The table is set and ready for another family meal. If this old table could talk it would have lots of stories to tell. It was my mom's table and the family sat around it many times to any one of her delicious meals. Now it belongs to me and I hope the tradition will continue.

Menu

Carefully, I have been trying to plan a menu for Sunday Dinner and Kevin's Birthday. I wanted to buy the same type of cut of beef that mom used to cook.  Went to our friendly local supermarket's butcher shop and looked in the meat case. I could not find the TIP ROAST that my mom always cooked, instead I settled for  an *Top Round and an **Eye of the Round (two separate cuts). After much discussion with my brother Mike, and he was the one who told me our mom always bought the Tip Roast  of which I had no clue,  now here I am with two roasts. I'm thinking I will cook the Top of the Round as a medium well; and the Eye of the Round as rare. Hopefully that will cover the folks that don't like the cow to moo and the folks that don't like the cow to taste and look shoe leather (that would be me).  That being said, the following is my menu:

* **Roast Beef
Homemade gravy
Mashed potatoes
Frozen peas
Creamed boiled onions
Salad
Assorted rolls and bread

Some lovely barbecue Ribs prepared and donated for the common cause by my brother Mike

Dessert:
Fresh Strawberry Pie with or without whipped cream
My Aunt Rita has offered to bring a much anticipated dessert as well.

I think it is important to add, that with the exception of one person, the people coming tomorrow are daughters, sons, daughter in law, cousins, aunt, brother, sister and spouses.  Maybe in the future some one of the younger generation will keep this tradition alive.

Below is a work in progress of my family tree at Tribal Pages:

http://lil1964.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=lil1964&view=9&randi=792046886

A Family Tradition

Reposting ... another family roast beef dinner tomorrow. This time our darling granddaughter will be attending. Another generation!

I've been trying to think of a good subject for a new blog and viola I thought of SUNDAY DINNER. Next Sunday, February 26 is my youngest son's 30th birthday, he suggested that maybe I could cook a meal and have some family to dinner! As I thought about this it occurred to me that my brother, Mike and I have been trying to revive the family Sunday dinner that our mother faithfully prepared for any of the family that was available to join her and our dad.  In my dim memory, I think it started when I was a child. I have a memory of my Aunt Rita and Uncle Oscar coming to our house after Mass and often my mom would invite them to join us for dinner.  When I think about it now, I am so grateful for those Sundays.

As the family moved on and grew I can remember going to my parents home with my husband, often Mike was there with his future wife and the six of us would sit at my mother's table at noon on any given Sunday. Our dad would always be sitting in his recliner with the Sunday paper spread out around him; nursing a glass of beer or scotch in advance of the truly memorable meal ahead. Before I go any further, I don't want to leave out my other two siblings, Carolyn and Dennis as they had plenty of these meals as well but they lived 'away',  fortunately Mike and I lived close by and with our spouse's and families we became the regulars for Sunday Dinner.

My mother would roast, bake and prepare the most wonderful meals; her famous roast beef dinner was a favorite of mine. She made homemade gravy, in the summer we always had fresh vegetables from dad's garden and of course there was almost always an apple pie fresh from the oven. How she did it every week is still a mystery to me!

Those memories are so close to my heart.

One day my brother Mike and I were reminiscing about all those wonderful meals and we decided to try to revive that tradition.  Mike and Pat have hosted one meal since then and when I walked into their kitchen I could smell the Sunday Dinner cooking and I knew we came up with a great idea.

Because this Sunday is our son's birthday,  Glenn and I are hosting the second Sunday Dinner and birthday party for Kevin with the whole family invited. Now it's my turn to cook a roast, make the gravy and hopefully serve a successful meal for our family to enjoy.