holiday, and she knew it had a long history that went back to the Celts, but that’s all she knew. Until recently, when she learned it’s an ancient and festive holiday filled with history and folklore, started by the Celts who thought May 1st was the most important day of the year as it separated the year into light and dark.
Which explains the beginning of a celebration of spring with singing, dancing, and bonfires that still continues. However, it doesn’t explain how in the late 19th century, May Day became known as International Workers’ Day to celebrate workers and promote labor rights.
And what about the Maypoles? Well, as Red discovered,
It was during the Middle Ages when the now famous Maypoles were believed to become popular, not only to welcome in spring but as a symbol of fertility, as the pole symbolized male fertility, with baskets and wreaths symbolizing female fertility.
When Red felt the need to share all this history with Black, her sister couldn’t help but respond with,
Although this has nothing to do with May Day, all I can say is “ Mayday. Mayday.” Which, if you do not speak French, is based on m’aider and means “Help me.”
When the news is challenging or life’s stressful, there’s something comforting about Girl Scout cookies. Always has been, which is why we’re rerunning this post from several years ago.
Girl Scouts, though, are about so much more than cookies, as year-round girls learn important life skills, gain confidence, and discover leadership skills. But buying cookies is such a sweet way (sorry, we couldn’t resist) to support the organization. Red’s favorite is the classic shortbread (now known as Trefoils), and Black buys a large assortment and gives them all away.
But hurry! Cookie season ends on March 23.
P.S. - If S’mores and Toast-Yay! are your favorites … make sure you stock up as this is the last year they’ll be available.
Let's play word association. If we say, "Girl Scouts," what's the first word that comes to mind? Ok, what's the second word?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: When Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout meeting – hoping to create an organization that redefined what was possible for girls everywhere – there was no way for her to know the difference it would make in the lives of millions of girls and their communities.
Many people's first (and sometimes only) image of Girl Scouts is as cookie salespeople – either selling door-to-door or at a make-shift table at a grocery or other store (or having their parents hand you an order form). But if you've been a Girl Scout (both of us have) or know someone who has, you know that Girl Scouts are about so much more.
So, as we celebrate the Girls Scouts being around for over 100 years, we should celebrate the years of fun and friendships, and for helping girls learn important qualities such as responsibility, courage, strength, and independence. Qualities that are as important in 2021 as they were in 1912.
And what better way to celebrate than to buy some Girl Scout cookies? Guilt-free as you're helping a good cause.
Today’s turbulent times for Jews may overshadow the celebration of the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest of the Jewish holidays. Yet, ironically, we feel it should strengthen its significance, as the holiday is a time for reflection on the past and hope for the future.