Friday Night Dinners

I saw a Thread recently asking folks if Friday nights were always the nights when Mama refused to cook. The kitchen was closed. Every Friday night.

Instead, as the original post described, Friday nights were for ordering pizza, going out to eat, grabbing takeout.

I didn't respond to that thread, because it was only halfway true for me.

As a Gen X'er, Friday nights as a kid meant one thing and one thing only: TV. Friday nights were "The Dukes of Hazzard," "The Incredible Hulk," "Dallas" (why was I watching a steamy nighttime soap as a kid? Because my dad watched it, so I did, too).

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Friday night dinners were reserved for "fun" dinners. Swanson TV dinners on trays in the living room. Hot dogs. Tacos. Fish sticks.

Not only did going out mean missing our shows, but it meant spending money we just didn't have. Instead, Friday night dinners were reserved for "fun" dinners. Swanson TV dinners on trays in the living room. Hot dogs. Tacos. Fish sticks. Pair those with just the right flavor Kool-Aid (red, of course) and we were in seventh heaven.

Fast-forward to high school, though, and things changed. We were likely at a game or hanging out with friends, so no one was home to cook for anyway. When we were home, we'd order pizza and watch videos on the (rented) VCR. My mother, however, made Friday nights her personal fish night. She would go (or send one of us) to the fish market for fresh perch from Lake Michigan and fry it up. She'd douse it with hot sauce, grab a slice of white bread and wash it all down with a beer. Side dishes would vary, but it would usually be leftover spaghetti. That was her Friday night staple since I was fourteen.

I tend to think it's the younger generations who have Friday night memories of restaurants and going out to eat vs. Gen X or Boomers. What say you?

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