Such a Simple Supper!

What do you think of when you think of a pot roast supper? I have flashbacks of life in the 50s, but not really. I mean, have you seen some of those images?

The only time Dad wore a tie to dinner was Christmas and Easter. While he might wear a dress shirt at some Sunday Suppers, the jacket and tie came off the minute we came home from Mass. As children, we had Sunday Clothes, School Clothes and Play Clothes. Again, with the acceptation of Christmas and Easter, our Sunday Best was not worn at the dinner table, nor were our school clothes. Mom did not wear her pears to serve dinner, bake cookies or mop the floor. As for all the children learning a musical instrument – maybe in some houses that was common, especially in the 1930s. But by the late 50s if you had a piano in your house, one person (in our house it was Mom) played while the rest of us sang. And that was just as Christmas Time. But then again, we were never short on playmates. Families were larger and more extended.

I still tend to look back with Rose colored glasses and wish we could return to a more simple life. I miss those days when we’d get together with extended family for a barbecue in the park. Someone would break out the hand-crank ice cream maker, and everyone took a turn. You had to crank if you wanted ice cream. Those were the rules. I miss Saturdays spent at the ball park watching Brother Dear and his friends play the American Game. Dad was the President of the Little League. Mom helped organize the snack shack. I miss doors that didn’t need to be locked, neighbors who knew one another and said hello. The milk man and the mail man stopped to chat (and always had the best gossip). Priests made house calls. As did doctors.

I would love to see some of the traditions that our busy lives have forced us to abandon somehow return. Sunday dinners – no distraction, no TV or electronic devices. Just the family sitting down to dinner TOGETHER and engaging in conversation. Some of my fondest memories revolve around the family dinner table. Just as I don’t think children need to have every waking moment of their lives structured. Then maybe if we weren’t so busy in our own lives, we might just get to know our neighbors better.

Yeah, pot roast suppers (even those with the convenience of a slow cooker) make me nostalgic. So sue me.

Simple Slow-Cooker Chuck Roast with Vegetables
6 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 medium Yellow Onion
2 Celery Ribs
1-1/2 cups Baby Carrots
1 (3 lb) Chuck Roast
3 Beef Bouillon Cubes
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup Red Wine

Scrub potatoes, cut in half or quarters depending on size. Peel onion, cut int large chunks. Clean celery, slice into large sections. Scatter vegetables in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add baby carrots to the pot.

Place the chuck roast directly over the vegetables. Randomly place the bouillon cubes on top of the roast. Pour water around the edge of the pot to prime the liquid. Pour red wine directly over the roast. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-1/2 to 5 hours.

Transfer roast to a warm serving platter. With a slotted spoon remove vegetables from the pot and arrange around the roast or on another serving platter. Strain cooking juices into a gravy boat. Serve with warm dinner rolls and enjoy.

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All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.