In my religion we take the 10 commandments pretty seriously.
And number 3 (or is it 4?) is my sanctuary. It means I can take an entire day off from my weekly responsibilities. It always has. Growing up I never did homework, practiced my piano, did chores, etc.
As a mother, it's a little different. I can't just ignore my children on Sunday (that's what Wednesdays are for)! But while there are certain things that have to get taken care of, I try to do them as simply as possible. One of them is cooking.
I grew up with a non-traditional, but still large Sunday dinner every week. Mashed potatoes with gravy, rolls & homemade jam, corn, salad, chicken nuggets (that would be where the non-traditional aspect is - I know, that's for another blog another day), ice cream for dessert.
It was delicious. Especially over all the wonderful church gossip (gossip is NOT one of the 10!).
But throughout our entire marriage I've never been able to be that person. Sunday is my day of rest. I don't feel like cooking a huge meal. It takes hours of preparation (not to mention quite a chunk of $) to prepare a decent roast, and some heavenly rolls. Is this really an appropriate thing to be doing on the Sabbath?
or is it your only day to actually sit down with your family for a decent meal?
(if that's the case you have other changes to worry about.)
Or
Are you all about tuna on toast with some Doritos on the side?
22 comments:
I'm all about the crock pot dinners on Sunday. I have a few really good recipe's that my family loves and it's nice to throw it all in and when you come home dinner is basically ready. And I found the most amazing Rolls that are freezer ones. They are so good they are called sister schubert's yeast rolls. They come in a silver pie tin.
We're lucky to live by a very large extended family and Sundays are our day to get together. We rotate weeks hosting dinner, so all except for 1 Sunday a month we don't have to cook. When there is a 5th Sunday and we're on our own I make maccaroni and tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. My kids LOVE it.
I am all about taking it easy on Sunday....I HATE cooking on Sunday. I would rather be invited to someone else's home who slaved the night before and all morning to produce a wonderful meal. After preparing dinner all week, when it comes to Sundays I have no desire!
I don't usually comment but I do have something to say about this. I think we say that wrong. Sunday is not a day of rest. It is a day of rest from our daily cares. Meaning we don't have to go to school, or the store, or clean the bathroom. Anyone who has had a big calling at church or served a mission knows that it is a day you work harder than any other. The point is what are you working at? If you are working to serve the Lord? Great! Are you working on bringing your family closer together? Great! If a nice sunday dinner is the way you do that than fantastic. I don't want to be the one to tell you this but it is time you knew. Mom's never get a day off. Your family does have to eat. I don't think sunday dinner should be like thanksgiving but I do think it needs to be a little different than it is every other day of the week. Just like it is different in every other way. Just my thoughts.
I fall into both categories. I prefer to make a simple meal and maybe fit in a nap. And it's not like I've taken the time to plan for this meal during the week. But it's also my only day where I have time to cook.
Tuna and toast would be a treat. And in all honesty, I'm not really sure what any of us eat on Sunday. I know the kids get snacks at church, and last week I polished off Jeffer's birthday cake for breakfast. Does any one else have a hard time feeding their family period on Sunday or am I just a really bad wife/mother?
While serving a mission I realized quickly that was our busiest day of the week. Meetings, baptisms, members visits, speaking, teaching, etc. It truly is a day of service for me. I was just thinking this last Sunday while I prepared dinner for my family and a neighbor family that I was serving them. Now mind you, I got everything ready and in the crock pot the night before and I made rolls from freezer dough. So I try to do much of the kitchen work before that day. We also enjoy going to visit Great Grandparents and getting to know their stories. I work on my family history research. We also try to visit single sisters in the ward. Like you, we leave homework behind, etc. Anyway, for me, it's a day for service and I love serving my family. I'm truly grateful to still be alive and able to be with them.
We usually eat something easy like spaghetti or quesadillas. Growing up we had big Sunday dinners but it was too expensive to keep up that tradition!
I love to cook so I don't mind doing big meals on Sunday. I don't like spending all my time in the kitchen on a Sunday. So a crockpot roast is great. Half the time Aaron does Sunday dinner anyway. Sunday is about the only day I have time (or think ahead enough) to make homemade rolls. And a big Sunday dinner means leftovers.
And then there are some Sundays where we just have taco salad, or grilled cheese. I guess it depends on the schedule and how we are feeling that day.
I don't cook any different on Sunday than I do the rest of the week. Nothing big or fancy, but it's SOMETHING. My only issue with cooking on Sunday is I'll only do it once - so if everyone wants dinner as soon as church is out (noon), then I'll cook then...but not again at 5 pm.
Haha, so funny that you mention tuna. Our tradition is tuna and homemade hot chocolate. Odd combo, I know, but Sunday wouldn't be the same without it. I'm all about making Sunday easy on all of us, especially me. We also use paper plates because nothing's worse than doing a Sunday's roast load of dishes while everyone else gets to sit around and relax.
Comment to Lyn and Scott Hunter...you make some good points, especially that each of us is to determine what makes us feel the way we want to feel on a Sunday. Speaking for myself though, if I make an all-out dinner on Sunday, then Sunday is no different than any other day of the week. You are right, no one rests from parental duties even on Sundays, but (again speaking for myself) I have to wonder what my kids and husband really need from me on that "different" day: four courses, or Mommy time in the play room.
I can't say that your way is wrong, but I can say that it's wrong for my family.
There's always that one key ingredient in any given recipe that I don't have, and its always on Sunday so we can't go to the store...I swear it happens every time.
Lyn, you rock! Mindy, that woman KNOWS.
I thought that's what Crock-Pots and Out door Grills were invented for.
On occasion we get together with my sister-in-law and some friends that are like extended family and we all chip in contributing something.
Just for the record I don't cook on Saturday's either that's what restaurants were invented for!
I am the sucker, I mean friend, who likes to make the occasional roast, or steak as Emme and Bradley call it, and invite the McMonkeys over to eat it.
They are always willing to bring the dessert! They even leave it in the freezer so I will blow the first day of the weight loss contest. Such nice friends! Always thinking of others...:)
Love those Sunday meals.
Every other week we make waffles, from a mix, and premade syrup.
Big Sunday dinners are tradition in my family. But yummy doesn't always have to be a lot of work. My favorite thing to do is cook a roast, potatoes and carrots in a turkey oven bag with some lipton onion soup and a couple of bullion cubes. (Peeling potatoes can easily be done the night before.) Sunday morning before church, I stick it in the oven and let it cook. There is NOTHING like getting home from church with good, ready to eat food!
Chicken nugget would probably be great for my kids, but not for me!
keep it simple!! lunch: grill cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Dinner: spaghetti with homemade bread (from the bread maker!!!) SOOOOO simple!
OR I just let Rocky take over ALLLLLLL responsibilities on Sunday, that's the best! lol
Right now it is the only day we are both home and I actually have time to make a big meal so I don't mind it too much now (the clean-up however...) But I think one day when I have kids I will be totally on your side.
Reading that about the chicken nuggets reminded me of how I didn't even know those things existed until I saw them at your house when we were kids. I was soooo jealous at how LUCKY you were.
Wait, people actually make rolls from scratch on a semi-regular basis? I thought that was just for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
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I hear you. I strive to do a big dinner because in my childhood I have such great memories about a big dinner on Sunday. Getting there I guess.... (I don't know about Roast thought - that too much time for me)
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