About > Pamela Koller
Pamela Koller
{Web Writer}
Due to a family crisis when I turned eleven years old, my siblings and I suddenly became latchkey kids. The Alba brothers took pity on our overqualified mom and hired her to pack sfogliatella and cannoli in white cardboard boxes. She deftly wrapped the boxes with striped string to sell to our neighbors at Alba’s popular Italian bakery. This reversal of fortune prematurely thrust me into domestic servitude. Monday through Thursday my alarm to start dinner was the distinctive music theme from The 4:30 Movie on the television. The repertoire included spaghetti and meatballs with Wonder Bread toast, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, baked chicken with mashed potatoes, and baked macaroni with crunchy potato chip topping. My secret spaghetti sauce recipe was only two huge cans of tomato juice mixed with two small cans of tomato paste – and some oregano.
Pretty quickly I became adept at preparing each meal during commercials so that dinner was on the table in time for the 6:00 dual countdown of movie finale and mom walking in the door. All week long we looked forward to our Friday night treat of McDonald’s eaten on TV trays in the den, while we watched the classics: Hogan’s Heroes, Brady Bunch or the Partridge Family.