A Swiss Steak Church Dinner…and PIE

After spending more than seven hours in the car on a recent trip to Michigan, I was not in the mood to help cook dinner at Peepaw’s sister’s lovely home, so brother in law Robert suggested we take advantage of a once a month local dinner he had enjoyed in the past. So off we went, in search of a delicious Swiss Steak church dinner. And Robert simply raved about his favorite part of the past meals at the church…the homemade desserts!

It was a beautiful early evening in Michigan, so we put down the top on the convertible and we set out in search of some Swiss Steak…

Sandstone Congregational Church in rural Jackson, Michigan was a picturesque sight, and the parking lot was nearly full when we arrived. 

The ticket takers greeted us with smiles, and they told us it had been a busy dinner service already. The cost was $9 for adults, and kids under 12 were free, but donations were accepted for kid’s meals. The dinner also included lemonade, coffee or iced tea…and the sign also said if you wanted more than one dessert you could have it…with a donation. (No wonder Robert and his sweet tooth loved the place!)

We each grabbed a tray and made our way through the line that snaked through the sparkling clean church kitchen.

Patricia and I were the lucky recipients of the last of the scalloped corn side dish! (Sorry boys…)

Next, we headed to the dessert table to stake a claim to one of those famous desserts.

Robert was somewhat disappointed in the selections that were left. He assured us that on other evenings there had been MANY choices. But I was more than happy with the Coconut Cream Pie topped with Meringue…

The church dinner was good. Not great. But good. And the church members were friendly and welcoming.

Yes…our dinner at the Sandstone Congregational Church was a success, especially since it kept my sis in law and me out of the kitchen….but only for that night. I LOVE to cook too much to stay away from the stove for more than one evening. And Patricia and Robert are always happy to turn me loose in meal planning when we visit, so stay tuned…and I’ll be sharing some of the dishes I made during our stay.