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| Family lore states that my great-grandmother, Bridget Foley Lucey, attended the Family Farmer School of Cooking in Boston at the turn of the 19th Century. One of my favorite Sunday dinner recipes is Fanny Farmer's Baked Custard recipe. I'll serve the dessert with berries and whipped cream today. https://www.bartleby.com/87/r1248.html |
Sunday dinners past
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| This is one of my favorite family history photos. The photo shows family members at a celebratory Sunday dinner abt 1958. |
I'm not sure about the age in life that people remember most, but for me, my childhood memories are seared into my memory. As a child and teen, my mom served Sunday dinner almost every Sunday. After going to church, she would come home, put on her apron, and busily prepare a multi-course Sunday dinner. We set the table and welcomed the arrival of my grandparents, Nana, Papa, Nana, and Great-Aunt Catherine. The dinners followed a typical pattern. The Grands would arrive usually bringing a box of chocolates. Mom would put cheese and crackers on the coffee table and serve the adults high balls and Manhattans. We gathered in the living room to exchange stories, eat the chocolates, enjoy the cheese and crackers, and sometimes play cards. After that we sat at the dining room table and enjoyed a big meal that usually included some kind of meat, bread, potatoes and other veggies like carrots, peas, beans, salad, and eventually a delicious homemade dessert with ice cream. Sometimes our cousins would also join us at these dinners; and as we got older the dinners were coupled with adventures such as bike rides, hikes, skating, sledding, CYC ball games, and more. I often would find myself in our downstairs den well before or after the dinner to watch a Sunday movie--I have always loved movies.
Sunday dinners today
In many ways, our dinners today follow the same pattern as the Sunday dinners past. The food we cook mimics the past if my dad comes, but if it's a younger crowd we'll try newer recipes and more vegetarian options. Since family members tend to travel more and live further apart, we don't do this every Sunday, but we do have a Sunday dinner about once every six weeks or so.
Is the Sunday dinner a good tradition?
I like the tradition of joining loved ones for a meal regularly. Coming together like that gives us a chance to focus on one another with care and attention. These dinners when done well strengthen our family ties and connections. It is a good tradition.
What do you serve?
The meals differ from dinner to dinner. I enjoy cooking most of the time and I like to try new recipes as well as tried and true meals. Today since Dad is coming, we'll have a traditional roast chicken, baked potatoes, roasted carrots, peas, and custard with berries dinner. I'll put some bread and butter on the table too. Prior to sitting down to eat, we'll enjoy cheese and crackers, nuts, and deviled eggs in addition to time for conversation. We'll offer our guests a glass of wine and other drinks. Since it's dry January in our house, I'll likely make a delicious mocktail too.
Do you have a Sunday dinner tradition? If so what is that like and why is it important? I'll continue to think about how this tradition fits into our lives today and into the future. Onward.