Family Dinner

One thing we try and do each week, is have "family dinner" at the table.  We eat together most nights, and try to get that time to connect, and sit as a family.  I try and make "family dinner" on Sundays, where we sit at the dining table and make it more of a celebration together (it does not always work, like last night in my casual summer mood, I set up shop at the kitchen island.

You do not have to love to cook to have a family dinner.  I love to cook but I do not love to cook every day.  It is a chore sometimes and I have to psych myself up to pull a nice meal together, or not!  Part of me loves to cook for my family, I love making sure they have a nice salad or nice veggies on the side (yes, my kids complain) and I STILL put it on their plates.   There is something about meal time together and breaking bread.  Not always a great scene (we are real, my daughter hates when my son chews loud and I cannot stand when they get up before they are done).   What I do love is the time together, the conversation and the communal way of meal time.  

This afternoon, I have decided rather than head to the beach or the pool, I will stay home and cook.  I have a roasted chicken and also ground turkey which needs to be used.  I am going to make two meals, and get caught up on e-mail this afternoon.  The kids will have quiet time reading and then swimming at the neighbors pool.  We have plans as a family after dinner to head to the beach for a quick swim.

Have a HIPP day and plan a HIPP meal for your family!  If you are not big on cooking, don't use that as an excuse, come up with a reason why your family deserves a great meal and the market provides you short cuts to make it work!  Bon Apetite!