We all know that family dinners matter. We know that they help to protect our kids from issues such as teen pregnancy and drug and alcohol use. We understand how they offer us a time to connect and share about our days. We appreciate how meals together provide an opportunity to teach manners and conversational skills. We get it. Family dinners are important. But the reality is that family dinners can also be an added
My family belongs to a farm-share (also known as a CSA, community supported agriculture). Each week we get the best that local farms have to offer and right now that means peaches, peaches, and more peaches. Honestly, we get so many peaches each week that I sometimes wonder whether it is a blessing or a curse, but then I bite into one, feel the juice run down my chin, and remember: definitely a blessing. Peaches
For most of the year I have a regular routine when it comes to meal planning and getting dinner on the table that it goes something like this: I plan our meals and grocery list on Saturday morning I go grocery shopping on Sunday morning before the grocery crowds form Each evening I start preparing dinner sometime between 5:45 and 6:15 and dinner is on the table at 6:45 This system works well for me
The Constant Kid Hunger What is it about summer that makes kids so ravenous? Over the years I have concocted a number of (totally not based on science) theories ranging from additional physical activity to increased Vitamin D to boredom, but none of these pan out to be consistently connected to the insatiable hunger that causes the constant clamoring for snacks and meals. No matter the reason, the challenge as parents of these ever-hungry beasts
So many of my favorite memories include meals eaten outside. Picnics at the beach; sandwiches eaten at the top of mountains after challenging hikes; campfires with roasting potatoes, corn, and, of course, s’mores; street food eaten on park benches in new cities; and dinners on my parents’ back patio where the conversation lingered on through dusk and into night. There’s just something special about eating al fresco, isn’t there? It feels free, relaxed, and adventurous
