Sunday dinner: A special treat in our house
- Michelle Wood: SWCD
- November 2, 2009
- 898
But if we were lucky enough to find a box of Captain Crunch in the cereal cupboard, we lacked any control concerning the serving suggestions. As we poured whole milk into the cereal bowl, bits toppled over the bowl onto the table. This we called "bonus bits" for anyone quick enough to snap them up!
The aroma of a dad's instant coffee and maybe a layer cake pan of rolls was our key into the kitchen; tugging us out of our beds on the day of rest. Sunday morning breakfast for us was not a big meat and potato stovetop production. Even if we were camping, we ate cereal from little boxes, made toast over late night coals, and stirred up instant Tang in our paper cups.
Sunday breakfast in our house includes several of the following; biscuits and sausage gravy, brown eggs, toast, fried potatoes, bacon, creamed tomatoes, and real dairy butter. Personally, my Sunday breakfast is served on a plate, not a full blown platter, like some diners in this house. I cook a lot of the hot food, but indulge in limitation.
Sunday dinner is the best meal of a Sunday. As we dressed for church, mom would be in the kitchen with a towel on her head or rollers in her hair. She may have had her robe tied around her Sunday dress, if she had gotten that far.
Food smells were varied on a Sunday morning; it wasn't always oven baking, butter, hot cocoa or cinnamon. We might smell a beef roast browning in the skillet or onions caramelizing.
The sounds were mixed as well. We might hear mom's squeaky potato peeler going to work, knives chopping carrots, spoons stirring saucepan sauces, or dirty dishes being dropped into the sink for us girls to wash after dinner.
Sometimes grumbles caused by range top boil-overs could be heard down the hall, but since it was a Sunday, and the food was lovingly prepared by a thoughtful mother and well-practiced cook, we knew God would disregard her mumbles. But would he disregard ours? Clean-up duty was daughter's work, not the cooks!
Send your Sunday best dinner recipes to Country Cupboard, c/o Daphne Ross, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster 44691. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you request a personal reply. E-mails are always welcome to thewritecook@sssnet.com.
Spicy Glazed Meatloaf
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup gingersnap crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 eggs
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup peach preserves
Combine beef, gingersnap crumbs, onions, eggs, evaporated milk, salt and cinnamon; mix well. Turn into a 1 1/2 quart loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Drain off drippings. Cool for 5 minutes in pan; unmold. Mix preserves and 1/4 cup water in saucepan; cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until thick and smooth. Spread glaze over top of loaf. Garnish loaf with peach slices, maraschino cherries and parsley.
Pumpkin Muffins
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 cups prepared biscuit mix
Mix egg, milk, oil and pumpkin thoroughly; add all remaining ingredients. Fill muffin tins or baking cups half full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Harvest Ham Sauce
2/3 cup apple butter
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 (1 inch thick) chunk ham slice
Combine apple butter and grated orange rind. Place ham on rack in roasting pan. Spread apple butter mixture on top surface of ham. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.
Quick Grape Cobbler
1/4 cup margarine
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups grape juice, unsweetened
Combine margarine, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt and baking powder in baking dish; blend well, using pastry blender. Combine grape juice and remaining sugar in saucepan, stirring well; bring to a boil. Pour over mixture in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until crust rises to top and browns.
Crunch-Top Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes, peeled
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup crushed corn flakes
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
Cut potatoes crosswise into 1 1/2 inch slices. Melt butter in jelly roll pan in 375 degree oven. Add single layer of potatoes; turn slices once in butter. Mix remaining ingredients; sprinkle over potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.
Raspberry Coconut Squares
1 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 cup sugar
1 (4 ounce) can coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift flour and baking powder; cut in 1/2 cup butter until crumbly. Mix milk with 1 slightly beaten egg; stir into flour mixture. Blend well. Spread dough in 8-inch square pan. Spread with jam. Beat remaining egg until frothy; add remaining melted butter and sugar, beating well after each addition. Mix in coconut and vanilla. Spread mixture over jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool. Cut into squares with sharp knife.
Baked Spaghetti
1 (No. 2) can tomatoes
2 medium onions, coarsely ground
1 green pepper, coarsely ground
2 small cloves of garlic, coarsely ground
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound sharp cheese, grated
1 (8 ounce) package thin spaghetti, cooked
Parmesan cheese
1 cup sautéed mushrooms
Simmer tomatoes in saucepan until tender. Fry onions, green pepper and garlic in bacon drippings until tender; combine onion mixture, tomatoes, bay leaves, cloves, salt and pepper. Cover with water; simmer for 30 minutes. Cook beef; do not brown. Add beef and cheese to tomato mixture. Heat, stirring frequently, until cheese melts. Alternate layers of sauce and spaghetti in deep casserole, topping with sauce. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Serve with cheese and mushrooms.
Pumpkin Biscuits
1/2 cup strained cooked pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup scalded milk
1/4 yeast cake
2 1/2 cups flour
Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, butter and milk; cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Add yeast and flour to pumpkin mixture; cover. Let rise overnight. Roll out on floured surface; shape into biscuits. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees until browned.
Caramel-Topped Bread Pudding
3 slices stale bread, cut in cubes
2/3 cup raisins
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soft butter
1 tablespoon cream
1/3 cup chopped nuts
Combine bread cubes and 1/3 cup raisins; beat eggs with sugar and salt. Add milk and vanilla to egg mixture; blend well. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture; blend well. Pour into 8-inch square baking dish; place dish in pan of hot water. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until inserted knife comes out clean. Combine brown sugar, butter, cream, nuts and remaining raisins; spread over pudding. Return to oven; bake for 10 minutes longer or until topping bubbles.