Sunday Dinner

#whatsonyourplateblogchallenge

My talented blog friend, Donna of Retirement Reflections, has teamed up with Deb of Widow Badass to invite all of us to a monthly virtual dinner party. The goal is to spread meal inspirations and share dishes that we have recently enjoyed. Breakfast, lunch, appetizers, dinner, dining in, dining out… all ideas are welcome!

October is truly a beautiful month-vivid colors, cool temperatures and a harvest to celebrate. Tomatoes continue to ripen in my garden and I’ve started to take in the sage, thyme, and rosemary to dry. Perhaps I will get one more batch of pesto out of the basil. 

Last Sunday was a perfect day for dinner and outdoors. Matt’s sister walked over from the neighboring street. My sister and her family arrived in midafternoon, as did my niece and her crew, complete with baby Trulee and two busy little boys who played various versions of football in the yard with their daddy and bobbed in the hot tub bubbles before eating a meatball. 

It was Sunday—Macaroni and Meatball Day with homemade sauce and two loaves of Italian bread I bought warm from the baker’s oven that morning, so it was really a loaf and less than a half by dinnertime. I set up the sauce early on Sunday morning. A few weeks before, I had cooked down what seemed like a LOT of roma tomatoes but yielded maybe two cups of sauce. It went into the freezer with a batch of my meatballs made from ground pork, beef, and veal. The frozen sauce and meatballs went into the crock pot with more fresh sauce. It cooked all day, making the house smell like Sunday. Vegetables were sliced, seasoned, tossed, and left to sit in a balsamic herb marinade for the afternoon. I also layered fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese and drizzled a balsamic fig glaze on top. 

Husband Matt and I expanded the picnic table out and draped mismatched tablecloths on top. Guests arrived by mid afternoon. My sister brought fried cauliflower, flat bread pizza, a cake she made in a pot, and wine. Matt grilled skinny sausage, and the marinated vegetables while I boiled the macaroni.

Unfortunately, I never remember to snap pictures before we sit down (I have to work on that). Take my word, it was a delicious meal and SO wonderful to sit down and share a Sunday with people I love.