Introducing ~ A Return to Sunday Dinners!

Often when I talk with people about how many times a week is ideal to eat at the table with your children to give them the greatest social and health benefits, they are aghast when I say at least five times per week! Suddenly their mouth falls open, they sputter, and finally say, Who has the time? The kids have practice, we work late, the kids have homework, and I am so tired! But, I point out that the endless studies show that any less than the optimal five times a week and the negative impacts increase with each day this cornerstone ritual does not happen. Most experts agree that any less then three times a week around the table and problems overwhelm the child and often the family.

My response is always the same, Start! The trick is to be consistent with the effort and flexible with the actual delivery. Throw away all the preconceived ideas you have of being June Cleaver and find a formula that works for you and your family. Today, families come in all shapes and sizes with more diverse demands on the family time and structure than ever before. The experts advise to simply make the hard choices. I believe there is no way to avoid making these hard choices, but I also believe we need new tools, inspiration, and expectations to make it all come together for the greatest benefits to our family.

In effort to help you start building your tool box for ways of getting back around the table, I will be featuring a regular blog piece every Sunday with ideas of how to simply start gathering your family and friends around the table by beginning with the Sunday meal. This can be breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, or potluck; whatever makes sense to your family and makes you happy! Each week I will provide visual inspiration on where and how this meal can be, provide some fun recipes or food solutions to share at home and see what I can find to get your whole family involved.

Lets take one day at a time and create a passion for place that is not dreaded, but instead a day on the calendar your whole family can look forward to!

A Return to Sunday Dinners #1

It is July and in most places in the states the weather is beautiful, so lets take our first dinner together outside! This is a challenging time with teenagers because their schedules are scattered and they want to be on the move. Younger kids are

looking for things to do, and for parents there is often still a work schedule to juggle, it can all seem a bit over the top! So lets choose for one day to slow it all down and make it casual. Involve the kids in this gathering and set up an out door dinner table. Have an evening of movies shown on the side of the house or a hung sheet. I suggest you even dig out some of the family movies for this movie night! Keep it intimate or let the kids invite friends. Then watch the fun unfold! If you don't have a projector ask your friends or local library.

After you spend some time around the outdoor table getting filled up with tasty food and the happenings of the day, have everyone grab a movie treat and pick their favorite seat. Some ideas of what you can serve,

Food and Snacks

• Popcorn, and lots of it. Serve the popcorn in movie theater style boxes that can easily be found at party stores.
• Movie theater size boxes of candy.
• Hot dogs served in red plastic baskets.
• Plates of nachos.
• Ice cream bars.
• Lemonade

Try making a batch of Paula Deen's Macho Nachos to spice up the evening!

Ingredients

• 1 can refried beans
• 1 large bag white corn tortilla chips
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack
• 1 jalapeno, sliced crosswise, plus extra for garnish
• 1 can chili, or your favorite chili recipe
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced

Directions

Have all the prepped ingredients easily accessible to assemble nachos.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan over low heat, cook refried beans until they are loose enough to spoon onto nachos. On a large ovenproof platter, spread out a layer of tortilla chips and quickly put a teaspoon of hot refried beans on each chip. Working quickly, sprinkle with some onions, jack cheese, and jalapeno slices. Spoon on chili and top that with Cheddar. Repeat this layering process until ingredients are used up. Save some of the jalapeno slices for garnish. Place platter in the oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a trivet or heatproof surface. Top nachos with sour cream, green onions, diced tomato and jalapeno slices and serve hot.

Photo credits: Traditional Home, Carolyn Barber, Back Yard Movies

~ Come Gather Around the Table!