Food For Thought:
My mother, also affectionately known as The Split Personality Eater, is angry, which is unusual for her. She’s never mad. At the local community college where she works, she’s a ray of sunshine. I can’t go the bathroom in that place without a student stopping me to tell me about my wonderful mother. A grandchild can break a china cup and a twinkle will come to her eye and she’ll smile, saying, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll find another one at an auction.”
And, she’s full of energy!
At seventy-two, she still works full time in the tutoring center and spends her weekends in her much-loved antique stand, dealing in vintage clothing. At our last Sunday dinner, she asked what we thought about her embarking on a PhD.
And this is a woman who never complains, who won’t send bad food back in a restaurant, who doesn’t know what road rage is, and who has never uttered a curse word. Although, my father insists she’s started to swear at the dog when he pees in the house.
But she’s mad.
Recently on a visit to my dad in the hospital, I used the valet parking. The attendant asked me, as he nodded toward my mother in the passenger’s seat, “Do you need help with her?” The Split Personality popped out of the car with the force of a pole-vaulter and sprinted into the lobby.
“How dare he say that?” she demanded when I caught up to her. She was stunned.
And then there was the grocery clerk who asked her if she wanted the senior citizen discount. My mother, her voice uncharacteristically sharp, corrected the poor woman, asking her, “How do you know I’m a senior?”
These reminders of her mortality, these innocuous questions—piss her off.
That’s why the grandkids call her Sue Sue, short for Suzanne—not Granny, Grandmom, or Nana—no way, those names sound too old!
My mother is not ready to be old or even worse—elderly. There’s just too much more living to do. But once in a while she’ll say that time is running out, that it’s late in the second half of a great soccer game. And quite frankly, I can’t imagine a world without her. It’s incomprehensible that she won’t always be on the other end of the phone when I call. Even my moody teenage son, The Grazer, says, “I hope Sue Sue will be alive to dance at my wedding.”
I hope she is, too.
So, don’t check on the elderly.
Instead—invite those older, wiser, wonderful people for Sunday Dinner.
Thoughtful Food:
As a child, I have vivid memories of Sunday afternoons at my grandmother’s house with the inviting aroma of a chicken roasting in the oven. In honor of all grandmothers, we’re having Old-Fashioned Roasted Chicken w/Herb Gravy, Spinach & Mandarin Salad, and Buttery Curried Rice. I’ve updated the recipe with a fresh herb gravy. Enjoy!
Old-Fashioned Roasted Chicken Ingredients:
5-7 lbs whole chicken, innards removed (and if you’re making one, make two and have extra meat for sandwiches throughout the week)
Fresh Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley
2 Tbsp crushed garlic
1 whole onion – quartered
Celery
Olive Oil
McCormick Perfect Pinch Rotisserie Chicken Spice
Old-Fashioned Roasted Chicken Instructions:
Rinse chicken. Stuff chicken with rosemary, thyme, parsley, onion, and celery.
Drizzle olive oil over chicken and then smear crushed garlic over the chicken. Generously sprinkle McCormick Perfect Pinch Rotisserie Chicken Spice on all side of chicken.
Roast at 365 degrees for two hours.
Herb Gravy Ingredients:
Fresh Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley – approximately 2 Tbsp each
Crushed Garlic – 2 Tbsp
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 Tbsp Flour
Herb Gravy Instructions:
Mince the fresh herbs and garlic together. Remove the chicken(s) from the roasting pan and set aside to rest. Meanwhile, place the roasting pan on the cooktop on medium heat. Stir and scrap the drippings from the bottom of the pan, bringing the liquid to a boil. Then add the herb/garlic mixture and cook until garlic becomes fragrant. Add flour and stir vigorously. Lastly, add the chicken broth and whisk until gravy thickens to a smooth consistency.
Spinach & Mandarin Salad Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp sugar
1 bag of baby spinach
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
Spinach & Mandarin Salad Instructions:
In a small saucepan, cook almonds and sugar, stirring constantly. Sugar will melt and the coat almonds, which will turn a beautiful golden brown. You’ll find the flavors of the candied nuts so much more intense when made at home like this than what you’d buy in the grocery store. Remove almonds to cool and then break into bunches. Mix almonds, spinach, onion, and mandarin oranges together and coat generously with the dressing described next.
Spinach & Mandarin Salad Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 Tsp salt
dash of pepper
dash of red pepper sauce
Mix all ingredients together in a shaker. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Buttery Curried Rice Ingredients:
4 cups cooked white rice
3 Tbsp curry powder
1 onion chopped
1 stick of butter
handful of olives, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
Buttery Curried Rice Instructions:
Prepare rice. Meanwhile, melt butter and curry, stir in onion and cook until softened. Add olives and cook a few more minutes. Add chicken broth. Stir vigorously. Then add the cooked rice and mix so that the rice is coated with the curry and turns yellow. I usually add more butter before serving. Have a wonderful Sunday dinner!
Thought For The Week:
Do you remember a Sunday dinner with your grandparents?
Share a memory in the comments.
Again, another wonderful Sunday post! Both of my grandmothers have passed but you put a smile on my face and tears in my eyes as I recall having family dinners with them. They were both spunky and full of life! Fiercely independent and energetic! But, (sorry Nana and Gram) horrible cooks! Even though, I would choke down another one of those meals for a dinner with them in a heartbeat!
Thanks for sharing, Darla!
Your Mom is my Idol!
Why do I read your posts first thing in the morning? They make me hungry all day! I love your descriptions of your mom. She is my favorite kind of woman, embracing every age as vital and full of possibility.
Thanks, Cathy! I can’t wait for your post on The Sunday Dinner Blog!
I truly enjoy your stories. I too enjoyed hone cooked meals at my grandparents. As they lived across the street from where I grew up on Water Street. I learned so much about cooking and baking from my Grandmom and my mom. You are so blessed to still be enjoying that with your mom as my mother passed almost 20 years ago from breast cancer. She was a true inspiration! Look forward to more wonderful stories. Thank you for sharing… Mary Fidler
Thank you for sharing Mary! Sorry you’ve been without your mother for 20 years.
Fantastic blog, going to make the roasted chicken this week! We all love Sue Sue… your family is blessed to have such an amazing matriarch!
Thanks, Sandy!
So upbeat. I love this blog. Your Mom is a warrior in the battle of ageism!
Keep up the fine work, Heather.
Thanks, Joanne!
My Mom is 78 years young and tough to keep up with – this piece hit home with me – great read and thanks for the recipe! Looking forward to the next post!!!
Thanks, Ann-Marie! I’m so happy that you’re subscribing to the blog.
Your mother’s energy is exceeded only by her sweetness.
I remember my dad’s mother feeding us “tongue and dough ball” soup; I cringe now, but we used to love it.
Yummy…tongue and dough! Thanks for reading.
This is my first read. Love the story and it has inspired me to get a Sunday group for dinner both older and younger. The recipes are wonderful and the food looks delicious. Great pics. I am looking forward to reading your blog…
Thanks, Joelle! I feel honored that the blog is inspiring you to put a dinner group together. Keep us posted on the progress!
I love your blog. I feel as if I am at the table. I am sixty-eight and am taking writing courses, going to the gym, and learning to be a better vegan cook. Your mom is remarkable and should go for the Ph.D or whatever new venture she wishes!
PS: Loved James’ sweater!
Geri, Good for you!! I love knowing that you are working out, developing your writing craft, and growing as a cook. We have a lot of meat in our Sunday Dinners, but I think you should be able to substitute a non-meat protein. Thanks for reading.
Yes, Sue Sue is one of a kind, and so are you Heather! Keep up the good work, I enjoy your writing and recipes everytime.
What a great story (and recipes, too). What a blessing that your kids have such a close relationship with their grandparents. When my own grandmother passed at ninety-one almost six years ago, I remember thinking how blessed my kids were to have known their great-grandmother. Not many can say that. Growing older is hard–especially when they feel and act so young. My eighty-five-year-old father-in-law comes to visit and has us running ragged. He yells at us when we want to leave the live band at 11:30 pm: “Why are we leaving so early. He plays until 1:00, y’know?” We can’t keep up. It’s great! My kids treasure every minute. My daughter secretly video tapes him singing and dancing around the house. When the jig is up, he doesn’t care and hams it up even more. Favorite song: “Three Coins in a Fountain.” Thanks for the blog. Look forward to it every Sunday morning.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful father-in-law with us!
Your blog is lovely! I look forward to reading it every week. You recipes sure look yummy and will I be making some of this food in the near future. You are blessed to be so close to your mom and dad. They are both amazing people that have accomplished so much.
My mother’s mother passed away when I was four so I have few memories of her. I don’t remember having dinner with my grandmother( your great grandmother) but I do remember baking pies with her many times over many, many summers. She was a fantastic baker! Her Christmas cookies were out of this world!
I, too, feel as if I have many more year of living to do! I am looking forward to retirement and learning new things that I haven’t had time for. Keep writing and treasure your wonderful parents!
Thank for sharing, Lisa! And thanks for following the blog. I am so happy to know that you’re liking it.
Such a blessing to have a close family. Your blog makes me wishful.
With Sue Sue’s spunkiness and vitality, I am sure her game will go into overtime. Cherish her! Love your blog!