Sunday was always the day......Sunday dinner. Roasts in ovens all over England. (probably the rest of the British Isles as well, but I can only speak for England). It meant family dinner. During the week both parents worked at my house. Saturday my dad would do garden chores and mum would clean the house. Sunday then was the time to relax, go for a Sunday drive and have Sunday dinner. When I was a child roast beef was the cheapest meal, as opposed to lamb or chicken or pork. That's what we usually had. We did sometimes have a leg of lamb. I was not so fond of that but it was still a wonderful meal. My mother did like to cook. It seems now she didn't really get a day off but that's life when you are in a family. Sometimes my Grandparents would come over but usually it was just us.
Sunday dinner..........Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, Brussel sprouts, roast potatoes and gravy. The best meal ever and the only one now to compare is our Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinners. Every week was a variation of that theme. Neighbours would pop in for a cup of tea and mum would say " have you got your roast in" and that would begin a discussion on what Mr Pratt the butcher had worked out for them.
Back then you went into the butcher shop and asked for a roast for the number of people you wanted to serve. He would then take a fresh joint of meat and cut it to the size required. It was rolled and held together with metal skewers and held tight with string.
With the roast would be roasted potatoes tasting extra good cooked with the beef roast.
The Yorkshire pudding was at one time a "filler" just flour and eggs mainly but when cooked with the roast it is just awesome.
Its a real shame that now people go out to eat more and more. A lot of pubs do a traditional English Sunday roast, but its not really the same is it. It was more the fact that before all the cell phones, the ipads and even daytime TV families would do something together after Sunday lunch, the roast would be in and the house smelled heavenly and a game of dominoes or scrabble maybe................snakes and ladders for me if I could get Dad to play. Sigh those were the days
Sunday dinner..........Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, Brussel sprouts, roast potatoes and gravy. The best meal ever and the only one now to compare is our Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinners. Every week was a variation of that theme. Neighbours would pop in for a cup of tea and mum would say " have you got your roast in" and that would begin a discussion on what Mr Pratt the butcher had worked out for them.
Back then you went into the butcher shop and asked for a roast for the number of people you wanted to serve. He would then take a fresh joint of meat and cut it to the size required. It was rolled and held together with metal skewers and held tight with string.
With the roast would be roasted potatoes tasting extra good cooked with the beef roast.
The Yorkshire pudding was at one time a "filler" just flour and eggs mainly but when cooked with the roast it is just awesome.
Its a real shame that now people go out to eat more and more. A lot of pubs do a traditional English Sunday roast, but its not really the same is it. It was more the fact that before all the cell phones, the ipads and even daytime TV families would do something together after Sunday lunch, the roast would be in and the house smelled heavenly and a game of dominoes or scrabble maybe................snakes and ladders for me if I could get Dad to play. Sigh those were the days
9 comments:
We always had a big Sunday dinner too-although ours was at noon and we would take a drive afterwards. Being on a farm meant we had to be back at 4pm...but my father insisted Sunday was a day of rest except for doing what was necessary on a farm.
Your meals look scrumptious. xo Diana
Be still my heart....I just realized how much I miss the Sunday dinners...especially the Yorkshire pud, roast veg and the med rare beef. The gravy was the best...haven't made a dinner like that in quite awhile, maybe I should...but then, with 2 of us, we'd eat too much! But what joy! Thanks for a nostalgic look back...and some lovely memories!
Ruth
I sometimes still cook them. It is not so bad now, but when they were younger, the kids acted like I was trying to poison them Vegetables! Was I kidding.
I think I am going to make roast, mashed potatoes and gravy next Sunday!
You had me with the picture of the Yorkshire Puddings! My friend from England sent me Yorkshire pudding pans right after she moved back home because she knew I would be missing hers! I make them frequently!
Your post brings up many fond memories of many years ago when families sat together and ate their meals together. My Mom always popped in the roast and it cooked while we were at church. I would never think of leaving a roast in my oven while off at church, but she did it every week. It was always nice to come home to a great smelling house and sit down to a full meal with desert. Those were the days :)
Following back - Cindy
I had to stop by and say Thanks
for visiting and your so right
too many people go out to eat.. but, not me. Restaurants (especially in Florida) are not clean and it scares me to eat out.. I'm a veggie and don't eat meat anyway and most foods have meat products in them in restaurants.. I love to cook and do all I can to keep off the lbs..
Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Sandy
Hey I'm here following back...thanks for sharing this beautiful meal,I'll take double helping.
Oh wow, am I hungry! You are right, nothing beats eating at home, with family! I love a good roast beef dinner! Yummy! And, I love Yorkshire pudding! Double yummy!
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