SUNDAY MEMORIES
Judy Wills
I can remember the time of my life when eating out was a special time. It was just assumed that we would be eating at home, no matter what meal it was. I really don’t remember eating “out” very often – more as I became a teenager – but still not very often.
I just remember my mother being in the kitchen a lot, cooking. It’s funny that she never really just sat me down and taught me how to cook anything.
I do remember one of my best friends, Mary, who was an only child. Her mother had her cooking full meals by the time she was eight years old! I used to think that was really a hardship for her, but then her mother was a strange person, to begin with. I guess it was for the best, however, as Mary and her husband had a small restaurant for quite a while. And she made the best guacamole I’ve ever eaten. She made it seem simple and easy.
Even in my early years of marriage, I remember coming home from work and make our supper. There was almost no conversation about going out to eat. Again, it was just assumed that we would eat at home. Of course, it didn’t help that we were early-marriage-poor and couldn’t afford to eat out very often! We may not have had fancy meals, but they were home-cooked. We had a lot of hamburgers, hot dogs, and – yuk – tuna casserole! I don’t think I’ve made tuna casserole since the 1960’s! I really over-did that meal. But it was quick, and inexpensive, and we had it a lot.
Mother’s meals consisted often of pot roast – and she could make a roast that would just melt in your mouth! It would fall off the bone it was so tender. I’ve never been able to duplicate that – even when I cooked it in my pressure cooker.
Credit Google Search
So I gave up on that particular meal, and just enjoy it when we have the opportunity at a good restaurant. Our favorite is at the Liberty Tree Inn at Magic Kingdom. Theirs is the very best!
Credit Google Search/Walt Disney World – Liberty Tree Tavern lobby
I also remember that, if there was any roast left over, mother would grind it up, add mayonnaise and either relish or pickles and a hard boiled egg, and it became a meat salad. Spread it on bread, and you have a lovely sandwich! She didn’t waste anything!
Credit Google Search and Pleasant Hill Grain website – meat grinder
Mother also made really good mashed potatoes. I’ve finally found a way to make good mashed potatoes, without too many lumps in them. We have one meal that we like with the mashed potatoes – beef tips in gravy. Yummmm. Except for browning the meat in a skillet first, everything else is done in the Crockpot (except the potatoes, of course). Fix it up in the morning, and it’s ready for the supper meal. It goes quite well over good mashed potatoes! Or egg noodles, or perhaps rice…but the potatoes are the best!
Mother mashing potatoes, Granny getting something from the cupboard
~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~
Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years.
Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.
She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.
They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born.
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing.
She was a stay-at-home mom for many years.
Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.
Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer.
She also enjoys scrapbooking.
She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins.
She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.
Tags: Family meals, Memories
Old Things R New 