An Old Fashioned Sunday Dinner!

I remember when we were members of Northgate Baptist Church and then later Crestview Baptist Church...we used to have Sunday Dinners! We would blitz the house clean on Saturday night and do as much food prepartion as possible. Then right after church we would scamper home to light the candles, fill the glasses with ice and take the food out of the oven. Good memories. I don't know why I don't do that more. We have been members of First Christian Church here in Irving, Texas for nearly three years and have yet to invite fellow church members or the pastor and her husband over for SUNDAY DINNER! I need to remedy that...and soon. One time I remember having a full dining room table and as we bowed our heads in prayer...I looked down at my plate....and HORRORS!! ALL the food was ORANGE!! I don't know what I was thinking but everything I cooked was the same color! Ham, carrots, baked beans, sweet potato casserole!!! Think about it! ALL ORANGE! Most of the dinners turned out pretty well thanks to my children's help. For years it was Summer and Jesse, Jr. who lit the candles, straightened the living room, turned on the lamps and started the fire in the den fireplace. When Jesse, Jr. was 19 and Summer was 22, I had two more children...Amber- now 24...and Benjamin- now 21! Then it was their turn to do those duties. I am not sure I had as MANY dinners by that time but I am certain I had some. By then I was mainly entertaining the church crowd after the evening service. I would prepare a potato bar or a cold cut spread or even somtimes a simple dessert and coffee. After eating we would clear the dining table and play my favorite card game....NUTS!!! It was SO much fun!! Once we even played SPOONS! Now THAT was hilarious! Ruth Johnston from Northgate Baptist Church taught me to play Nuts. I have forgotten how to play Spoons but NUTS...I remember and still enjoy when I can find someone to play with! Perhaps I should try introducing that to a new group after a Sunday Dinner soon!

This past Sunday we had my son, Jesse, and his family over and it was wonderful! Worth every ounce of effort! And it DOES take time and energy to host a good meal. When I woke up that morning, Louis Dean had already put the pork loin roast in the oven and the house smelled Sunday Morning Delicious! On Saturday we had done as much of the meal preparation as possible. LD had made his whole wheat rolls as well as a lof of bread for our communion service for Sunday morning. I had made the Company Potatoes using a recipe from JoAnn Fuller...a fellow member when we attended Crestview. Plus I had the candied carrots cooked with a pinch of nutmeg and put in the fridge as well as the cottage cheese/Cool Whip/instant vanilla pudding mix/canned peach pie filling salad.  I had also set the table early on Saturday using my best dishes, silver, stemmed glassware (for even the grandkids!) cloth napkins...the WORKS! So after sipping a cup or two of our morning coffee LD proceeded to finish up the meal with his 'orginal recipe' green beans using some salt pork and minced garlic as I brewed up the tea and set out the ingredients for the peach cobbler to be put together and popped into the oven to bake when we set down to the table!

We hurried home from church as quickly as we could.....lit ONE candle (my grandkids are 3,5, &7...too young to have a lot of open flames around!)...and before we knew it the bell by our front door was dinging signaling the happy arrival of the family! They arrived before the ice was in the glasses so my son did the honors....reminding me of when he was young doing that same chore. My mother's heart squeezed to see this handsome son of mine bending over the table! He is such a fine father and loving husband to my beautiful daughter-in-LOVE!

The table was set, prayer said, tea or water poured and the meal was ON! We had a good time around the table...eating and enjoying great conversation! The grandkids joined in with their family tradition of 'Highs and Lows' of the day or week.

After the dessert was served and we were all so full...the parents left and the grandkids stayed! We had fun playing Memory (Faith won...she has a fantastic memory!) and then started making potholders using the loom and loops of fabric. ALL my children have made these in childhood....and I still have three- one of which Jesse made- to show as examples! We even managed to have time for a walk around the neighborhood...the same neighborhood I have lived in since I was 18 years old! AND we set out some onion plants before the parents returned all too soon! Yes it was a good day!

I think I shall serve MORE Sunday dinners in this year of 2010.....when would YOU like to come?