Sunday Dinner

I love the idea of having friends and family over for Sunday Dinner. So...I thought I'd use Sundays to share favorite recipes and perhaps a song or hymn. If you have ever heard me sing, you'd be getting a little worried right now. (I'm a much better cook than singer). I'll just print the words and let you do the singing.

I'm famous for my cookies. My sixteen year old son is working a temporary job for a few weeks. He was in the lunch room yesterday when one of the managers saw him eating a cookie. He stared at it and asked him if his mom made that cookie... My son gave the second cookie to him. Lest I get proud and destruction cometh (a Biblical reference), I will remind you that I can't sing.

Here are a couple favorite recipes. The first is one of my guy's favorite casseroles. My mother-in-law was the casserole queen so perhaps it is nostalgia that makes my husband love casseroles. As for my son, throw together anything with meat and potatoes and he loves it. I promise I cook healthy meals, too. This was originally from Midwest Living magazine, one of their prize winners.

Cheesy Brat Stew

1 1-lb. Polish Sausage
I use Polish Sausage but original recipe was 6 fully cooked Brats
4 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
1 16-ounce can cut green beans, drained
1 103/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
I have also used an 8 oz. pkg. of Velveeta when I was out of cheese
1 small onion, chopped

Combine everything and place in a 3 quart casserole. If I'm substituting Velveeta, I combine it first with the soup and then add the remaining ingredients.

Bake covered in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes or untill heated through.

Makes 8 servings unless you are serving my guys.

Honest, I usually do cook healthier meals but this is one of their comfort foods.

The second recipe has to be for cookies. Here's a favorite, originally a Martha Stewart "Cookie of the Week"...many years ago. I usually make these for special occasions.

Oatmeal/Cherry/Toffee Cookies

1 1/2 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 C. butter, room temperature
3/4 C. granulated white sugar
3/4 C. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 C. each: dried cherries, chocolate chips, Skor's toffee bits
1 1/2 C. oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour and baking soda. Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Combine with flour mixture.
Add oatmeal, then dried cherries, chocolate chips and toffee.

Drop by teapoons on cookie sheet and bake 8-10 min.*

*The original recipe called for the dough to be divided into three logs, rolled in plastic wrap, chilled, then sliced and baked. I found this caused the cookies to crumble but it did make it easy to freeze and bake later.