Monday, June 18, 2012

Sunday Dinner

Our ESN Scavenger Hunt theme this week is Church.  Growing up, my brother and I would go to Sunday school and occasionally, church services.  We lived across the street from a large Presbyterian church, Tabernacle Presbyterian Church.  Located at 34th Street and Central Ave in Indianapolis, In., they had a large recreational ministry.  Four baseball diamonds were active just about everyday and evening during the summer.  Boys and girls of all ages from the north side of Indianapolis came to play softball and baseball at Tab.  I think I really only played softball 2 or 3 years before I realized it was more fun to just watch the older boys play.  There certainly were some cute boys that played baseball.

View of baseball field from our front porch in winter

OK, back to the theme - church. So, while my brother and I might go to Sunday school on Sunday, my grandmother always listened to church services on the radio in her sewing room and my mother had to catch up on laundry and ironing. That was back in the day when we used wringer washers and hung laundry on a clothesline to dry. It wasn't a throw a load in the washer and push the button. No, doing laundry back then took continuous active participation. But the best part of Sunday was Sunday dinner. Our big meal on Sunday was midday. We didn't have counter space for preparing food, so we used the kitchen table for preparing dough or mixing up a cake. My grandmother would roll out the "pot pie" dough (flat dumplings) and let them dry on the table. She would either boil beef or chicken and then let me help drop the pot pie into the boiling broth - not too fast or it will stick together. Sometimes she would boil a beef tongue. Now don't make that ugly face, beef tongue is really good and one of my brother's favorite meals. Or we would have fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. There is nothing better than chicken fried in a cast iron skillet. It was always the best meal of the week and, in my eyes, my grandmother was the best cook in the world.

My sister helping my grandmother with a Sunday dinner 

By the way, I now have my grandmother's kitchen table and chairs in my kitchen. It may show some age, but it reminds me of some of my most treasured memories with my grandmother and Sunday dinners.  I also have that hand beater my grandmother is using.  Make sure you spend time with your grandchildren - cook together and share your memories and stories.  What better way to give them wonderful memories to share in the future.
    
OK, so do you see where I am going with this?  I really don't have any "church" items in my store.  But, you can find some great vintage mixing bowls at CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles.  Here is an Anchor Hocking Gay Fad Fruits Large Colonial Mixing Bowl.  I also have one in the medium size and one in the small size.  I just love this pattern - it is so bright and cheerful.  Just makes you want to smile!

I bet these vintage Anchor Hocking mixing bowls could help create some wonderful memories for your kids or grandchildren!