Nothing Like Sunday Dinner

There is nothing like Sunday dinner and I am now in the enviable position of being able to hang out and cook up a storm on Sunday afternoon. No more returning the boys on Sunday after visitation, no more rushed Sunday dinners before having to leave to get them back on time, no more super-quick meals after returning from the trip at 8 p.m. So, for our very first family Sunday dinner since Pie's return to live with us full-time, I am making Momma Neely's Pot Roast, to be accompanied by mashed potatoes and gravy and a salad. If , I will also be making a cherry pie, J's favorite. The roast recipe can be found on the Food Network website:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/momma-neelys-pot-roast-recipe/index.html

I had no tomato paste so I subbed a small can of tomato juice and used a couple pinches of dried thyme since I had no fresh on hand. The roast was a last-minute idea! It's doing its thing in the oven and I am about to pit the cherries for the pie. Lacking a pitter, I guess I'll just cut them out. Here's the pie recipe:

Oh My Stars Cherry Pie

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 tbsp. cornstarch

Dash salt

4 c. cherries

Pastry for 9" double crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt & cherries in a pan and let stand half an hour. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened. Place a crust in the bottom of a 9" pie plate, trimming as needed. Add the cherry filling. Flute the edges and bake 45 minutes, taking care to cover the edges if they start to brown (I'd check after about 25 minutes). Cut the rest of the pastry into about a dozen large stars and as many small stars as you can get after that, probably 15-17. I just found my star cookie cutters, so it will be fun to use them for the first time since our move! Place the cut-out stars on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Toss randomly on top of the pie. Sprinkle the whole shebang with sugar after its cooled a smidge. Let it cool a bit more before cutting into it.