Roasted Tomato Pasta [and a Le Creuset Giveaway!]
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I’m rediscovering the simple pleasures of family dinners. Summertime plays a number on our regular routines. The kids scooter through the house and drink the neighbors gatorade for two of their three square daily meals. We run to the park in flip flopped feet at randome hours of the evening and drive cross country, then back again, eating whatever we can find that assumes the color green and doesn’t cause excessive grease dribble over our suntanned legs.
In short, we stink at doing the basics for three months of the year. So, tonight when I asked the twins to set the table and they we actually in the house to do so (not wheeling around the culdesac on shiny bikes), I found myself pleasantly suprised.
I like pleasantly surprised, don’t you? We really ought to plan more pleasant surprises.
So, we gathered around the table with steaming bowls of pasta and the waftiness of garlic all around us. We held hands to pray, sent a squeeze between the bunch of us, then twirled noodles about our forks and debated the pros and cons of all sorts of nonsense.
I like debating nonsense.
Getting those spitfires a brewing in your belly makes you hungry. Lively conversation just makes a meal taste good. Winning the debate? Why, that’s just icing on the cake.
Wanna feel the rush of winning something other than a debate? How about this gorgeous Heritage4 Quart Cocotte from Le Creuset!
Here’s the deal. Anyone who shares the best tip for making family dinners memorable, successful, or downright simple wins! Winner will be debated over and decided by my children. After all, it’s never to early to start a set of good, feisty conversationalists, eh? (Nor is it ever to early to help them learn a few tricks to helping mom in the kitchen during the busiest time of the day. Even more important that debating is being an intuitive helper, I’d say.)
Roasted Tomato, Garlic & Pine Nut Pasta
How can anything so simple be so delicious? Roasting tomatoes in garlic and olive oil creates a light sauce which lends subtle, simple flavor to this dish. I love how quickly I can prepare the tomatoes while boiling the pasta. The timing is almost impeccable. Once your pasta is finished, your tomato-ey sauce is ready to rock.
Ingredients:
1 package fettucine noodles, cooked
3 cups colorful cherry tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup asagio or parmesan cheeseDirections:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Toss the tomatoes in a baking dish lined with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk together the garlic and olive oil, then drizzle over your tomatoes. Toss basil into the mix. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss your dish in the oven and allow the tomatoes to roast for 15-20 minutes, or until they "pop" and begin to turn ever so slightly golden brown around the edges of the skin.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and pour skins, flesh, juices and all into your bowl of pasta. Toss with parmesan cheese, sprinkling toasted pine nuts over the top. Serve immediately and en.joy!
Disclaimer: Thanks to Le Crueset for sponsoring this giveaway. I was not compensated for this giveaway, nor to express positive opinions about the product. But, holy flicker! Have you USED Le Creuset. The best. The end. (The previous three sentences were my own unabashed opinions. Double The End.)
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Amy on August 31, 2011 at 11:36 pm
My entire childhood was spent with a father who HAD to watch tv while we ate dinner. I hated it. We would beg him to turn it off so that we could talk as a family. But that rarely happened. In his dream home that he built when I was in high school, he built the kitchen in a way that he could watch tv from the dining table. This was his way of relaxing after work. But for me, it was less than ideal and I vowed (as we often do when our parents let us see that they’re human) that this would not be a norm for my own family some day.
So when we started our family, I envisioned amazing sit down meals with well mannered children, cloth napkins(because who wouldn’t want to add THAT to their already large laundry load?), loads of lovely vegetables, and of course, NO TELEVISION.
Well, I stuck to the television part. But as my family grew, and meal times became more hectic, I let go of some of my stringent requirements for a “perfect” family dinner. Now I’ve realized that being together is the perfect part. Hearing about my children’s day, instead of stressing about whether they ate all their vegetables or wiped their mouths on their sleeves, became my goal.
We rarely even set the table anymore, even for guests. We put everything, the food, plates and utensils, on the island, say a prayer and then everyone gets their food and THEN we go and sit down. I don’t know why, but this seemed to ease the struggle of making everyone sit down and be still while we prayed and it has created a more harmonious setting for our family of 8. And honestly, I don’t even know why it works for us. But it just does. And not having the pot of spaghetti or pan of stroganoff on the table gives us more room and less spilled drinks for some reason.
I’ve learned that my biggest hope is that my children will look back and remember laughter and joy at meal times. Even if I’m not the best cook, even if our table isn’t always the prettiest, and even if it’s a little loud and crazy instead of polite and formal, I want my children to look back on dinner with the family and remember love.
So my biggest tip for making dinner more successful, simple AND memorable is to focus on the people at the table more, and worry about presentation and rules less. Except for the tv!!! No tv ever! :)
Andrea M on September 1, 2011 at 3:02 am
simple, successful & memorable…grill, everything tastes better off the grill. grill everything from the meat and veggies to the fruit for dessert. And don’t be afraid to grill the odd things, like romaine hearts, dinner rolls/buns, tomatoes and potatoes. Grill peaches, strawberries, melons and bananas for dessert and top with ice cream. Of course. Or to make it really great, delicious and memorable when you sit down to eat put chocolate chip cookies (all pressed into one cake pan) into the oven. When you are finished eating it should be finished baking – let stand a few minutes to cool enough before slicing. Top cookie with 2 inch slab of your favorite ice cream, cut into pieces and serve. Oh. My. Word. :) Enjoy!
Marcea on September 1, 2011 at 5:24 am
Dinner around my family of 5 is very down to earth and casual. I do make a point for us to eat dinner together almost every night… Sometimes the kids fool around, have more giggling fits more than they eat their dinner! but it also shows me that they are happy and having fun…. and then they leave a mess for me to clean up because they are so messy!! :)
But I wouldnt trade it for anything in the world.
We are working parents family so I tend to make simple dinners like the roasted tomoatoes with pasta or fish dinner… with nice crusty buttery rolls and we usually always follow icecream treat afterwards or oreo cookies :) On good simple days… we will have homemade cupcakes. Theyre always delighted about those. :)
Giveaway Hound on September 1, 2011 at 5:54 am
I think it’s important to make cooking food a family affair, so that means everyone gets involved, including the kids. For us, dinner often starts in the garden. I think meals are a lot more meaningful and flavorful when you’re eating food that you’ve grown yourself. Whether it’s fresh tomatoes or peppers or herbs from our garden, there’s nothing better than eating food that you’ve watched and tended to. Getting involved also means mom, dad and the kids all pitch in to help. Even the littlest kids can help with setting the table or pouring in ingredients.
I also think it’s important to use fresh, flavorful ingredients as much as possible. Almost everything we cook is a whole food. We don’t use much from a box or a can in this kitchen.
And then there’s a meal itself. We dine by candlelight every evening and before we start eating, we hold hands and go around the table with each person saying what they are grateful for that day. It could be something as simple as, “I got out of bed today,” but whatever it is, it helps to keep the focus on all the little blessings we enjoy each day. And dining by candlelight is just, well, fun! It sets a calming mood for the evening and makes dinner a special time for us.
Jennifer H on September 1, 2011 at 6:04 am
My boys are too young to implement this in my own house, but I plan to do with them the same thing my mom did for family dinner. When my siblings (have have two brothers and two sisters) and I were old enough, my mom involved us in the dinner planning, making, and cleaning process. We each had one night of each week when we were responsible for getting dinner on the table. On Saturday or Sunday we had to tell my mom what we were going to make and any ingredients we needed her to purchase. Then on our designated night we had to make the dinner and clean up afterwards. If we were in charge of dinner on Sunday or Monday night we also planned and made a dessert.
I realize this might make things less simple for a while (because it takes longer to teach than to just do) but over time your children will be able to make dinner with minimal assistance from you! We ate dinner together almost every single night growing up and making dinner made us more polite at the table (we learned the hard way how upsetting it was to spend time planning and cooking and then have other members of the family be critical of the food we made), cleaner in the kitchen, and definitely taught us all valuable life skills. We are all, as adults, very comfortable in the kitchen.
Janeen on September 1, 2011 at 6:37 am
I wish I had a great idea for you. I grew up eating in the living room while watching television. My family is dysfunctional to say the least so it is probably best we didn’t try to sit in one place together for very long. I am pregnant with our first child and plan to make it a rule from the first time she takes a bite of baby food that we all sit at the table, television off, to enjoy our dinner. I figure my husband will always be the worst about wanting to do this but if we start early, who knows, maybe it will become second nature and no one will question it once things start to get crazy.
Ann King on September 1, 2011 at 6:47 am
When my daughter was in kindergarten (she is 19 now…insert crying here) her teacher gave some great advice to get the students to talk about their day. She said to ask them something good and something not so great that happened on that day. This way the good, the bad, the ugly is told…and us parents get to hear of fun stuff and listen to see if the kiddos are worried about something. We do this every night, all five of us. And of course and most important every night one the kids says grace.
Erin on September 1, 2011 at 7:34 am
We like to play a “game” at dinner where we draw a question out of a jar and use it to stimulate conversation. It is fun and always interesting.
Debbie on September 1, 2011 at 7:54 am
We have been really enjoying our family dinners lately. I think keeping things simple for the kids is best. I have realized that the goumet cooking is for me not them. If I do try something new (or fancy as they would say), then I make sure there is at least something they like on the side. I have also incorporated Sunday dessert where I make something extra special. There is always a bit left for the rest of the week too.
It seems like if we are not stressing about the food choices, the conversation just flows. There is just a fun vibe!
Rachel on September 1, 2011 at 8:24 am
When I was young, the rule was always “eat what is set before you, no complaining.” While I appreciate the sentiment, especially when compared to kids we’ve all seen who throw fits over peas in their food, I remember sitting at the table gagging over certain foods that, regardless of my determination, I simply could not stomach. Because of this, I’ve always wanted to do things differently with my family. One thing I love is letting people be involved with planning meals. I read this suggestion the other day that I thought was fantastic: every week, let all family members participate in picking out the meals for the week (within reason, of course–you could have rules like “pasta no more than once a week,” or “only x-number of meat dishes,” etc). Then, that family member is responsible for helping to cook that meal and put it together. Everyone gets to eat the food they like to eat, and help with putting it together, reducing strain on mom or dad, and helping kids learn how to put together healthy home-cooked meals in a fun environment.
Jeanette Linley on September 1, 2011 at 8:25 am
At my house, I try to keep recipes and ingredients fresh, fast and simple.
This way, everyone gets to help in the preparation, there’s less clean-up, and I get to spend more time enjoying their company… instead of putting pressure on myself to re-create a 50-step gourmet meal with exotic ingredients that nobody will remember. :)
Bev Weidner on September 1, 2011 at 8:26 am
Uh, I could simply FACE-PLANT that bowl and not even care. WOW.
Donna on September 1, 2011 at 8:52 am
Ugh. Tips for making family dinners memorable, successful, or downright simple? Not easy! Sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re downright miserable. I try to make yummy food but I also have to remember my children’s very child-like palettes even tho they are over 10. So I try to make something I know they like every other night. And to make dinner pleasant? Coming to the table with a happy attitude goes farther than just about anything else. The saying is true: If Mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy!
Meggan on September 1, 2011 at 9:14 am
My parents always made sure we sat down together for dinner…and then the fun just happened on its own. The best times were when my mom had to go somewhere and wasn’t there (very rare) and Dad would let us have a food fight…as long as we cleaned up afterward. The. BEST. Launching a piece of broccoli into your brother’s glass of water…EVEN. BETTER.
angela on September 1, 2011 at 9:37 am
i think my favourite family dinners were when we were at the cabin. no tv, because we were outside enjoying the fresh air and likely exhausted from mowing the lawn, raking leaves or spending the day on the boat at the lake. the food was simple bbq fare, but everything tastes better eaten outside! :)
the rest of the year we were at the table with the tv on watching the news, but at least we were always together sitting down at 6pm :)
Neesha on September 1, 2011 at 9:39 am
Growing up, we only ever did family dinners at special occasions (Christmas, landmark birthdays, etc.). Now that we’re all grown, we meet monthly at my parents’ farm for a big family dinner full of excellent food, silly conversation, and some kind of game (card, board, word, whatever). The things that make our family game nights so memorable are pretty simple:
1. We all cook. It happens at mom’s house, so mom and dad generally cook the main dish. The rest is up to the siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There will be flurries of texts beforehand back and forth over who brings what, and in the end we sometimes have really bizarre combinations. We end up with stuff like pork chops and Thai peanut noodles with lemon meringue pie for dessert. It’s *awesome* and always fun to bump into each other in the kitchen as the final touches are being made.
2. Everyone’s invited. Sometimes I’ll bring friends home with me. Sometimes the neighbors will join us. Sometimes we’ll drag along a cousin living nearby as she’s going to college. If someone’s passing through, we’ll find another seat. Everyone’s always welcome and there’s always enough food!
3. Puns. Well, not just puns, but puns are often the basis for my family’s sense of humor. We make lots of jokes and laugh a lot. We don’t ever specifically set out to have pun wars or tell funny stories, but we always end up having both. I love it!
4. Games. We always start the night with the intention of playing some sort of a game. Whether it’s that we’re all going to learn something new, or that we teach an old standard to the new crowd, we always try to have a game of some sort to keep us congregated around the table, talking about everything under the sun. My favorite was last Christmas when my brother brought out a HUGE whiteboard and we played Pictionary as both men vs. women and older generation vs. younger generation (5 on 5 each time. The younger generation women ROCKED it.)
5. DESSERT. There’s always a point in the game playing after dinner where someone will get up to put on a kettle of tea. Someone shortly after that will suggest that we pause for dessert. Sometimes we have homemade pies. Sometime we do a big ol’ brownie bar with lots of toppings. Sometimes it’s angel food cake with fresh fruit and mounds of whipped cream. Whatever it is, it’s always delicious and always the star of the night.
Apparently, our family nights are so awesome that I needed to write you a whole essay telling you so! Whoops! The biggest thing that makes a family dinner memorable and wonderful is that we all love each other and are accepting of one another in whatever stage of life we all happen to be in. Nothing else really matters.
Sharlie Sparks on September 1, 2011 at 9:39 am
Dinner is a family affair. It starts with looking for recipes with my kids online. We pick meals with everyones advice, this makes them more interested in being my ‘assistant’ in the kitchen. We all help cook, set the table, and clean up. This keeps anyone from slurping down food and running off without conversation. We are part of an evening together, not a fast food joint!
Jolene (Homespun Heritage) on September 1, 2011 at 9:42 am
We use our time around the table to train and teach our children. We have 4 (going on 5) with 2 (going on 3) adopted so manners and love were not always shown to half of our crew. We giggle, we smile, I tap an arm quietly to indicate said arm should be removed from the plate of food, I tap my mouth again to indicate to chew with mouth closed, we talk and ask questions, we subtly influence them.
This pays off BIG BIG BIG when we are out in public eating! When you have 4 children the servers get bug-eyed and kind of freak thinking our children are going to loud and rude and messy. Yet, all that time influencing them pays off because we are constantly complemented on how well they behave. They try to impress people with their behavior.
We love our children and love our time with them….we spend so much time together (we homeschool too!) that we take such value in TIME. We truly adore them, they are a blessing, and it shows by the love around our table.
Bridget on September 1, 2011 at 9:48 am
I keep a word document of all my recipes handy. That way when I’m planning on stopping at the grocery store on my way home I can scan the recipe to see what I need to pick up. I can also qucikly scan through them to get ideas before I leave work. That way I don’t get home and just stare into the refrigerator hoping for inspiration.
Brit on September 1, 2011 at 10:27 am
My family RARELY ate meals together but you could always bet that if a game of Mexican dominos was mentioned everyone would make a beeline for the table! Some of my fondest memories are of my family playing dominos and when I started dating my husband we introduced him to the game. Best of all the dominos can be wiped clean so messy hands are okay!
Nancy on September 1, 2011 at 10:33 am
One of my favorite things about dinners as a family is eating by candlelight. It doesn’t matter what we’re eating, it makes it seem nicer, and it calms the atmosphere down. I don’t have small children anymore, and this may be more difficult with little ones, but I love it. We also use cloth napkins – everyone has their own napkin holder so we’re not washing seven sets of napkins per week.
Courtney-O on September 1, 2011 at 10:33 am
I have a few tips that I use with my two boys – ages 10 and 1. I’m a single mom, so it’s just the 3 of us for dinner, for the most part, although we do have people over for dinner at least a couple of nights per week.
1. Encourage trying new foods by cooking new foods regularly. I have a filing cabinet full of recipes (and I’m constantly on the lookout for more), and every week we try out 4 new recipes. The oldest boy gets to vote after dinner on whether that recipe stays in the filing cabinet or whether we chuck it (and the youngest will get a vote once he’s old enough). This method has resulted in kids that love things like goat cheese, turnips, spinach, hummus, etc.
2. You should be able to feel the LOVE at the table. I firmly believe that food is love, and I try to love every minute of cooking for and eating with my boys. We laugh at the table, cry at the table, fight at the table – but through it all, we love each other. It makes a difference – food digests better with a side serving of loveliness.
3. NO TV. (Except on Friday nights, because that’s Nacho Night, and we watch a movie. :-D)
Elise on September 1, 2011 at 10:35 am
I say give each kid time in the spotlight during dinner. Have a standard question that everyone at the table answers–whether it’s “what were the best and worst parts of your day?” or “which kitchen utensil would you be and why?” and it can change from day to day depending on the mood of the table. Everyone wants a chance to be heard, even the shy siblings. :)
ashleynashville3 on September 1, 2011 at 10:53 am
i think the best way to hit all the marks is to keep it consistent. always have dinner together, always. we had multiple sports practices etc and my mom would leave that athletes plate in the microwave if they missed dinner – but unless you were on the field, your butt was in the chair – no excuses. It was the absolute best of times. Terrific conversations and hilarious moments. I can tell you that I really learned who my parents were and my siblings by those family dinners. they are amazing.
Christa on September 1, 2011 at 11:02 am
We play a game at our table to decide who does the dishes. At the beginning of dinner we place an object like the salt shaker in front of one person. You get to put the salt shaker in front of someone when they display bad manners (elbows on the table, talking with mouth full, wiping hand on shirts, burping at the table–can you tell I have boys?). Whoever is left with the salt shaker at the end of dinner has to do the dishes. Its fun and helps them to learn their manners.
Heather on September 1, 2011 at 11:09 am
I make a weekly printed menu.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Each child picks their favorite breakfast and lunch and I add those to the week. One child loves pancakes, one loves omelets, another prefers breakfast burritos and eggs in a nest, etc. For lunches we rotate hot dogs, pizza, sandwiches, soup, tacos and burritos. All kid friendly foods. This leaves dinner to try something new or outside of their comfort zones.
There is rarely any complaining because they pick breakfasts and lunches.
It works really well for us.
Ammie on September 1, 2011 at 11:25 am
One word: TEAMWORK! It so much more enjoyable when everyone pitches in and helps to cook, clean, & enjoy. I despise trying to come up with menus so I enlist the help of my entire family. Together we make up the menus, grocery lists, and everyone helps to prepare, enjoy, & clean up the meal. I have found this is the best way to ensure that we get a good variety of dinners and that most everyone is on board when I try something new. It also gives the kids (ages 16,14, 13, & 10) an appreciation for how much work goes into each & every meal and it opens up the door for all sorts of interesting conversation & allows each of their personalities to shine through.
Katie on September 1, 2011 at 11:38 am
When Dad cooks and not just grilling. My mom cooked everything but once in a while, Dad would plan a special meal and cook everything himself and it was always a little exotic. He would go grocery shopping and bring home something like clams and we’d say “what?” but then he’d cook something crazy good and it would be very special.
I think this can apply to anyone out of the ordinary cooking–Dad or one of the kids.
Allison on September 1, 2011 at 12:05 pm
The secret to making meals memorable is consistency. Simple. Everyone there, no excuses, phones, papers, etc. Just family.
Nichole on September 1, 2011 at 12:09 pm
I have 4 daughters (8,6,4,2) who are always by my side in the kitchen. The two oldest enjoy planning a meal and helping to make it. On the nights that they are in charge (Monday), we usually eat spaghetti, hot dogs, or a box of hamburger helper…but that being said, it tastes gourmet to them. They compliment the heck out of each other and usually clean their plates without any nagging from mom!
One really fun tradition we started years ago is a simple game of “conversation hearts.” (my husband and I started this one year for Valentine’s day) Now we have so much fun we play the first Sunday (or more) of each month…even if we have company. I simply put words onto strips of paper and place them into a bowl. Each person draws a word and then has to use that word throughout the course of the dinner conversation until someone at the table can guess what word they choose. We help the little ones with read their words…and let the conversation begin. We keep it up until everyones word has been guessed. Sometimes we go from one random topic to the next. Sometimes we keep it centered around what they learned at church. Sometimes we get crazy and use words like pickle, yellow, and Santa Maria. We laugh and enjoy one anothers company…which I can’t say is always the case come dinnertime :)
Cumorah on September 1, 2011 at 12:10 pm
I wasn’t planning on answering your question, simply for the fact that there are enough downright fabulous ideas posted here to keep your chitlins debating for at least a week…but…I guess there is something I would add.
The one thing on the topic of making the family dinner enjoyable/successful topic I would say is: ALTER YOUR EXPECTATIONS. Do not expect your 3 old to have upstanding table manners. Do expect him to spill his juice at least three times before getting any in his mouth. Do not expect your 6 your old to LOVE spinach quiche. Do expect her to pinch her nose while running around the table squealing “It smells like something died in there!”. But, if you make sitting down to dinner together as a family a constant, daily routine, do expect some lively conversation as your children learn that you love to listen to them, and that you might actually have something wise to say once in awhile. It can, and should be the constant in an otherwise crazy world. It can, and should be a time of sharing and growth. It can, and should be something that will bring your family closer together, and keep them together through all the bumps, twists and turns called life. So EAT UP and enjoy it!
*also, curious… Is your Achiement Girls’ Cookbook still in the works? I’d love to be the first proud owner!
Alissa on September 1, 2011 at 12:36 pm
My fave family dinner idea isn’t actually mine, but is stolen from the wonderfully-honest movie The Story of Us (with Michelle Pfeiffer and Bruce Willis – Netflix it soon if you haven’t seen it!) Every night Michelle Pfeiffer, Bruce Willis, and their son and daughter sit down for family dinner, and play a little game called High-Low. Every person has to tell the family what the high of their day was and also what the low of their day was. It’s a great way to get a good conversation started, while also learning a lot about your family members. Kids can discuss any problems they had, while parents can give their advice (or vice versa!) Or they can brag about the day’s accomplishments. Either way, everyone has a chance to bring each and every one of their family members into their day so they can all share their experiences with each other over a good meal.
Kate on September 1, 2011 at 12:47 pm
I just heard the greatest idea. As your kids get old enough, assign each one a night to make dinner every week. This includes picking out what to eat, planning with Mom, making sure you have all the ingredients, asking for helpers if needed etc. I have a friend whose Mom instituted this and not only does he LOVE to cook but he’s good at it! He said it was a fun thing for their family because the kids knew their sibling had put a lot of work into it so they were more inclined to eat it, critique it, etc. He said dinner was always awesome in their house because it was always different and fun and no one was irritated at only having one night a week.
cynthia on September 1, 2011 at 12:59 pm
My plan for my kids when they get old enough to look up things would be to have each person come to the table with 2 things. A funny (and clean) joke as well as a bit of knowledge they can turn into a trivia question. The game would be that if no one can answer the question, then you had an awesome trivia question which imparted a bit of knowledge to the family and you don’t have to help out with the cleanup after dinner. Those that had a question that someone at the table can answer have to help with the cleanup and come armed with a killer question the next night!!
Meg on September 1, 2011 at 1:14 pm
My family meal time is a little different from some of the other posters’. I come from a family that spent nearly every weekend together (extended family included) to enjoy a big family meal. I learned how to cook early on in my life from my grandma and have loved doing so ever since. About 4 years ago my boyfriend and I moved to CA from OK and TX, so it was hard to keep the family dinner thing going as we now live over 1,000 miles away from them. It was lonely for the first year, but we met an incredible group of people when I started grad school. Three of my classmates and their spouses, along with my s/o and I, started what we call a supper club. Every two weeks or so we gather for a potluck (where everyone discusses and chooses a dish to bring so we have a balanced meal and don’t duplicate anything) and often set a geographical theme for the night. Italian, Moroccan, African, Cuban, Irish (for St. Patty’s Day!), you name it, we’ve probably cooked it! Over the last 3 years, we’ve traveled around the world plate by plate, and meal by meal these friends have grown to be my family. In the beginning, everyone just showed up with their dish and we ate and enjoyed each other’s company, but as we have become closer and better friends, everyone has started bringing the ingredients and we all cook the meal together (in my not-so-large kitchen). It is so much fun and a great way to have a family meal time when my biological family isn’t close enough for a weekly gathering. I don’t know what I would do without these people. They are the best friends I’ve ever had and I met them all through a love of, first Sociology, but secondly, through a love for food, cooking and the desire to have a truly meaningful meal with others.
Heather McDonough on September 1, 2011 at 1:25 pm
We always make dinner a conversation where everyone shares experiences about their day. We also get everyone into the meal-planning process, so we have healthy meals that everyone will want to eat. My son, especially, loves to try new things. California rolls are a favorite of his. And I agree – Le Creuset is the bomb! I have one of their pots and you can use it for anything and everything!
Mary Reading on September 1, 2011 at 1:27 pm
The simple part of family dinners is in the memories it creates. It was the required Sunday dinners. The art of the food. The conversation. Sometimes it was my dad’s Pennsylvania Dutch influence: pork roast with sauerkraut, corn, and mashed potatoes. Other times it was my Japanese mother’s absolutely amazing Tex-Mex style beef enchiladas, that she herself got from another Japanese woman. If my dad was away for work we’d have the simple, yet memorable Japanese dishes of her hometown in Hokkaido. My favorite was a rice dish consisted of a sautéed onions, chicken, peas, rice, and ketchup. Then a sweet egg omelet wrapped around it. When I visit my mom, she makes this for me like I’m still 8 years old. I have so many more memories and recipes that I will share with my family in new memories.
Cristina on September 1, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Gosh, these are all so good! I’d have to say, picnics! Have the family get together and pack a picnic basket, go to a park, get out of the house and do something fun together. Simple finger foods, cold bites, fresh lemonade. YUMMO!
Jean on September 1, 2011 at 3:36 pm
I know this sounds awful, but when our children were home and they especially had a hard/bad day, I would have peas for dinner and when we were all seated around the table, we would talk about what happened. After they had eaten their dinner or at least 90% of it, we would have a “pea” fight. Yes, peas were everywhere in the kitchen, but this got the family laughing – forgetting the problems for awhile. Before you say anything, we knew this was wasteful, but which is more important…the cost of the peas, or the happiness of my children?
Kelly on September 1, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Once the kids are older, once a week (or month, or whatever, it depends on your family), have them choose and make the dinner. Whatever they want. Often, in my family, the kid-made dinners were surprisingly gourmet, and of course, always included dessert. It really made everyone happy – the kids were proud, the grown-ups impressed.
This could be done with younger kids, but a parent would probably have to help – alternatively, a good babysitter could oversees a kid-cooked meal for Mom and Dad! Fun!
Ali @ His Birdie's Nest on September 1, 2011 at 4:37 pm
The best family dinners I remember as a kid were the dinners where we got to make our own food. Like tacos, taco salad and pizza. I think that’s what got me so excited for cooking at a young age, figuring out the combinations of toppings etc that tasted the best :)
Sarah Jane on September 1, 2011 at 5:00 pm
My mom covered the table with butcher paper when we were little kids and one of the kids would write a name from history or the news under her plate. Then we’d play 20 questions to guess it. It really made us kiddos pay attention and try to out do each other with names. But the laughter and silly guesses were worth more than winning!
Marsha on September 1, 2011 at 5:19 pm
One of our most memorable dinners was eaten out in the middle of a hay field. My husband was working very hard trying to get the hay in, not stopping for his meal. I made a chicken, pototoes and gravy, veggies, and dessert meal, got my little girls and headed out in the middle of the field with card table, chairs, china, and meal and set it up right in the middle of the field. When my husband made the next round, he spotted us and came to join us for a great, fancy meal in the middle of the field.
Jonee Taylor on September 1, 2011 at 6:17 pm
I think the best way to make a family meal memorable is creating it together. I love cooking together with my family. Sharing the story of our days while we creat a meal makes it taste better and more fun.
Ann on September 1, 2011 at 6:45 pm
I think family dinners are hands down the best place to form family memories in addition to developing the characters of the youngsters the Lord has blessed us with! There is nothing I can think of more pleasurable than breaking bread with those we love more than anything in life and engaging in meaningful conversation with them. Family dinners are the perfect place to do this, as everyone is together and is a captive audience. My best mealtime tip? Ask each family member to share his or her thoughts on how he or she made the world a better place today. Were they extra kind to someone who needed an extra dose of compassion? Did they clean up the world, if something so simple as picking up a dropped candy wrapper on the school lawn? Did they hold the door open for someone who needed it while everyone else walked by without a thought? Did they offer someone a word of encouragement with a phrase as simple as the words “you’re nice”? It is the small, seemingly insignificant things that are really BIG things. People rarely remember lavish Christmas’. They rarely remember the details of the expensive trips to Disney World and big vacations. It is the everyday random acts of kindness to others and from others that we always remember – all of our lives. We always remember that person who was so nice to us, and others will remember our acts of kindness as well. Everyone wants to make a difference, especially children. They LOVE the feeling of making the world a better place, so encourage them to do so and ask them to elaborate on it over a wonderful home cooked meal!
Amy P. on September 1, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Memorable and simple?? Well, my boys ages 6 & 3 LOVE to eat outside either on the deck or under one side of their swing set (it has a built in picnic table under it) or on a blanket in the yard. We grill out alot in the summer months and do this as much as possible Oh! and we let the kids pick what they want for dinner sometimes. It is fun to eat outside with our boys, they love being outside and we always have good converstion. And eating outside, the clean up is easy (no sweeping the floor!) and if eating outside we sometimes use paper plates/products which also help with the clean up but we know that it is not good for the environment so we don’t do it often. Oh and sometimes when we eat outside the boys love to play music that are on their music boxes while we are grilling/cooking! Their favorite artist? Kenny Chesney!! Dancing before dinner works up an appetite!
anna on September 1, 2011 at 8:54 pm
piiiizzaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Tracy on September 1, 2011 at 10:46 pm
When my daughters were little I made sure there was one dinner time food that required the use of the crock pot, bread maker, mixer, or the creation of a from scratch marinade or salad dressing. I would put out the ingredients and measuring utensils then talk them through putting the ingredients together, allowing them to taste as they went along. They found the bread the most fun because they got to watch it “knead” and then almost immediately the smell would permeate the house. What they learned was teamwork, math basics, a little science, and that sometimes things they didn’t like on their own tasted really good when combined with other ingredients. The older they got the less I needed to supervise until finally they were able to cook/bake on their own and while they both have foods they dislike, I don’t think anyone would consider either of them a “picky” eater.
Schmidty on September 1, 2011 at 11:49 pm
In my family, growing up, there were 8 of us at the dinner table every night. Mama, Daddy, and the six of us siblings.
You’d think that living every day with 5 siblings and our parents we’d come to know pretty much everything about each other. Not the case.
What made dinner conversation interesting: Everyone got a chance to ask one question at the dinner table per night. We went in order of age. The question could be on any topic but it had to pertain to ‘likes or dislikes’ …..and why!
Favorite or least favorite book, and why?
Which one of the family pets was your favorite or least favorite, and why?
What was your best or worst subject in school (including mama and daddy when they were younger) …and why?
Favorite or least liked food, and why?
Best friend or worst enemy, and why?
The possibilities were endless and it made for some lively discussions. What was so interesting about this exercise is that even though a family of eight can live with each other day in and out for their entire childhood and young adulthood there are so many unknowns, or assumptions ….and this method was a fun way to get to know the intricacies of each family member in depth.
Fun stuff!
Katrina on September 2, 2011 at 4:33 am
This recipe sounds so yummy! I think the best idea for a memorable meal is to have some fun! Tacos and burritos are amazing for kids and the family because you get to make it how you want! Same with homemade pizza. You choose your own toppings and throw it together for some hot, gooey, amazingness.