Sunday, May 1, 2022

Around the Kitchen Table - Sunday Dinner + 4-Book & Recipe Card Collection #giveaway



MADDIE DAY here, delighted to have the Kitchen crew sitting around my table again. I hosted all the usual suspects (son and wife, plus a crew of friends who are like family) for Easter dinner two weeks ago, as I do every year except the dreaded 2020, and I got to thinking about Sunday dinners.

In some families a big weekly dinner might still be a tradition. I don't have family living close enough to come every week, but I wish I did. 

Maybe that's why, in my Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, Mac Almeida's parents hold Sunday dinner. They schedule it in late afternoon, since it's a school night. Mac's brother and niece, her tiny grandma, Mac and Tim - everyone is invited, and guests are not only welcome but expected. Mac's father might make a big pot of beef stew or Cape Verdean cachupa, or her mom a massive fish soup (like the one I presented here). Bread and salad go along with the dish, and Tim brings dessert from his bakery. They all (except Cokey) drink wine out of jelly jars and share love around the table.



When I was an exchange student for a year in southern Brazil, long long ago, that family also held Sunday dinner. The aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents would come, and everyone would sip a glass of sweet Vermouth and then feast (that family did employ a full-time cook, though). It was seriously so long ago I don't remember what we usually ate.

So, dish, MLKers and readers. Do you have a tradition of Sunday dinner now, or did you growing up? Do your characters? Who comes to eat? And most importantly, what is served? A big roast beef or an infinitely expandable soup with bread?  A gluten-free vegetarian meal? A repast that reflects your or your protagonist's international origins? Let's talk!

The winning lucky commenter gets a bonus giveaway this month - along with four terrific mysteries, the winner will receive one of our recipe card packets!

Our Mystery Lovers' Kitchen Recipe Card Packs
(Given out at Malice Domestic 2022)

Leave a comment, and you'll be entered to win a pack,
along with four terrific mysteries from our group!
 

🥕🥖🥗🍷

 

LESLIE KARST: For my family, Sunday dinner was not much different than any other night of the week, but like Edith, it plays a major role in my books. For fourth-generation Italian Sally Solari, whose family have always been fishermen and restaurateurs, Sunday Dinner is a BIG DEAL. But although they call it “dinner,” it’s really more of a late lunch.

Sally’s nonna, Giovanna, gets going on the Sunday gravy—a combination of beef chuck roast, pork chops, sweet Italian sausages, onion, tomato, wine, and chopped herbs—as soon as she gets up, then lets it braise for several hours while she attends mass, until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender, swimming in a luscious and rich sauce. (See Sunday Gravy recipe here.)

 

the gravy over pasta 

Without fail, the Solari Sunday Dinner consists of the same menu: an antipasto of prosciutto and salami, marinated vegetables, and provolone and mozzarella cheese; a first course of pasta with the gravy from the braise; then the main course of the meat, served along with a green salad or veg; and for dessert a ginormous bowl of tiramisu doused with coffee and Marsala wine and dusted with powdered cocoa. 

 

the main course of braised meat 

And woe to those who fail to show up for the meal—or who take only small portions of the various courses served—for they risk being on the receiving end of Nonna’s evil eye....

🌿 🍷 🌳 



LUCY BURDETTE: Leslie, I love reading about the Sunday dinners in your Sally Solari books! Growing up, our family had the big Sunday meal at lunchtime, after church. It was usually a roast with gravy and mashed potatoes. So at supper time, we ate on TV trays in the den, eating toasted cheese, potato salad, and baked beans. I have only fond memories of those nights, though I can't remember what we watched on TV.

Though Hayley Snow and her mother are excellent cooks who love hosting dinner parties, there isn't a Sunday tradition. Hmmm, maybe I should change that... Here's a recipe for an Italian pot roast in a slow cooker that could easily serve a crowd.


🌿 🍷 🌳 

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: I too confess that big Sunday dinners are not a tradition I grew up with -- my family was the one that moved away from my parents' big families in the Midwest -- and it's not a big part of our cooking right now. The one requirement is that it result in leftovers Mr. Right and I can grab for lunch a few days in the upcoming week!


But like my blog sisters, I've given a version of that tradition to one of my protagonists. In my Food Lovers' Village mysteries, Erin Murphy's family gathers for a big Sunday lunch at The Orchard, the homestead her great-grandparents founded shortly after they moved to Jewel Bay, Montana in 1910. (Read about those early Murphys in "An Unholy Death," the historical novella in Carried to the Grave and Other Stories, the 6th Village mystery.) Or if it's summer and Erin's busy with the Merc, they'll meet for brunch -- and she'll pass on the mimosas! I adore Sunday brunch, and gave my love of it to Pepper Reece, star of my Spice Shop mysteries, as well, though she goes out with friends rather than hosting. Brunch is one of my favorite meals, especially when the menu includes something I wouldn't make or eat during the week, like this Chai Spice Coffee Cake from Chai Another Day or these fabulous Turkish Scrambled Eggs with Tomato.    

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PEG COCHRAN/MARGARET LOUDON  When my paternal grandparents were still alive, we had big Sunday dinners like the characters in Leslie Karst's books.  My grandmother's pasta sauce (we never called it gravy) was perfect--simmered with meat, which was served as a separate course.  It was preceded by soup and followed by salad, fruit and nuts (often roasted chestnuts,) Italian pastries and liqueurs.  The shape of the pasta varied--I usually got to pick whichever one I wanted!  Unless we were having their homemade ravioli or lasagna.  My grandfather grew his own grapes and made his own wine but that was for the grown-ups! My grandmother simmered her sauce for hours, but here's a Bolognese sauce you can whip up on a weeknight that's very good!  And like Leslie's characters, the characters in my Lucille Series would never miss Sunday dinner and Lucille is always worried whether or not there will be enough to eat even though the table is groaning under all the food!

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MAYA CORRIGAN: Sunday dinner was a tradition when I was growing up. It was scheduled for 2 p.m., often included extended family, and took place in the dining room, instead of the kitchen alcove where our family of five ate all of our other meals. Sunday dinner always included a roast--chicken, turkey, beef, pork, or veal--and potatoes. For special occasions like a holiday, an anniversary, or a birthday, my aunt would bring potatoes made three different ways: mashed, twice-baked, and roasted. Vegetables, salad, and dessert completed the meal. In later years, when my siblings and I lived a few-hours drive from my parents, we had that kind of dinner only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a very special occasion. By then my mother was combining the vegetables and salad into one make-ahead dish. Here's the recipe for her easy and popular side dish that can be made the day before it's served.  




 🎂 


CLEO COYLE: Oh, yes! I grew up in a big Italian family, and we had a Sunday Dinner tradition almost every week. For years, I've written and blogged about my dear Aunt Mary, who was born in Italy (as was my mother, Rose). Growing up, I was my aunt's little assistant cook, and I learned much from her. 

On Sundays, my aunt and mom would make a feast for our family, starting in the morning with the wedding soup. Yes, we had wedding soup many Sundays (no wedding needed!!) with chicken broth, pastina, little meatballs, and escarole. Spaghetti was served with a tomato sauce simmered with meat until it fell off the bone. And dessert included Italian cookies

My aunt lived with us. She was more of a grandmother than an aunt since she and my mother lost their own mother when they were young, and she helped raise my sister and I. That's why Aunt Mary has been the primary model for my amateur sleuth Clare Cosi's nonna in my Coffeehouse Mysteries, for going on twenty years now...


I look back on those Sunday dinners and realize how amazing that food was, which (back then) I took for granted. My father provided fresh tomatoes from his garden, homemade wine from the grape vines in our backyard, homegrown eggplants and zucchini. It was marvelous, and I miss those days and my dear parents and aunt, all of whom have since gone to heaven, where they now wait for me to join their table again. Thanks, Edith, for reminding me of the good food and good memories of those delicious days. ~ Cleo


GIVEAWAY!

Readers:
Share your special dinner tradition
in the comments below. 

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> MURDER AT THE LOBSTAH SHACK by Maddie Day

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92 comments:

  1. After I married into an Italian family it was customary to attend a weekly Sunday dinner of pasta. Learned to make sauce and meatballs from my MIL. Still a special recipe today! Lynne, lrugg1224@aol.com

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    1. Growing up we did have Sunday Dinner at my grandparents. They had a huge garden and we often had fried chicken and fresh, or home canned, vegetables.

      kaye.killgore(at)comcast(dot)net

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  2. We go to my parents house every weekend - usually Sundays and spend the day with them and have supper. It’s a great way to stay connected. bmedrano34 at yahoo.com

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  3. As a child and with Dad being a military man, we were usually stationed far away from other family members. Sundays were for the four of us - a chance to reconnect as a family after everyone having events or things that took them in different directions during the week. Usually Mom would put a roast in the oven before church. We'd arrive home to the wonderful smells anxious for Mom to get it all finished and on the table. On special days, Mom would get up early and fry chicken and sides like potato salad in preparation for the afternoon adventure. After church we would take off in the car to explore some new sight or revisit a favorite one knowing that a picnic was ahead.

    As an adult, the big family meal was on Saturdays leaving Sundays for our family of 3. When weather cooperated something grilled was in order - BBQ chicken my favorite. It was a special time to spend together, relax and get ready for another hectic week.

    Now it's just hubby and I. Being retired, every day is Sunday but we still use it as a day of rest. One of my favorite things to do is to take a drive with our camera at the ready. However, sitting on the front porch just talking is quite enjoyable too. Now our Sunday meals may be anything from a big meal to sandwiches purely because we now have the time to fix the "big" meals any day of the week. Especially during the warmer months, we are apt to have another couple in which usually has hubby grilling or smoking the meat while I fix the sides - usually using fresh veggies from the garden.

    Thank you for the chance to win an amazing giveaway package!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  4. Growing up, it was usually just my immediate family of four eating dinner after church. Sometimes another family would be invited. The big family gatherings were reserved for holidays and other special occasions, and they were always at my grandmother’s house. It was usually potluck but in the summer, we always had homemade ice cream to go with whatever cakes were brought. We always had a great time! cking78503(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. We made hand-cranked ice cream growing up too!

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  5. I envy you lucky folks who had big Sunday dinners! My mom was never much of a cook - she'd prepare the evening meals but not much else. Except for holidays and the traditional turkey. I cooked alot more for my own children because I do enjoy cooking and love making new recipes! Kathylynn103 at hotmail dot com.

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  6. I remember the good meals my mom would make like Swedish meatballs, pot roast and Salisbury steak. Thanks for your great generosity. Maycarlson6848@gmail.com

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    1. All of those sound so good! Sometimes the old recipes are the best!

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  7. Sunday dinner tradition was something which I looked forward to, enjoyed and felt was important. It shaped our lives and was meaningful. My grandmother used to prepare for it all day and loved the work and having family over. cooking and baking was her life. We used to set the table. I miss those days. Now it has disappeared. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. So much has changed since then. We were lucky to have those experiences and those memories.

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  8. Each week we roasted a tasty chicken with yummy red potatoes, a delectable orzo pasta salad, marble cake and lemon biscuits. I can feel it now. We don't cook any big meals anymore. Simple fare and a quiet day. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Roast chicken is one of my favorite things! And orzo salad goes so well with it. I'm getting hungry thinking about it!

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  9. As a kid, Sunday dinner was usually a bigger meal. Beef or pork roast, ham, or steak with mushroom sauce, plus mashed potatoes and veggie was the normal menu. I remember the smell all through the house and Dad in the living room watching The McLaughlin Group, all those old guys arguing about politics.
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  10. While growing up, I loved reading about big Sunday dinners. However, the regular Sunday event for us was a brunch of Dim Sum. Everyone in the family made it a point to keep that time period available and often invited a friend or two. There was lots of boisterous conversation and laughter over various buns, dumplings, various small steamed and fried dishes, and plenty of tea. We would be stuffed to the gills with food and good cheer by the end of the meal, and prepared to face the rest of the week.

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    1. I just realized that I forgot to add: little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  11. When I was growing up, we always went to my grandmothers house on Sunday for dinner- fried chicken, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes or potato salad, macaroni and cheese, homemade biscuits and always a cake- usually homemade red velvet cake. Miss those days since grandparents, mom and dad are gone….😢
    Luvs2read4fun (at) gmail (dot) com

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  12. Growing up, my family would go to my grandparents house for Sunday dinner. It would either be a roast, chicken or we would bbq out. Tons of different sides to go along with the meal. Dessert would usually be cake or pies!! Miss those days!

    Thank you for the chance to the amazing giveaway!

    jarjm1980(@)hotmail(dot)com

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  13. I guess I'm old school. We had a family dinner ever day, as is, all four of us sat down and ate together.
    It was holidays when other family (aunt and uncle) joined us. Including the infamous one where when my uncle cut into the turkey and found it wasn't cooked!

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    1. Ooops libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  14. Fun to hear about your traditions!

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  15. Interestingly enough, as a child I don't remember big family dinners as we didn't live near family. Later in life two of my three sisters and their families, my uncle and I all lived in the same area as my parents, so Sunday dinner at Mom and Dad's became the norm. It was usually either a roast, lasagna, sauerkraut, with the occasional patio cookout of burgers and all the sides. Dessert was usually whatever cake recipe Mom ran across during the week. Always delicious!
    Speaking of Easter, in my young adult years one of my sisters and I lived together, again far from the rest of the family, so we hosted "Orphan's Easter". It was usually a potluck where we provided the turkey or ham and everyone brought the sides and dessert, but I remember one year when a friend whose family was away came and made fried chicken. While it was the best ever, it took me three days to clean the kitchen. There was grease spattered everywhere! Still lots of fun memories.
    Thanks for all the wonderful hours of other lives you have all provided and thanks for the opportunity to win such a great package!

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Marcia. I don't make fried chicken for the reason you described. :-)

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  16. I guess we are kind of a boring family! Everyone has such beautiful traditions. One thing, as a child, it was a special treat to eat a foiled top t.v. dinner on a t.v. tray in the t.v. room. I loved reading other people's comments of their traditions. calgalsh@gmail.com

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    1. When I was growing up, I longed for TV dinners, but my mother would never buy them. ~Maya

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  17. Growing up we always had a family dinner at noon on Sunday. We had a small family, so it was our family and my Grandmother. My Mom would fix a special dinner and over the years my Dad took over the cooking. He was a really good cook. I miss those family dinners.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  18. We certainly had dinners together but they weren't really special affairs....not terribly happy times. We did, however, have a Sunday tradition for a few years that shines in memory. We had a cook (Mom loathed cooking) who brought us fresh sugared donuts on Sunday morning right after church. I still can taste the fresh, sweet taste of those special treats! kgibson1228@msn.com

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    1. Our Sunday dinners weren't huge. We tended to eat more of an main meal on Saturday. Usually, my father, who was a trustee and an usher, had the last Mass, so we didn't get home to late.

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  19. Hi! My memories of big family meals start with Passove Seders at my paternal grandparents duplex in Brooklyn. Chicken matzo ball soup, homemade gefilte fish, sharp horseradish, & more. They would pack in all my aunts & uncles, lots of cousins, & any other family members in the New York area! This was in the late 1950's & early 1960's. My parents, sister & I moved to Anaheim to follow the aerospace program for my dad's work. Before we moved, we had wonderful family meals on both side of my family! We celebrated Chanukah, Passover, birthdays, summer picnics at our house on Long Island...filled with good food & lots of cousins! It was so much fun!
    Once we moved to Anaheim it was so different! Just my parents, my sister & me but the Jewish traditions continued. Our parents, grandparents, & many of our aunts & uncles have died now. My sister, who is an amazing cook, now hosts the Passover Seder & Chanukah dinners! She is the glue that holds us all together.💜

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  20. I forgot my email! JewelryDragon@gmail.com. I just love all the glimpses into my favorite authors lives! And the recipes! Thank you!💜😸💐

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    1. You are our lucky winner, Jewelry Dragon! Congratulations, and please check your email.

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    2. Please contact me by May 11 to claim your prize.

      Delete
  21. what a fun post with a lot of great ideas. when I was growing up, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins would all come together on Sunday afternoon for dinner. It was late enough after church but early enough that we could all eat and have fun. Each of the women would bring something to eat. I learned later that they would get together and for each month would have a theme - italian, soup, mexican etc. It was always so good and fun. As families started to move away, this became a much smaller tradition. By the time I had two little ones, mom would have us all over once a month on sunday. Of course we were always invited many other times. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  22. Growing up, Sunday dinner was roast beef.
    jtcgc ay yahoo dot com

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  23. Normal after-church fare for my mom was a baked pork chop with potatoes and carrots in a mushroom soup gravy. I also remember the nights mom would get her hair done, dad was in charge of supper. His go-to meal was Hamburger Helper. :-) But he made the best angel food cake for birthdays! Heidi slowthorp at iowatelecom.net

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  24. Mom made fried chicken most Sundays, and on some special summer Sundays, Dad would have us run to the store for root beer and ice cream for supper . . . or in spring strawberry shortcake. I don't have big gatherings now, but it would be fun to get back to it. <3

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  25. Growing up we often had leg of lamb with oven browned potatoes. A lot of folks don’t enjoy lamb but I’ve loved it ever since then! cjbennetts2011@gmail.com

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  26. Those Glazed Italian Lemon Cookies look so good!

    We've never really been big on a special weekly family dinner, but I imagine we spent many years having more sit-down dinners than people have nowadays (I suppose). I know one of my friends when I was growing up had a weekly Sunday pizza dinner with pizza they got from a pizzeria!

    jsmith[delete brackets]3may[delete brackets]2011

    [at symbol]

    yahoo[dot]com

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    1. I figure as long as people are eating together around the table, it matters less what they eat than being together.

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  27. Growing up we usually just had brunch after church. Wr never had a big Sunday dinner. bella_ringer@hotmail.com

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  28. I don’t have one now, but as a kid we owned a restaurant and every Sunday there was a roast beef slicing station with mashed potatoes, green beans, fried chicken, salad bar and Apple crisp mama2bulls@gmail dot com

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  29. I do remember regular Sunday dinners - meatloaf, pork chops, lamb chops (that I hated), escarole soup. But my favorite was when my father made meat pasties (meat pies). I am sad that I never really got the recipe from him, because these were the best, both for dinner and then as leftovers. It was dough (priced with a fork for steam vent) filled with ground meat, potatoes, carrots and I think a bit of tomato paste as the moisture, and then baked in the oven. This was his specialty, probably from his family's recipes, where his dad's family came from Wales.

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    1. Those sound delicious. Have you tried to recreate the pasties?

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  30. My family never had Sunday dinners, nor dinners at the table. We would eat in separate rooms. Sounds sad! But that was how it was. It is nice to hear about big Sunday dinners. There should be more of those. It somehow makes families closer and have beautiful memories.

    strgth4yu(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. I think those big meals do make families closer.

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  31. We did not have big Sunday dinners when I was growing up. Usually it was something simple since weekends were so busy. My hubby and I have a tradition with the kids of going out to eat on Sundays to allow me to have a break. cherierj (at) yahoo (dot)com

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  32. Friday nights are our takeout night. We'll order and then sit and watch wrestling. pictorvia2979@gmail.com

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  33. We didn't do Sunday dinner but we always gathered for lunch after morning Mass on Sundays. I have always liked the idea of Sunday dinners. maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  34. There have never been any traditions with my family. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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  35. Sunday dinner was pot roast made in a dutch oven with potatoes and carrots. My favorite still today. lindalou64(@)live(dot)com

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  36. We didn't have a Sunday dinner tradition. Our family wasn't that big, just us and my grandfather who lived with us.
    wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  37. Other than everyone being at the table, no big deal was ever made about Sunday dinner. And as a grown up, I have not made it a big deal either. My email address is Tay06zia@yahoo.com

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  38. My mom usually served really great meals on Sundays. Usually some kind of roast or ham, with potatoes and veggies and a salad. These days its just me and my husband and I usually cook dinner six nights a week, so Sunday is going out to eat or takeout day. JL_Minter (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  39. So this is not your typical Sunday dinner - when I was a kid my grandfather would come over on Sunday night and he would make pancakes from Aunt Jemima pancake mix! This was our special Sunday dinner! Our family ate very healthy as kids, veggies from the garden, eggs from backyard chickens, raw milk from the cow farm downtime road, farm raised organic meats, whole wheat everything and very little sugar, so those pancakes were very different from our other suppers.

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  40. So this is not your typical Sunday dinner - when I was a kid my grandfather would come over on Sunday night and he would make pancakes from Aunt Jemima pancake mix! This was our special Sunday dinner! Our family ate very healthy as kids, veggies from the garden, eggs from backyard chickens, raw milk from the cow farm downtime road, farm raised organic meats, whole wheat everything and very little sugar, so those pancakes were very different from our other suppers.

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  41. Sorry for all the extra posts, the new format threw me off - email is AnitaKD59@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. Anita, you are our lucky winner! Congratulations, and please check your email.

      Delete
  42. Growing up, our family often had potluck style Sunday lunches. Families would take turns providing a meat entree, a couple of veggies, and a dessert. These items were often a real treat because it was different from what was served at your own home.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  43. When we were college students and lived near my mother in law it was a Sunday tradition to have lunch at "granny's" house. For health reasons it was hard for her to get out so she wanted her family to visit her on that day if they didn't have to work. As she aged, other family members began to help some with the meal so she didn't have to do it. I was usually the clean up crew although I used to cook meals for her when she was working in a meal. Now that all our parents are gone, it is just usually my husband and I for Sunday dinner and we keep it more simple. For Easter I did prepare a couple of dishes for the international class that attends our church. We even ate lunch with them that day since we were not going to be with family. It is always fun to share meals with others from around the world. We give them a taste of what Americans have for some of their holiday meals. Marie at notifymenow@yahoo.com

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    1. I should have said my mother in law used to work in a cotton mill in the South. Marie

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  44. Sunday dinner after service was a family tradition for decades. Grandma always had fried chicken, apple pie, and the best dinner rolls ever. Most everyone brought something. A tossed salad & a veggie from an aunt. Another often brought macaroni salad & big tub of lovely mashed potatoes. Grandma's brother usually brought a tray of corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, & a pan of triple chocolaty brownies. And the wonderful stories of their childhood the older folks would tell. Miss those days. deepotter at centurylink dot net

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  45. We didn't have it every week consistently, but I do fondly remember the smells of Sunday suppers coming from the my childhood kitchen! Sometimes heavenly fried chicken, other times pot roasts, chogili and cornbread, or in the summertime, steak and salad was a specialty. My mom would make her own dressing that included pickles and pickle juice!

    Thick slices of home made bread slathered in butter AND apple butter too! Thanks for conjuring up these great memories!

    nandepew (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  46. Every Friday night, we have a nice family dinner. One of the dishes we usually have are potatoes, my husband makes them perfectly. It's a nice start to the weekend, being together as a Family.
    Tamara. TGordon614@aol.com

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  47. My Sunday family dinner is Friday night. The family is a large noisy group. The food is a combination of European and Middle Eastern comfort dishes. Home baked challah bread is a must. Small bowls of dips such as hummus, babaganoush, matbucha, olives and pickled beets are scattered on the table.
    Chicken soup with matzoh balls comes out next. Salads are also brought out.
    Main courses are served buffet style. Always rice and some sort of potato dish. Baked chicken with zaatar seasoning, breaded cutlets and a roast are served. In addition a special favorite is Hamid. A small meatball served in a lemon sauce with celery and carrots in it. This goes over the rice. It sometimes is made in a cherry sauce. Roasted veggies of whatever is on season is also a contestant.
    Desserts are put out much later to munch on as we are still talking and laughing hours later.

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  48. Growing up mother always cooked a special dinner on Sundays. My favorite was her roast with potatoes, carrots and onions. And with her wonderful homemade dinner rolls. She was a great cook!!

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  49. We didn't have a special tradition for Sunday dinner, but for breakfast. Every Sunday morning my father would go out to buy the Sunday paper, bagels, bialys, rolls, cream cheese and lox. The sliced tomatoes & orange juice was waiting at home. In retrospect it was not the healthiest meal, but we loved it!

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  50. We only had large dinners and family gatherings on Holidays because we were so small a family. Pre-Covid we had all the kids that could make it here for special occasions.

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  51. Growing up, we didn't have formal Sunday dinners per se, but after church, our parents would often treat us to a greasy-spoon Chinese lunch at a restaurant in Vancouver called "Seven Happiness" in Cantonese, but translated literally into "Seven-Up" in English, so that's what we called it for fun.

    When I was 20 and doing a government work-study job in Ottawa, Canada, one of my friends was rooming in a stately old boarding house run by an incredibly distinguished and delightful older woman, who once worked as Pierre Elliott Trudeau's secretary, and a quartet of us student friends would often be invited over for Sunday Supper at her home, which was a serious affair of the classic English roast.  (We all helped out with prep and clean-up, of course!)  It was such a lovely and special time.

    Now, living in the U.S. with our own brood of three, Sunday dinners often cap off a day out on the road exploring small towns in Washington State together, and are usually take-out meals ordered from one of the wonderful family-run ethnic (Vietnmamese, Chinese, Mexican, French, Japanese, Filipino) restaurants in our neighbourhood, with the main goal of squeezing in just that little last bit of time together as a family before Monday splits us all up into different directions again.

    Thank you so much for letting me dip my mind into the reminisce, and also for this fantastic giveaway!  My email address is kerawin at gmail dot com.  Take care, hope you're doing well, and thanks for writing your fabulous books! I was 20 and doing a government work-study job in Ottawa, Canada, one of my friends was rooming in a stately old boarding house run by an incredibly distinguished and delightful older woman, who was once worked as Pierre Elliott Trudeau's secretary, and the group of us students would often be invited over for Sunday Supper at her home, which was a serious affair of the classic English roast. (We all helped out with prep and clean-up, of course!) It was such a lovely and special time. Now, living in the U.S. with our own brood of three, Sunday dinners often cap off a day out on the road exploring small towns in Washington State together, and are usually take-out ordered from one of the wonderful family-run ethnic (Vietnmamese, Chinese, Mexican, French, Japanese, Filipino) restaurants in our neighbourhood, with the main goal of just squeezing in that little last bit of time together as a family before Monday morning splits us all up again.

    Thank you so much for letting me dip my mind into reminisce, and also for this fantastic giveaway! My email address is kerawin at gmail dot com. Please take care, hope you're doing well, and thank you for writing your fabulous books!

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    1. Oof. Sorry for the super long (and also repeated!) comment. Not quite sure what I did there. 😆

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  52. Jewelry Dragon is our lucky winner! Congratulations, and please check your email.

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    1. Please contact me by May 11 to claim your prize.

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