In years gone by, Sunday dinner played a major part in the weekend meal cycle. It was a time following church service when you would invite family and/or friends over for a large meal. It was usually at a different place each weekend, but consisted of the same items; a great homemade meal, long discussions about church, family or friends, a time for children to run around and play together, and if you were like my family, a couple bottles of wine to enjoy with the meal.
However, times have changed for the modern family. The idea of families attending church at the same time or attending at all is foreign in our society. Instead, we find ourselves rushing from one game to the next or working in the lawn or around the house. A day of rest and enjoyment has given way to busyness and clutter.
Several years ago, our close friends and the Trophy Husband family decided to get together for Sunday dinner. Due to the fact that between our two children and their two children, there were four games to attend, a simple dinner was chosen. The meal of choice, pasta with homemade red and white sauce along with appetizers, a fresh salad, and several bottles of wine to enjoy. As we sat to enjoy the meal together, we all realized how enjoyable the time was and the need for this to be a part of a regular schedule. Thus our “Sauce Sunday’s” began.
However, what started off as a simple pasta and sauce meal turned into an opportunity for both “Trophy Husbands” to engage in their passion of cooking and creating. (Sidebar, I am not the only TH but also my very close friend.) The premise of “Sauce” still was the focus but it slowly ventured into seafood based sauces, sauces with local butchered sausage and once the creation of bacon, blue cheese burgers (not blue cheese and bacon on top but melded into the actual patty). The enjoyment of cooking and drinking wine with my best friend and our sons while the ladies enjoyed time talking and laughing and our girls creating some sort of dessert led to discussions of the need for this in our society.
We live in a society that is over worked and over scheduled, with over weight and out shape people. We have forgotten the need to sit and enjoy each other around the dinner table and learn to eat fresh products. Our “Sauce Sunday’s” inspired us to look for fresh ingredients for all of our courses to insure the best flavors and low preservatives. We even began to look for local ingredients for our dinners.
We often look back at years gone by and wish things were still as simple as they once were for our daily lives. I would suggest, instead of wishing, do something about it. If you are a family, begin by scheduling a regular meal that you all share in the preparation of the meal. For those of you already doing it, maybe there is a close family that would also enjoy an opportunity to experience a “Sauce Dinner” with others. If you are single, or in college, maybe you can get a group together and split up to purchase and prepare different courses to share with each other. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but make it fresh and homemade, don’t just use store bought sauce. The web has many recipes for you to use, pick one.
Unfortunately, we have moved out of state from our close friends, but we still carry on “Sauce Sunday’s”. While we look for new friends to share this time with on Sunday’s, we do get together via Skype with our “Sauce Family” and eat at the table while “showing off” what we have prepared.
I dare you to start your own “Sauce Sunday’s” this year. If you do, come back and tell us about it.
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