Meals Our Moms Made and What We Still Eat Today

The word of the week is MEAL 

:  the food eaten or prepared for eating at one time :  the act or time of eating

When I was growing up, my family usually ate our main meal of the day sitting at a table, talking about life events or sharing about our day. David's family did the same; and this is something we have tried to continue with our own family as much as possible. Eating is something we all must do in order to survive, but it is also a good way to socialize, fellowship, celebrate special events, and  connect as a family.

Most of the meals our moms made for us were home cooked, and I thought it would be fun to reminisce about the meals our moms made, and to see what meals I am still making today for our own family.

Meals My Mom Made

My mom used her Crock-pot quite a bit. She made things like:

• Pork chops and sour kraut (Yep, I still make this occasionally, but the kids don't like the sour kraut)
• Chicken (Yes. I have several different chicken recipes for the crockpot)
• Roast, potatoes and carrots (I have tried to make this a few times, but the roast never turned out good, so I quit making it)

She also made:

• Fried Chicken and Fried Pork Chops (This was probably my favorite meal she made. I don’t fry meats for my family because of the mess it makes, but we like to go out and get it once in awhile.)
• Meatloaf (Mom always put onions in her meatloaf, which I didn’t care for. These days, I make Italian meatloaf for my crew, which doesn't have onions)
• Spaghetti with meat sauce, all mixed together with the pasta (Who doesn’t make spaghetti? I make mine with the sauce separate from the pasta most of the time, and often have meatballs in the sauce instead of ground beef) 
• Lasagna (I love lasagna. I make it a couple times each year)
• Creamed beef gravy on toast (Yep. It’s a cheap meal to feed a family)
• Grilled cheese sandwiches (I still make this. But, I like to use sour dough bread)
• Chopped steaks in ketchup gravy (I don’t make this. My family is not a fan of ketchup gravy)
• Shepherds pie on a plate - made by putting down a homemade hamburger patty, mashed potatoes on top of that, then peas, and topped with brown gravy. (I don’t make this. David thinks it’s the grossest thing on the planet.)
• Chili (Oh, yes! With lots of shredded cheese and corn chips - and no onions! But, I have to make a pot with beans and a pot without, since beans do not agree with my husband)
• Ham and Beans with cornbread (I do not make this - again, because of the beans.)
• Cowboy Beans (I always liked this meal, and it is cheap. But, once again, I can’t make it because of the beans.)
• Beans-n-Franks (Nope. It has beans)
• Homemade pizza (Yes, we made this in our early years of marriage. But, now it’s a lot easier to just go get a frozen pizza, or order it from Little Ceasar’s)           
• Tacos - soft shell or hard shell (I LOVE tacos! Definitely still make this, as well as Taco Casserole or Taco Salad)
• Liver and Onions (Are you kidding me? No way would I ever make this!)
• Salmon patties (I’ve made these a few times. Not often. Its not a favorite of ours)
• Spam in a can (Nope. Never made it. I ate it back then, but don't care for it now)
• Biscuits and Sausage Gravy (Yes. This is a favorite, especially of my husband)
• Ham on holidays (Yes)
• Dad would grill meats on occasion (Yes, I love to grill)
• Chicken and Beef pot pie (I make a version of it with stuffing instead of crust)
• Chicken and Dumplings (Yes, I make this. Good stuff!)
• Beef Stew (I make it occasionally. Its not a favorite for my crew. When I make it, I leave out the cabbage and the onions my mom always added)

Side Dishes included things like:

• Fried potatoes (I love these, but rarely make them because of the mess)
• Potato cakes (I’ve made these occasionally)
• Cooked apples (Yes, I’ve made these. A good way to use up apples that are getting soft)
• Vegetables - corn, green beans, peas, Brussel sprouts, carrots (Yes, I make most of these - no peas or Brussel sprouts)
• Macaroni and cheese from a box (Yep!)
• Salad (Yes, but I don’t mix it all together like Mom did. I put the fixings in separate bowls and let everyone add what they want. David's mom taught me that)
• Pork-n-Beans / Baked Beans (I make these sometimes because EL and I like these, but the boys don’t eat them)
• Mashed potatoes with brown gravy or white gravy (Oh, yes.)

And, don't forget the sweet treats:

• Cake with homemade powdered sugar frosting (I get my frosting from a can)
• Fudge (Yum! But, I don’t make it very often anymore.)
• Divinity (I have prize-winning Divinity at the IL State Fair, by using my mom’s recipe!)
• Rock Candy (This was a cheap treat for us around the holidays. I have made it a couple times)
• Pie crust cookies (I have never made these because I never take the time to make homemade pie crust, but I LOVED these! Maybe I should make them with store-bought crusts sometime!)
• Chocolate Chip Cookies (Oh, yum! Yes, I still make these)

Meals David’s Mom Made

According to David, his mom made a lot of the same things my mom made (Roast, Stew, Chili, Spaghetti, lasagna, pot pie, grilled cheese, hamburgers, and Spam), but she also made a lot of casseroles such as:

• Ham and Cheese Casserole (Yes, I make this today with her recipe)
• Pizza Casserole (I haven’t made this in a long time, but I used to make it a lot)
• Tater Tot Casserole (I like it, but David hates it, so I don’t make it)

She also made things like:

• Pizza Burgers (Yes, I make)
• Pancakes for supper (Yes, I make)
• Fried Fish (We eat a lot of Tilapia, but I bake it more than fry it)
• Baked Chicken (I usually put chicken in my crockpot instead of the oven)
• Stuffed peppers (No, I don’t make this)
• Reuben sandwiches (Yes, at least once per year. David and I love it!)
• Occasionally, they would go out to eat for Gyros (We have never done this)
• Salsbury Steak (Yes, I have made this)

Side Dishes and Desserts include:

• Party mashed potatoes (Yes, I have made these, especially on holidays)
• Corn casserole (Yes, definitely! This is a favorite of ours)
• Orange fluff salad (Yes, another favorite on holidays)
• Asparagus (I was never able to make this come out right)
• Angel food cake with chocolate frosting (I have rarely made this)
• Jello Cake (I have made it a few times, but usually use strawberry Jell-o instead of lemon-lime) 

Do you remember what your mom or grandma made for your family meal table?What was your favorite dish that you still make today?