Serving Up Tradition, Some Huntington Chicken and A Lot of Memories
by Meta Newell West
(former AHS Home Economics / Family & Consumer Sciences teacher, 1968-2001)
Every year, during American Education Week, the retired staff is invited back to their respective schools for lunch. At Abilene High School former teachers joined students and current staff in the lunchroom on November 18, 2014. On the menu—Huntington Chicken and all the accompaniments that make it a balanced meal, including handmade dinner rolls.
Although
the Huntington Chicken is as creamy and tasty as ever, there have been changes
in the accompaniments over the years. USD District 435’s Food Service
Supervisor, Kyleen Harris, noted that the rolls are now made with a blend of
51% whole white wheat flour and that there are a lot more fruits and vegetables
added to the menu. Either fresh or canned fruit is used in place of desserts.
But, mealtime is not about food
alone. It was an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, to meet new staff
members and to just catch up on the latest happenings. We learned that during
the upcoming remodeling, the lunchroom will be revamped to include two hot
lines as well as a line for the ever-popular salad bar. According to Ben Smith,
principal, this will expedite lunch pick up and the changes will also allow for
increased seating which should help alleviate the current crowded conditions.
Former teachers shared pictures of
grandchildren, details about their latest ventures, and there was even some
reminiscing about “the ways things used to be.” Conversations included past
lunchroom offerings, and Betty Krenger noted that another popular menu was chili
and cinnamon rolls.
That made me
wonder—are those menus still popular with today’s students? According to Nancy
Curtis, AHS Kitchen Manager, they certainly are, and she said that every
Wednesday they dish up another favorite—mashed potatoes and gravy. Of course,
chicken nuggets, pizza and pasta are also popular with students, too.
Creamy Huntington Chicken is brimming with cooked chicken, pasta and made-from-scratch sauce. Toasty breadcrumbs add just the right crunch. - photo by Meta Newell West |
According
to Dr. Denise Guy, USD 435 Superintendent of Schools, this lunch was provided
for both current and retired staff by the Board of Education as a way of
expressing their appreciation for the work that educators do and have done.
I, for one,
believe it is always a great opportunity for the cooks to serve up a
traditional dish and for the staff to enjoy a heaping spoonful of sweet
memories.
Helen Hettenbach, the kitchen manager at Kennedy Grade
School from the mid 1970s to mid 1990s, shared
her home-style version of Huntington Chicken with me years ago. I’m including
it here in her memory, and as recognition of all the work that goes into
preparing the many meals served in school lunchrooms each day.
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