The Noon Meal

Library of Congress:  The Peacock Family, enjoying the noon meal, 1939 Alabama

I have been reading about how old time families would gather together, each day, for the noon meal.  This was their dinner time.  If children were in a local school, they would come home for their lunch break.  Dad would be working in town, or in the fields of his farm, and would pause to go home to eat a meal at the kitchen table with his family.

Isn't it nice to imagine a hot lunch of home cooked goodness that Mom makes herself?   There may have been bread, milk, meat, and some fresh or canned vegetables from the garden.  This was the time to nourish the family with comforting food from home.  Dad would say a precious prayer to ask the Lord's blessing on the food.

Dad would have a little coffee while the family visited together and talked about their day.  It was a nice, happy rest, from the labor of the morning.

The children would laugh and enjoy the time of fellowship with their brothers and sisters. They would enjoy sitting near Mother and Dad, finding security and happiness in the routine and tradition of the dinner hour.

This was the leisure hour before heading back to work, or school, for the rest of the afternoon.  It helped to bond the family.

These days, I think the practice, here in the United States of America, has slipped away.  It is no longer convenient to join together for the noon meal.  It is not practical in many cases.  It is more common for us to have the supper hour together.

We can revive the tradition of the noon meal each evening.  Mother can make a hot meal and set a pretty table.  This is the place where we learn our manners as we display kindness and courtesy.  This is the time to bond together, enjoying a rest as we eat Mother's home cooking.

After the meal, it may be common for the children to wash up all the dishes and help mother clean the kitchen.  Then the family might sit together to read, play the piano, sing hymns, or just enjoy some home projects in the living room.

Home is the greatest institution on earth. It ought to be a peaceful place of compassion, patience, and love.  Meal times provide a great opportunity to spend time together at the old kitchen table.  These will give us many happy memories of home, Mother and Dad, and pleasant childhood days.


Blessings
Mrs. White

P.S.  I made a brief video about old cookbooks and meals that the family might like.  You can find it here at this link:   "Homemaking and Cooking:  Meals Men Like."


From the Archives -


Always Remember this - The House Comes First.

The Beauty of an Ordinary, Simple Life - Standard of Living.

A Blessing in Making an Effort - Peaceful Homemaking.

Find detailed instruction and inspiration in Budgeting on a small income, in Mrs.White's book:

 -An Old Fashioned Budget: Humble Financial Management for the Christian Housewife.  Paperback, 77 pages.










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