By Libby Hires,  Local columnist.

Whenever I think of the beginning of school, I think of my very first year attending school. This was back in the dark ages when they didn’t have public kindergarten, so my first year was first grade. Before my sisters and I could attend school that year, all the school aged children had to line up at the local elementary school gym and get shot. Yes. Shot. We got shot with a gun that had a bazillion needles in it that inoculated us from everything from chicken pox to measles, but not cooties. That was given by a pinch and a crossing of the fingers by another kid. I still have the round scar on my left arm to prove that I was brave. The little boy about five kids in front of me screaming and carrying on like the doctor was going to kill him has a similar scar.

His is the wimp badge.

As my three sisters and I were gathering and organizing our school supplies in the den the night before school, we were all excited about the new adventure before us. We all had blue binders (that we called notebooks back then) that were a rough canvas like material. Inside was a metal clip that would hold your #2 pencil. It would also act like a mouse trap for your finger if you weren’t fast enough. We had notebook paper that we carefully placed inside before the rings pinched our fingers.

Yes, binders were dangerous school accessories.

I had a pack of crayons, husky pencils (the bigger pencils first graders had to use), and a red plaid satchel to place everything inside.

Back then, Pete Sheets, the owner of the Phillips 66 station down the road, saved us cigar boxes for pencil boxes. I still remember opening the box and the tobacco aroma filling my nose as I retrieved my crayons. We covered our books with paper grocery bags and drew on them or placed stickers on them to decorate them. It was convenient because you could write someone’s telephone number down in a hurry or some other important information. You could even write something really important like somebody loves somebody or someone is a jerk. These are things this generation is missing by having those cloth book covers. Poor kids.

I won’t mention my first-grade teacher’s name.

Something about her reminded me of the actress Patricia Neal. I think it was her voice, but my teacher had gray hair. We had a coat closet which was a little hallway within our classroom that had a line of hooks for our coats, etc.

There was a broom inside there. Most brooms are used for sweeping. I soon learned that this was probably my teacher’s alternative form of transportation home. I’m sure we sent this lady into retirement within a few years of us being there. We tried, anyway. It was for future generations to appreciate us, of course.

So, what does this happen to do with a cooking column? Oh my. That lunchroom food was the best food ever. I mean, it was the real deal food that your momma and grandmother made for you. It was those wonderful buttery yeast rolls before Michelle Obama made them whole grain and plain. It was chicken pot pie with a real pie crust on top, fried chicken that gave the Colonel some great competition, and the first time ever that I had “buckeyes”, peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate that they sold in single serving paper cups for 10 cents.

Oh, those were the good ol’ days. Let me promise you that school menus have changed over the years, but they are nutritious, and mostly delicious even for finicky eaters. They  come at a bargain! To me, the real worth was not having to worry about whether your child had forgotten their lunch box at home or if you remembered to pack them lunch. Of course, you can apply for free or reduced meals, which helps you AND the school district if you qualify. There is breakfast, too. That helps fuel your child’s day. Let me tell ya, I highly recommend the breakfast pizza served by Bryan County Schools.

You MUST let your child try it. The School Nutrition Program at most school districts will publish menus online, so if you are hesitant in dropping the lunchbox in storage, peruse the menu with your child. Let them pick out a few days to enjoy breakfast and/or lunch.

So, about those buckeyes. I’ll have a couple for old times’ sake. Recipe included. Happy New School Year, y’all!

Buckeyes (Named for the similar look to the buckeye nut that forms on the tree of the same name. Does this mean that the Ohio Buckeyes are nuts? Hmmm Just kidding!)

2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar 1 cup smooth peanut butter 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon Crisco shortening Directions: Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients except for chocolate and Crisco. Mix together with an electric mixer until mixture is well combined. Using a 2-teaspoon sized scoop or a tablespoon, scoop up dough by the 2 teaspoonful. Roll dough into balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until cool and firm. Once the peanut butter balls are firm, prepare the chocolate coating.

Chocolate coating: Place chocolate chips and Crisco in a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Micro-cook on high in 30 second intervals, stirring after each 30 minutes, until mixtures is completely smooth but not boiling, approximately 2 minutes.

Using a toothpick or a skewer, dip each ball into the melted chocolate, leaving a circle of the peanut butter visible “the eye”. Let the excess peanut butter drip off and return the dipped buckeye to the prepared pan. Repeat until all buckeyes are created.

Use a knife or bottom of a teaspoon to cover the toothpick hole. Return the buckeyes to the refrigerator and chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.

Place in an airtight container and keep chilled until ready to serve.

Libby Hires is the Bryan County News’ culinary expert. Her recipes are mom tested, kid approved.