This week’s prompt is: Family Meal Rituals and comes from Maggie. As you know Throwback Thursday is Maggie and Lauren’s brainchild…they are both back this week after a short break. Welcome back Ladies.
So Maggie said : “I will give you some questions to help you along. Or, free write if you would rather. You can either respond in the comments or link back to this post. My response will follow.”
Let’s start at the top of the day, breakfast! Did your family have a sit down breakfast or were you more grab and go? What beverages were served at breakfast? What was your favorite (and/or least favorite) breakfast meal?
Breakfast was considered the most important meal of the day in my childhood. When we were all small, we the others not me so much as I was way behind the others, breakfast was a sit down in the front room. As we all grew and had different places to get to , school, college, kindergarten or work it became a relay in the kitchen . There was a blue cupboard/ dresser in there that had a pull out or fold down table incorporated in it….we could manage anything from two to four people ar a time!
Sunday was mostly a formal sit down affair.
Least likely breakfast…boiled eggs, always too runny or too hard.
Porridge not a big favourite either.
I used to love cornflakes and toast and marmalade 💜💜
Did you snack before the mid-day meal?
No not really. At least I don’t remember.
Lunch for most children was eaten at school with the exception of weekends, holidays, or summer vacation. At school, did you buy your lunch from the cafeteria, or did you pack lunch?
I can remember in Junior school having school dinners….they were mediocre at best….lumpy mash, lumpy custard, but there were sausages, and roast potatoes and of course jam rolly poly pudding and custard…nice. When I went to the senior part of the school I took a packed lunch. Sandwiches, apples and in the winter a flask of soup.
Occasionally I went home for lunch, to get away from bullying girls…the walk there and back was about 40 mins leaving me twenty minutes to see mum and eat maybe something on toast. I got me out of school though.
In high school, were you allowed to leave school grounds during the lunch period?
Only with express permission if I was going home I had to have permission.
For times when you had lunch at home, was it sandwiches, leftovers, or a newly prepared meal?
It would be all of the above depending on time according to time.
The evening meal is usually the most formal meal in many homes. Did your family sit down together and enjoy the evening meal or were you more of a TV dinner in front of the TV family?
Dad got in at about 5.30/ 6pm and we all sat down and ate together.
How did your weekend meals differ from your weekdays?
Well Saturday was busy so lunch was a free for all but the evening meal was a family affair.
Sunday was usually breakfast after Church toast and cereal then dinner was at 2pm big roast dinner with all the trimmings, gravy, a sauce reliant to the meat followed by pudding. Tea would be bread and jam, sandwiches or toast
Who did most of the cooking in your household? Did that person also do the meal planning and grocery shopping? Were you taught to cook or were you shoo’d out of the kitchen?
Mum did it all but we all helped, preparing peeling veg and after we did the washing and drying up and cleaned the cooker.
Mum planned all the meals, usually: Roast Sunday, cold meat and bubble and squeak Monday, beef casserole Tuesday, Wednesday was chops or toad in the hole, Thursday liver and bacon, Friday fish, Saturday what ever was about!
Mum taught us all to cook and shop and bake.
Exceptions: Every of Wimbledon fortnight except for Sunday we had salad… Mum loved tennis!
Sometimes on a Friday we had fish and chips from the chippy at the top of our road.
Did you have dessert served at your meals? If so, what types?
Not always but mum did her best with what she had…Rice pudding, summer pudding, fruit pies and crumbles, jam rolly poly, treacle pudding, treacle tart, jam tart, fruit and carnation cream,lots of custard, occasionally cream. All very tasty.
Who cleaned up after meals? Was it a shared responsibility between men/women, girls/boys or was it delegated based on gender?.
We all had to help though some were less willing than others!
How about late night snacks? Okay or discouraged?
Usually toast or creals depending on if we had enough milk or toast. Though mum usually had cakes or biscuits she’d made in the cupboard.
Were dining manners stressed in your household? No elbows on the table, no hats at the table, no belching, please, thank you, and may I be excused?
All of the above Dad was very strict and we were all excepted to be sitting quietly when he sat down . Then we had to say grace …..then we had to be on our best behaviour!
Did you have occasions where you had large family gatherings for meals? What occasions?
Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, New Year. There were so many of us living in that house plus waifs and strays that every meal was a huge occasion?
Did you say grace or have a blessing before meals?
Yes always.
Now for the fun part. What dishes are you glad disappeared over the years? What dishes have you carried forward into your own home?
I don’t miss casseroles, but make stews instead..
Really l still make a lot of meals that were made in my childhood.
BONUS: Care to share any favorite family recipes?
If you want any just ask if I wrote them all down I’d be here another couple of hours 💜💜💜
willowdot21 