Sunday Dinner

On the first Sunday in January we switched from going to church at 1:00 (long time for breakfast, stay up late on Saturday, time to get lessons tidied up on Sunday morning, etc..,) to 9:00 church (opposite of everything on the 1:00 church list).  When we have 9:00 church I try to do as much prep on Saturday as possible.  After all, "Saturday is a special day, it's the day we get ready for Sunday!"
Ideally:   I get church bags ready.  I have at least two kids shower. I prepare any lesson or conducting sheet I might have.  And I get everything ready for dinner so we can eat when we get home from church. 

On our first Sunday everything went pretty well.  John has meetings every Sunday so I am on my own.  We managed to get to church on time with fairly happy feelings inside.  About 20 minutes in I realized all my prep work for dinner was still sitting in the fridge.  Ooops!  Luckily (?) John had to drive Jack home because he was not feeling well.  He threw everything together and away we went. 

Last week we had family dinner in Roy, so while I had made my dessert on Saturday, all I had to do was remember to take it. 

Because of different circumstances yesterday the only prep work I had done was to make orange jello.  Yes, I am a Mormon, and I live in Utah, the highest consuming state of Jello.  So, this morning I had to get up to sear the roast, peel the carrots and potatoes, and chop the onion. 

As I walked down the stairs I had a very clear image of my mother.  She would have already been showered by this time, and would be wearing a pale colored house coat and gold slippers as she whizzed around the kitchen.  Nobody can  work in the kitchen faster than my mom.  She would have the red pot on the stove with the roast in, getting a nice brown color on each side. 

As I had this image I seriously considered ordering myself a nice housecoat.  With pearly snaps of course, so as I made my way up the stairs to get my church clothes on I could just take hold and rip that housecoat right off saving time, just like she did!

My mom always had Sunday dinner ready for us as soon as we got home from church.  I remember roast and potatoes the most, with delicious gravy and petite peas.  Other times we had corn flake chicken, or Swiss Cheese Chicken.  It smelled so delicious walking up to the back door that we rushed to change.   My job as a youngster was to put the jello on small plates then place them on the table. I remember one time as we knelt around the table having prayer I just couldn't resist, and I reached up to get a few peas.  I was busted, though.  Good times.

My mom tells the story of the time we were sitting in church.  It was perhaps the one Sunday of our lives that she didn't have dinner ready and I don't know the circumstances behind that but I'm sure it was a good reason.  My brother leaned over and asked her what was for dinner.  When she replied that she didn't have anything ready he put his head in his hands and moaned.  We were seriously spoiled.

And that's what I like about it.  Yeah, it's a bunch of work to get it ready, but it's a big pay off for all of us.  When John tells the kids how lucky they are it makes me feel good.  My sentimental side is satisfied as I feel like if I get a few things right like my parents did then maybe we'll be just fine.

And dang, roast and potatoes are yummy!