Bringin' back memories

Traveled home this morning to a feast of amazing food!  Local groups always hold chicken burns this time of year as fundraisers.  Oh yum, yum, yum.  I seriously cannot describe in words how amazing this slow-cooked, marinated half-chicken is!!

I grew up eating these dinners all the time.  Soo many memories revolve around this food!

And this!!



Now I recognize that a lot of people won't understand what the above is a picture of.  I mean, there's mac'n'cheese, but what is that other thing?  Its a pepperoni roll.  Its West Virginia's version of sushi in a sense.  Japanese fishermen needed a way to keep their lunches for a little while w/o spoiling and keep it all in one place, so they put vinegar in their rice and then wrapped the rice and fish in seaweed - and hence sushi was born.  Well coal miners in WV needed a way to take their meals below ground in a simpler fashion, and since the pay used to be so poor pepperoni and flour were easy to come by - and the pepperoni roll was born.  It was a great way for the miners to eat while at work.

In elementary, middle, and high school one of the monthly school lunches was peperoni rolls with mac'n'cheese.  We used to open the pepperoni roll up and put mac'n'cheese inside.  Oh-so-good!  I definitely recommend these to anyone!

What foods bring back memories for you?