Erin Wallace
Sycamore City Reporter
As we continued to wrap up our city elections at Arizona Girls State, the main focus soon shifted from rising through the ranks of mayors, councilwomen, and precinct committeemen to our growling stomachs, because even the most powerful government can’t run on an empty stomach! From breakfast to lunch to dinner, here is my honest review of the meals that are feeding our future leaders.
Breakfast:
Unlike some people, I’m an avid supporter of the saying “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” However, I understand the hesitation some girls have about heading to breakfast at the crack of dawn. And although I love breakfast, a 7 a.m. wake-up time is a very strong turnoff.
Still, in the name of journalism, I got up and trudged down to the first floor to review the meal. I was greeted with a spread of fruit pastries, yogurts in all different flavors, sugary cereal that I’m sure one bite of would have had me running up and down the stairs of Arizona Stadium, orange juice, and the holy grail: coffee.
I’m not a huge sweets person in the morning (I’m more of an eggs and bacon girl), but the pastries were unlike anything I’ve ever had. Most breakfast sweets are drier than the Sahara Desert, but these were amazing. The consistency was soft and flaky, with the perfect ratio of jam to dough. The yogurt was refreshing and flavorful, and the orange juice had just the right amount of tanginess without being too much for my early-morning taste buds.
All in all, this meal was a solid 8/10, and I highly recommend giving up those extra ten minutes of sleep for a nourishing start to your day.
Lunch:
After a long morning of listening to speeches and voting, my stomach was ready for some lunch. Inside each girl’s paper lunch sack was a roast beef and cheese sandwich, a bag of Lay’s Original chips, a brownie, and an apple.
I was very ecstatic about this meal—sandwiches are one of my favorite lunchtime go-tos! I found that the sandwich, like most sandwiches, was quite dry. However, with a packet of mayo, that problem was easily solved.
As a very picky girl, I was very satisfied with the plain potato chips to accompany my sandwich. And you’d think the apples were freshly picked off a tree here in Tucson, with how soft, juicy, and fresh they were.
And the pièce de résistance? The sweet, chocolatey brownie. I have a very strong—but strict—sweet tooth, and this brownie passed the test. My only suggestion would be to add some chocolate chips in, because let’s be real: you can never go wrong with more chocolate!
I rate this meal a 7/10, a reliable lunch for leaders.
Dinner:
By the time dinner rolled around, I couldn’t believe my first full day of Girls State was coming to an end. For dinner, we were greeted with the most magnificent spread of Mexican food. I’m not joking when I say I thought my taste buds were going to explode. As I went through the buffet line, I reached for garlic rice, black beans, chicken and rice enchiladas, and Mexican Caesar salad with a delicious vinaigrette dressing.
And, of course, it couldn’t be a Girls State meal without dessert! On today’s menu was a slice of chocolate cake with whipped chocolate frosting—I’ll admit that I went back for seconds,because how can a girl resist a slice of heaven?
As an Arizonan, I’ve had my fair share of Mexican food, and this meal has raised my standards by a mile. By the time dinner was done, I left the Bear Down Gymnasium hobbling out because my stomach was so full. This was by far our best meal of the day and a perfect way to end our first full day of Girls State. I rate this meal a 10/10.
But my favorite part of the meals wasn’t the food. What I cherished most was the girls sitting around the table with me, sharing laughs, swapping stories, and that’s what truly made the experience so special. Honestly, I would’ve eaten any quality of food if it meant I got to sit with my girls.
As Monday comes to a close, I can already tell I’m in for an unforgettable week. Here’s to full stomachs, new memories, and many more 10/10 moments ahead!