there's this thing about deli meats

There's this thing about deli meat that I find so gross. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a deli meat sandwich covered in mayo, cheese, tomato, all the fixins. I like it as much as the next gal. But I kind of feel guilty feeding it to my kids.

Sounds dumb right?

Ever look in the display case at the deli counter? It's so off-putting. I can't think too hard about it, it makes me gag. All those perfectly formed blocks of "meat" leftovers, ground up, loaded full of preservatives, salt, and something gummy to hold all that together - what is that? Fat? Gelatin? It's gross. As you're standing in line while somebody orders up 8 pounds of head cheese, do you ever imagine taking a bite out of one of those blocks and having it all slimy and mushy in your mouth? A little slice on your sandwich isn't so bad. The idea of having a big bite like that disgusts me.

Once someone at the deli told me that someone they knew liked to order this breakfast ham log sliced into 1 inch slices to have on a bun - some sort of homemade breakfast sandwich I suppose. I told him that sounded delicious. In real life it almost made me not want to buy it. I thought of biting into the equivalent of 8 slices of ham on a sandwich.

I know, I know, no need to thank me for this one...

Comments

Heather said…
I totally get the whole gross deli meat thing. Shelby loves ham. And because I don't eat it and it's cheap I always get the pre-shaved ham in a container. The 12 yr. old deli kid puts on a gross plastic glove that he's worn all day and probably dropped on the floor several times (probably in the uninal) then grabs a sloppy handful of "meat" and while attempting to place it on the little sanitary paper thing drips all the meat juice....gag gag.... across all the other "meats".

I totally get it.
May 11, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Lora said…
I hate deli meats. They remind me of big, boneless, shrinkwrapped thighs just lying there in the case.

Oh, and Easter hams? the kind with the bone? It looks JUST LIKE MY MOTHER IN LAWS THIGH!!!!
May 12, 2009 at 7:11 AM
Ange said…
You know, not all of them are that bad. Some of them are even made with real meat you know. Don't buy the cheap, pre-shaved ham and you'll probably be okay. I actually worked in a deli so I have an idea of this sort of thing. But yes, some of them are actually quite disgusting looking. Head cheese, mac and cheese loaf, pizza loaf? Any deli meat with the word loaf or roll in it I would stay away from.
May 12, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Q&L said…
I concur with Ange. Not all are that bad. Generally, the more expensive you go, the better quality. I used to despise the Mother's who bought 4 lbs of cooked ham for the week...yuck
May 12, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Tiffany said…
In a perfect world we could all just cut up actual chicken and turkey and beef for our kids sandwiches, but I can totally understand mothers who have to buy 4 pounds of the cheapest stuff!

I can't imagine how I'd feed my three on the budget we have now if they were teenagers. Luckily, they eat very little and by the time they eat more I'll have a "real" job.

Mmmmm, mac 'n cheese 'loaf.' NOT.
I agree with Ange, calling it "loaf" just increases the gross factor!
May 12, 2009 at 6:32 PM
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