Family Gatherings
My
mom made Pot Roast every Sunday and along with the potatoes, carrots and
onions, it cooked while we went to church. Then we ate it when we came home
from church. There was no written recipe but I learned how to do it by helping
Mom. She made it in a large cast iron kettle on top of the stove. I make it in
a covered roasting pan in the oven. The most important part is choosing a good
roast. It must be a bone-in blade chuck roast, nicely marbled. Heat the iron
skillet or heavy roasting pan to very hot with fat trimmings from the roast
rendering as it heats. Put the roast in and sear on all sides. Add salt, pepper
and onion slices on the top. Add about a half-cup of water and cover quickly to
keep the steam in. Roast in a 325-degree oven. Add potatoes and carrots later
on. When done make gravy and serve with salad and rolls. This is what I serve
almost every time I have my family come for dinner.
I
have also made the family Christmas dinner for about the past 18 years. I
almost always make a crown roast of pork (in reference to the Three Kings of
the Orient, who may or may not have had crowns, and came to pay their respects
to the baby Jesus.)
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| This was taken after Jessie was married and couldn't come home that year. |
The rest of the menu is simple Midwestern American cooking:
mashed potatoes and gravy, a vegetable, usually broccoli or green beans, usually
a spinach-strawberry salad, homemade dinner rolls, and dessert. Jessie and Jolie used to always have
Strawberry Crush for their beverage.
As
I get older Kim is helping me more and more. This year, 2011, she made the
strawberry-spinach salad, the homemade rolls, and pecan pie for dessert. We also go to her house Christmas Eve,
and have brunch there Christmas morning.
We
sit at the Duncan Phyfe dining room table, which belonged to my parents and was
purchased by them in the 1940’s. We use Mother’s china, which is Noritake,
Allure pattern, and was probably purchased in the 40’s as well. Even into
adulthood Jessie and Jolie want to sit in THEIR places, which are the places
they sat in when they were little girls spending an overnight at Grandma’s. I
am at the head of the table, Jolie to my left and Jessie to my right. The rest
of the family sits….wherever.
Here is a link to some of our favorite family recipes.
Here is a link to some of our favorite family recipes.
