I’m gearing up for a Ladies’ retreat next weekend, studying, reviewing and praying much, but in-between I’ve enjoyed being home to cook our meals. Since we were at our home church yesterday, I planned on having dinner here, rather than going out. To me, there’s nothing better than having a Sunday dinner nearly ready to enjoy after the morning church service. It helps to make the afternoon slower, and the fellowship with friends even sweeter.
Yesterday I had the blessing of hosting a young man who is coming from The Wilds to serve in our church. Dale and I loved getting to know him this summer when we were serving there, and now having him here in our church is a special blessing. His appreciation for a home cooked meal makes cooking a joy! We also invited another couple from our church to join us. I loved having all of them in our home and especially around our dining room table.
Those amber glasses were given to me by my mom and I love using them in the fall.
My memories of Sundays when I was growing up are of dinner at home for the most part. It was a special meal after church. Though it was noon-ish, we didn’t come home to sandwiches, like all the other noonday meals, but usually to a roast, or chicken. When I got married, I continued that tradition. To me it helps make Sunday stand out, and I think it also makes the family and guests feel special. It slows the day down after a busy morning serving at church, and I love that!
That being said, the meal doesn’t have to be something difficult. Thank the Lord for the crock pot! I love being able to toss the meal inside, set it on low, and head out the door, confident that when we walk back into the house, the delicious smells of supper will greet us and draw us in like my Grandma Ray’s arms used to do.
Last Saturday when I was contemplating what to make for Sunday dinner, a recipe popped into my head that I had not made in years. It’s a Baked Steak with Mushrooms. Don’t worry, if you don’t like mushrooms, you don’t have to add them. Also, rather than baking this, I put it into the crock pot. I was worried that the piece of steak I had would be a little tough, and the slow cooker would help to make it tender…oh my, did it ever!!
What a wonderful Easter weekend we had! The services at church were so special. As we sang some favorite songs, my heart swelled with thankfulness as we worshiped the Lord. We do serve a risen Savior, and because He lives, we can face tomorrow! We saw the Lord in His Word, as we read in Luke that He cares enough to clothe the lilies of the field and He cares even more for the needs of His children. I can trust Him today – the day after Easter, for every need of my life, and so can you!
After church I hosted just my family for dinner. It seems that our travels keep us so busy that we don’t get together nearly as often as we’d like. So it was special for it to be just us so we could chat and get caught up.
But now of course, we must talk about the food…Oh yes!
In the Old days women made amazing Sunday dinners that included yummy fixings like Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and white, cream gravy.  But also in the old days, everyone had to wait until 2:00 to eat dinner!  Most of us are starving when we get home from church, and if dinner isn’t on the table in thirty minutes, people at my house start snacking! Â
Lucky for me, years ago I found a recipe from Carnation Evaporated Milk that is called, Baked Chicken that Makes it own Gravy! No need to stand and fry chicken pieces after church – this dish is baked in the oven, topped with a Cream soup mixture and baked a little longer, yielding a lovely creamy gravy – perfect for those mashed potatoes that were cooked in the crock pot!
Hi friends! I’m back after a week of rest from blogging. Thanks for checking in today! Let’s start out by talking about Easter since I missed it last week!
Sometimes even good family traditions need to be tweaked. We typically always have either ham or turkey breast for Easter, but I felt the need to try something new (imagine that!). I looked through some cooking sites and found a delicious sounding recipe for Garlic Rosemary Pork Loin from Food and Wine site. While we’re not wine drinkers, they have some great recipes and this one did not disappoint!
The Pork Loin is marinated overnight, giving it flavor. Then in the morning it’s seared in a pan, giving it that nice crispy edge that any meat should have! It is then roasted in the oven for a relatively short amount of time. I did this all before heading to church. Then I sliced it and put it on the platter. All I had to do after church was warm it in the oven a bit. The pan juices made a really savory gravy to pour over top!
I love apples with pork, so I also made a side dish that would incorporate that flavor. I cooked apples with cinnamon and a little sugar until the apples were tender. Then I baked sweet potatoes and we topped the potatoes with a spoon of the apples. It was SO good!
Here’s the recipe for the pork loin. I hope you’ll make this in the near future! It’s a keeper!
Garlic and Rosemary Pork Loin
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch of rosemary, leaves only, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds center-cut pork loin
In a small bowl, stir 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork. Transfer the pork and marinade to a large, resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Let the pork stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush off as much of the marinade as possible. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the pork to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to the oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135°. Transfer the roast to a work surface or carving board and let rest for 15 minutes before thinly slicing and serving.
A full plate, but an even happier heart! Our Savior lives!
Of course dinner was ended with a slice of my Coconut Cake with lemon filling!
How was your Easter and did you serve anything out of the ordinary?
RefreshHer 