This past weekend I texted Son to see if he would like to come over for a meal. After checking schedules, Son said yes to Sunday noon, lunch. Our DIL was on a girls' weekend with friends so it would just be him. Oops, I had anticipated 4 -5 people and ordered supplies which turned into more than needed. But leftovers made for an easy meal for Monday.
Once the invite was accepted, Hubby and I had a discussion about the use of lunch and dinner. Neither of us called the noon meal lunch other than at school. The noon meal was dinner. The evening meal was supper. Maybe this is a rural thing as we both have parents from rural backgrounds. That dinner thing has confused folks a time or two when invited for dinner. The ask for the time and we say something like around noon.
The noon meal on Sundays was always a big deal in our cultures. Extended family would gather at either the grandparents or parents homes. It might be the only day that meat was served. Often the meat was fried in my home. Well, except when it was ham or meatloaf. Potatoes were mostly mashed but would occasionally be scalloped. Baked potatoes were not a thing one cooked in quantities. New potatoes from the garden were only about on inch in diameter. These were cooked then coated in a creamy sauce. Yummers!!!!!
During summer months my Mom often would serve fresh blackeyed peas, snaps of immature peas filled half the pot with the remaining being shelled peas. Nothing at all like the dried peas. Totally different taste. With the blackeyed peas there was usually fried okra. Again, not like the okra in the freezer section these days. Mom just tossed the okra in a dry flour and cornmeal mixture. Good stuff! The memory makes my mouth water.
Whatever one calls the evening meal, it is that time of day right now. Salad, steak, spuds, and a drink should fill the empty corners of our tummies.
Take care,
Janice
