Somewhere, somehow, my Dad, who was always scoping out new
ideas, found out that there was a pastor at a small country church near Upsala,
Minnesota named Leonard Bergstrom. He was sure that we were shirttail relatives
and, that was all it took, we were northbound that next Sunday and on a quest for
a new church destination.
The rest of the family wasn’t quite as enthusiastic. We kids
hated veering outside of our comfort zones. Mom hated missing a Sunday in her
home church in Grove City with family and friends. But we acquiesced. And off
we went. Aside from the fact that we weren’t excited about worshipping in an
unfamiliar setting, we equally loathed the idea of cramming into a car,
charting new territory, scoping out farm fields for crop comparison, bouncing
in the un-air conditioned vehicle on dusty back roads. Never mind the
inevitable polka music and cigar or pipe smoke on the trip back. We’d almost
choose the dentist, if given the option.
To add insult to injury, Dad was always shocked and somewhat
hurt when we griped about meeting the kids in the family. Whatever was he
thinking?? Most pre-adolescents aren’t particularly taken with the prospect of
developing relationships in an afternoon. Trying to fit in with new pals. Enduring
being snubbed. “Can’t we just go to the service and leave?” We begged. But no.
We knew full well (from copious experience) we’d be there the better part of
the day, dining with the pastor’s family, playing (or not) with the new kids,
wishing to go home.
As it turned out, I loved the day. Lynn Bergstrom, a willowy
blonde my age, with ice blue Nordic eyes and funky black glasses, turned out to
be my sister in Christ! We hit it off right away, on the steps of that little
white country church. My brothers found her brothers to be equally interesting.
I loved her dad, Reverend Bergstrom…his preaching was engaging, even to an
11-year old. Mrs. Bergstrom whipped up a delicious Sunday dinner and she and
Mom traded tales of tomatoes ripening, Ladies Aid, school bus drivers and the
county fair.
Lucky Dad, not a one of us chomped our bits to leave or
belly-ached on the way home. As I recall, we even looked forward to our next
visit, which we knew was forthcoming. Even Mom. As it turned out, Dad and
Leonard were NOT related. But, no matter. They were brothers in Christ, just
the same. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
And I mean that.
SUNDAY DINNER LIME JELLO SALAD
3 ounce box lime Jell-O
3/4 cup hot water
1 cup whipped cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
In a medium bowl, mix gelatin and water together, stirring
until dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into a greased mold.
Chill until set. Serve on an iceberg lettuce leaf, for a trip down memory lane.
SUMMERTIME BARBEQUED MEATBALLS
2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
12 ounces evaporated milk
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup cracker crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
SAUCE
2 cups ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped onion
In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Mixture
will be soft. Shape into balls. Place in a single layer on waxed paper-lined
cookie sheets. Freeze until solid. Store in freezer until ready to cook. To
make sauce, combine all sauce ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved.
When ready to bake meatballs, place them in a 9 by 13 inch pan. Pour sauce over
top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
SUNDAY COMPANY RASPBERRY DESSERT
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
10 ounces raspberries, frozen and thawed
1/4 cup cold water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cream, whipped
Fresh raspberries for garnish
Combine crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into an 8 or 9 inch
springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. For filling, drain
raspberries and reserve juice. Set berries aside. In a small saucepan, combine
juice, water and gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cook and stir over low heat
until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat; cool for 10 minutes. In a mixing
bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add berries and gelatin mixture;
beat on low until thoroughly blended. Chill until partially set. Gently fold in
whipped cream. Spoon into crust. Chill for several hours. Top with whipped
cream and fresh raspberries.
