When I read a recent newspaper information story, it triggered a whole flood of memories. It seems that beginning in June, our publication will be delivered by mail instead of carrier. Times have sure changed. A whole lot of years ago when a friend and I shared a newspaper route, we were not allowed to place the papers in a mailbox.
Delivering daily newspapers was a way to earn money for my friend Connie and me. We actually “inherited” our route from her older brother, who had developed rheumatic fever and was no longer able to do the work involved. He had a rather large territory, and after we kept up with it for a while, our manager decided to split the route in half. Connie and I ended up with the portion that was farther from our houses, and my sister Terri took the other half.
In those days, people paid for their newspapers weekly, which meant that Thursday and Friday evenings were spent collecting money from our customers. There were some we never could catch at home until Saturday morning; thankfully, not very many as our bill had to be paid around 11 a.m. All the district carriers met our manager in a parking lot near Kay’s Ice Cream Shop, which also served meals. If we felt like spending some of our hard-earned cash, Connie and I ate lunch at Kay’s. One of our favorite orders was called a “Full House;” it consisted of a hot tamale and chili in the same bowl.
Connie and I tried to be very conscientious about our job. Some people asked for their papers to be placed in a special location, meaning the one who delivered to that particular customer had to get off her bike instead of just tossing the newspaper towards the front porch. If we threw a paper and it didn’t land where it should have, that was another reason to dismount and place it where it needed to be. Our customers let us know how much they appreciated our dedication.
Fast forward several years. Jonathan, the older of my two sons, was looking for a way to earn some money. At his age, the best way to do so seemed to be a newspaper route. So once again I found myself with newsprint on my hands as I helped him prepare the papers for delivery. Then my second son obtained a route of his own. Shortly afterward, Jonathan started working in the circulation department of the newspaper office, and my daughter took over his route. Jonathan stayed with The Shelbyville News until he left for college. Adam and Molly gave up their routes when they became more involved with the Bible Bowl team at church.
When I read about mail delivery of the newspaper, it made me rather sad to think that a way for kids to earn money is disappearing. However, in today’s world, I wouldn’t want my children out delivering newspapers; I especially wouldn’t want them knocking on doors to get payment. We live in a scary society, even more so than when my children had a paper route. There were many times that I went with Molly when she was collecting because I was concerned for her safety. Now I would be fearful for both of us.
The good news for those of us who like to read a physical paper is that it is still being published, even if the delivery method is changing!
Now for the transition from story to recipes: Newspapers have pages, pages are sometimes referred to as “leaves,” leaves of lettuce are often found in salads, so “lettuce” enjoy National Salad Month!
Chicken-Blueberry Salad
3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing, divided
6 chicken breast tenders (uncooked), or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 celery rib, chopped
1/3 cup sweet onion, diced (optional)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup shredded carrot
6 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup fresh blueberries
Place chicken in a shallow dish or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; pour 6 tablespoons vinaigrette dressing over chicken. Cover or seal, and chill at least one hour, turning chicken at least once.
Remove chicken from marinate; discard marinade. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat, 6 minutes per side or until done. Cut into thin slices.
Combine celery, onion if desired, pepper, and carrot. Add remainder of vinaigrette dressing, tossing to coat.
Place chicken over salad greens. Top with celery mixture. Sprinkle with blueberries.
Skillet Cabbage Salad
4 slices bacon
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced onion
4 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup fresh minced parsley
Fry bacon until crisp; remove from skillet and crumble. Add vinegar, brown sugar, salt, onion, and bacon to fat in skillet. Heat thoroughly; pour hot dressing over cabbage and parsley. Toss and serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
One-Bean Salad with Lime-Mustard Dressing
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cook beans in boiling water to cover 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.
Whisk together remaining ingredients; pour over green beans and toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes.
Stuffed Apple Salad
6 medium or large cooking apples, peeled
2 cups water
1 cup red cinnamon candies
1 cup raisins or currants
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (may use pecans)
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing (I used salad dressing)
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
Lettuce leaves
Cut apples in half crosswise; core each with an apple corer, sharp knife or melon baller, leaving a 1-inch hole in center. Set aside.
Combine water and candies in Dutch oven; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add half of apple halves; cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. (You may need to turn apples over during cooking to ensure the color coats all sides.) Remove cooked apples with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with remaining apple halves. Cool.
Combine raisins, celery, and nuts. In a small bowl, mix thoroughly the mayonnaise or salad dressing and sugar. Stir into celery mixture. Spoon mixture into center of apple halves. Cover and chill at least 2 hours; serve on a bed of lettuce on a platter or salad plates.
Yield: 12 servings.