Sunday Dinner is the best.  A perfect opportunity to sit back, eat a little too much, gossip about family and friends, and otherwise have a fun day.

This Sunday Dinner was perfect – a small gathering with everyone around one table, great pasta and meatballs, and simple desserts.  We also got to unveil a lot of the dishware we picked up in Italy.  Off-the-cuff comments like, “Oh, yeah…  that was made in Sicily.” or “We picked those up in Rome.”  or “Notice how they’re all hand-signed?” peppered the conversation.

I’m insufferable.  I admit it.

The above bowl was hand-made in Sicily.  We picked up the one with the meatballs in Rome. (See?!?  Insufferable.)

Victor made the sauce and the meatballs.  His sauce is pretty standard – crushed tomatoes and/or puree, garlic, red wine, Italian herbs, simmered for a few hours – but absolutely delicious.  The meatballs were a pork and beef combo that he browned and then finished in the sauce.  Combining the two and simmering them together adds depth to both the meatball and the sauce.

And on to dessert.  Ya have to have dessert.

Joanna brought Wedding Rings.  They’re one of my favorite cookies and one that I just never make because hers are so good.

Joanna’s Wedding Rings

Cookie Dough

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 5 cups flour
• 3 tbsp vanilla
• 5 tsp baking powder

Glaze

• Powdered Sugar
• Water
• Vanilla

Beat together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add flour about 2 cups at a time.  Roll pieces of dough into 4″ ropes, form into rings.  Bake at 450° for 10 minutes.  Cool and brush with glaze.

Perfection.

I had nectarines that needed eating, so I made a nectarine cake.  This is one that would work as a coffee cake for any time of the day.  It can also be made with any fruit you like.

Nectarine Cake

• 1 cube butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Finely grated lemon peel from 1 lemon
• 1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
• 3 or 4 medium nectarines cut into wedges
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 9″ springform pan. Beat butter until light.  Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then lemon juice and lemon peel. Beat in flour until smooth. Spread batter in pan.

Arrange nectarines atop batter, pressing lightly into batter. Mix cinnamon and demerara sugar and sprinkle over cake.

Bake until cake is golden brown and tester comes out clean, about 50 minutes.