Update to yesterday and Sunday dinner comment

Below the recipe updates is the comment to The Haven of Home post.

Yesterday I posted an untried recipe, and Aunt Amelia commented with a recipe. I made both. They were wonderful! THANK YOU :)

Here they are again with some editing/comments:
(See yesterday's post for source) Slap a hunk of beef in the slow cooker (I think I had a 3lb rump roast), sprinkle on some Italian dressing mix (the powder stuff)* and then add 12oz of beer. Cook on low for 10ish hours. We ate it with some of the jus and I'm gonna make burritos and something else with what's left over!! * The powder stuff - I used Good Seasons brand. Ingredients are in this order are: sugar, salt, sodium citrate, garlic, onion, spice, red bell peppers, carrots, monosodium glutamate, xanthan gum, green onion, guar gum, natural flavor, apocarotenal. Do we really need all that extra "stuff"? Next time I'll make my own.

Because I had a large chunk of beef it wouldn't fit (as it was cut) in the 2.5 quart Crockpot, so I used the 4 quart slow cooker. Well, after 10 hours, the roast was still hard as a rock. It had now shrunk in size, so I transferred it to the 2.5 quart Crockpot and turned it on high. It took another 1-1/2 hours, but it finally got done. It was so tender and tasty.

What I should have done: I should have used twice the amount of liquid (to cover most of the meat) and started the roast on high and then turned it to low to simmer, OR I should have cut the roast in half and put it in the Crockpot. The Slow cooker evidently doesn't get as hot as the Crockpot?

What I could have done: added onions, potatoes, carrots, celery.

****
Aunt Amelia's recipe for beer bread - with my editing:

It's a very quick bread with only 3 ingredients... 3 cups of self-rising flour (or 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder) , 3 teas. sugar and 1 can of beer. Stir just until mixed. Put in greased loaf pan in oven at 350 for 1 hour. :-) It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My bread was done at 50 minutes, so be sure to check (carefully - you don't want it to fall if it isn't done!).

****
Roxanne at The Haven of Home posted about Sunday dinners. It sure brought back memories.

Here is my comment:

Our Sunday dinner was usually between 2:30 and 4:00, depending on what time Grandpa had to go to work Sunday night. There was always company, or we ate someone else's house.

Sunday (dinner) prep actually started during the week.

Sunday dishes and "silverware" were used every week, so they were already clean. (Unless there was lots and lots of company, we only used the real silver and china on holidays so then it all had to be washed and polished.)

Table cloth or cloths would have already been "spotted", washed, and ironed.

Any yard work done. When I got to be about 11, I had to do this on top of cleaning the house, sewing, ironing, baking, etc. (I think that is why I'm so lazy now. I worked my butt - excuse me - off when I was young.)

Church clothes would have been prepared during the week, too, but there still seemed to be some minor disaster on Sunday morning. LOL

The older children helped fetch and carry, watch younger children, sweep front steps and sidewalk, hang up guests' coats, etc. Young children helped by picking up toys and fetching and carrying, too.

Saturday:
-Saturday morning clean house from top to bottom - except kitchen.
-Wash sheets and remake beds.
-Bathrooms - check toilet paper supply, check hand soap supply, clean whole room thoroughly, wash combs and brushes.
-Saturday, after housework was done, bake cookies, cakes, pie, breads, and make any other desserts (except pudding or cream pies - unless going to be eaten on Sunday) for the whole week.
-Saturday afternoon or evening make Jello salads or other for Sunday.
-Saturday morning or afternoon squeeze in the week's grocery shopping.
-Saturday afternoon or evening clean kitchen. Mop and wax floors. (After baking and the groceries were put away.)
-Saturday evening while preparing supper cut up the chicken (if necessary). (It was almost always fried chicken until I was 14!)
-Clean, polish and buff all shoes
-After baths Saturday night: scrub tub again, wipe up floor again, put out all clean towels.

(We did all this and still had some time to play. How did we do it???? Wellllll, we were limited to 1 hour of TV per day and this was only if parents allowed it.)

Sunday after church: have big breakfast and clean up, read paper (adults) (I usually had homework to do), then start dinner preparations.

Someone would coat the chicken - a child usually did this.

Put chicken in skillet.

Someone else would be peeling potatoes. Sometimes this was done ahead and the potatoes kept in ice water. These would be put on to boil.

Someone would peel carrots, cut celery sticks - sometimes this was done on Saturday.

Someone else would be setting the table. (This could be done ahead if there aren't pets in the house. We usually did it while the meal is cooking.) This included any condiments, butter, jellies, pickles (served in dishes not jars), salt and pepper. Napkins were folded and placed under the forks. Young children would help with this.

Put bread in to warm. OR, mix up biscuits and get them in to bake.

Put vegetable(s) on to cook. (These were cooked forever. I think it went back to the time when people had to worry about botulism.)

Make coffee.

Check potatoes. Drain if done. Mash if that is what you want.

Last minute: (This is where older children really come in handy. lol)

set out salads and/or relish tray
make gravy (when meat was done)
dish up
take food to table
pour drinks (never alcoholic)

Rules at our house (which my dad and brothers have completely forgotten):
No one started eating until everyone was seated
Everything was passed around the table (with exception of something very hot and/ or very heavy)
No clearing of the table until everyone was finished eating. We sat and visited while everyone finished snacking on olives, carrot sticks, that last dinner roll, etc.

Table was cleared except glasses/coffee cups (We never had enough to clear those and set out clean ones.) Children helped or older children did it all.

Depending on schedules dessert was served immediately or later.

No matter what, another pot of coffee was started. lol

If dessert was to be served immediately, we did that then cleaned the kitchen afterward.

If dessert was served later, the food was put away and dishes started.

It was a lot of work, and I was always exhausted on Sunday evening. If we ate again, it was something very light and simple. The dishes were always done, again. The kitchen and dining room floors were swept no matter what and mopped if necessary. Then I had to do homework. (I had tons of it!)

But, I remember those days as being filled with family and friends, lots of laughter, visiting, and over-hearing things we young people were probably not supposed to hear. :)

Random Bits and Pieces

These two are among the best children any parent could ask for. (Of course, I'm not biased or anything. lol) I love both of you very much. Please stay the lovely people that you are.

***

Now I have to vent. Feel free to skip these next two paragraphs.

Now, I'm going to say that I am sick to death of two of my friends' children. (I could post pictures of them, too, but I don't want to see their "ugly" faces right now.) They are rude, sullen, inconsiderate, selfish, completely self-centered, and sometimes down right mean. And, my friends have let them get away with being that way. They both have let those children (all grown, by the way) walk all over them.

It has gotten so bad, that I cannot stand to be around any of the children and some of their children. I'm tired of listening to my one friend complain about how awful her children act and how they treat her. I'm having a difficult time staying friends with these two women because I all I want to do is yell and scream at them to get backbones. I want to tell them that they are the mothers and grandmothers and have every right to demand - no matter how old the children and grandchildren are - that they be treated with kindness and respect. I have dropped many hints. They don't get it. Unfortunately, dropping friends isn't easy. And, it wouldn't be at all kind. This is a very small town, and we all belong to the same church.

***
Okay, on to happier things.

Yesterday. Out for a Chinese food lunch and then thrift store shopping. Some good bargains, a gorgeous day, and a great time. What else can I say? :)

Picked up several cups ($2.00 for all!) that match the dishes that are in the old trailer we use as a guest house. (The place actually belongs to my brother, but the whole family uses it.) Every time company comes, we have had to take cups from home or from mom's so people can have coffee, cocoa, or tea. No more. These can just stay there.

From McCall's Patterns copyright 1963:


Side 1

Side 2 -

This is one of oldest of the 41 patterns I purchased. Yes, forty-one. Thirty-nine of them were 10 cents a piece. They are different kinds and sizes, older and newer, children, teen, adult, and all kinds of crafts. I hope all the pieces are there, but for the price I really can't complain.

Two of the patterns were $2.00 a piece. One is a Debbie Mumm pattern for Christmas quilted wall hanging. The other is a Joan's Creation pattern for a Christmas room box using fabric for everything except the walls and floor. Even those are covered with appropriate fabric. Right up my alley. I love fabric and doll houses!




Also purchased a largish box of fabric scraps and remnants. $1.00. In it were several of these little guys and gals. There are three "finished" blocks and some more of the pieces cut out. These are a little dirty, so I hope I can get them clean. Everything in the box is jumbled, so I'll have to sort carefully. Also in the box are doll clothes - some cut out, some partially sewn. There are two little sun dresses cut out; these look to be about a child's size 2, or 3. (I know I already have at least one similar box of stuff that *I* haven't finished - oh dear.)

Copyright 1958. My cost: 25 cents





Doesn't the Mardi Gras recipe sound yummy? Uck! (Click to see a larger picture.) Maybe it would be okay if one substituted ham, roast beef, turkey, or salami for the tongue. (I like the taste of beef tongue just not the texture.)

One more:

Copyright 1972. My next to most expensive purchase, so I really debated on this one. I'm anxious to see if any of these (besides spaghetti sauce) really do freeze well. (As in tasting good after they're thawed and reheated, but I'm sure you all knew what I meant. grins)

Oh, and I purchased some very nice baby clothes for one of those ungrateful little twerps mentioned above. At least she said thank you even though she didn't look very excited.

***

I hope to be home until Sunday afternoon. Monday, I will take Mom to the oncologist, then will stay with her for at least another days (if not longer). I really would like to "settle" one place or the other. I really need my computer, paperwork, files, etc. so I can catch up on bookkeeping, and I would like to have my own sewing machine to use. Grandma's old one works great, but it doesn't zig-zag.

***

Last week Mom and I prepared and froze at least 20 quarts of tomatoes and canned 32 pints and 8 quarts of peaches. One quart didn't seal, so I didn't count that one. Mom froze at least a dozen bell peppers. I still have tomatoes and peppers coming on, so there will be more to do.

Mealtime Rules

For Paula (and anyone else who might be interested). I hope something here might work for you.

When I was growing up, these were the mealtime rules at our house:

Everyone sat down and ate together. There had to be a really good excuse not to be at the dinner table.

Grace was said before the meal.

No ugly comments, gags, rude noises, or complaining allowed. (I didn't allow my children to do that, either.)

If anyone made a face and/or comment and/or did anything my mom and dad considered to be rude (including bad table manners that weren't corrected after a warning), that person made the next meal by his or herself - and did ALL the cleanup. (If the rude thing was done at dinner then dinner was the next meal that the culprit got to cook.) The meal had to be balanced and be made from scratch (no hot dogs or TV dinners allowed). If a game or practice or TV show was missed, too bad - homework still had to be done.

If we acted up at the table, we were not sent away. Our food would be removed from in front of us, and we had to sit and watch every one else eat. (If we straightened up and sincerely apologized, Mom would let us have a bread and butter sandwich and/or fruit before going to bed. She did not believe in sending us to bed hungry.)

If something new was served to us, we had to at least try it.

We had to eat at least a bite even if we didn't like something. (No one had food allergies so that couldn't be used as an excuse.)

If it was the main course (such as a casserole) we didn't like and wouldn't eat, we could fill up on what left over after everyone else had their fill. We could not get up and fix anything else to eat. The only time Mom cooked something different for us was when she served liver. (Mom disliked liver, too. lol)

We were not allowed to put salt on our food until we tasted it first.

We children almost always set the table (cloth tablecloth, napkins, milk in a pitcher, utensils in the proper place, food served in bowls on the table). If Mom forgot to ask us to put a condiment (ketchup, anyone?) on when we were setting the table, we had to quietly get it on the table before we sat down to eat. We did not get up to get it. Depending on what was being served, we might get away with asking if it was something every one at the table would probably want (for example: butter for rolls or potatoes, ketchup for hot dogs). We knew not to ask for anything to put on a T-bone steak!

We always thanked mom (or who ever) for the meal. We also learned to tell the cook that the meal was good or that we enjoyed a particular dish.

Everyone helped clear the table. Mom and I usually put the food away. We took turns doing the dishes. Someone swept the floor and wiped up spills. Someone else wiped counters and the stove. Many hands truly made light work - even if at the time we didn't think so and even if we did sort of trip over each other.

Almost every night one person would read out loud to the others who were cleaning the kitchen. (I realize now that there was more to this than just hearing what was being read. The parents could see how well we were learning to read, sound out words, grasp meaning from context, etc. This usually involved using dictionaries and encyclopedias. And, it kept us from getting into arguments about who was going to do which chore!)

This routine worked well. It only took once or twice to realize complaining wasn't worth the consequences. Eventually, we (the children) automatically started dinner when we got home from school.