Dinner with the Kids

How to get your kids talking!

2013-09-21T18:42:00.001-04:00

Great article in Miami Herald and momsmiami.com!

How to get your kids talking - Lifestyle - MiamiHerald.com

6 Ways to Spark a Great Dinnertime Conversation

2012-11-11T08:50:00.000-05:00

Besides Today I... here are some ideas...

6 Ways to Spark a Great Dinnertime Conversation

1 of 7

Gardening With Kids - How to Plant a Vegetable Garden

2012-10-20T12:37:00.000-04:00

Planting a Veggie garden is a great way to spend time with your kids and even get them to try some new vegetables! This article shares how everyone can help.

Gardening With Kids - How to Plant a Vegetable Garden - Parenting.com

Today I ... planted tomatoes, sunflowers and herbs. Trying something new too - My son, tried Passion Fruit and loved it - so he dried the seeds, threw them in a pot and they grew.

It has been fun researching how they grow with him.

We found out that the plant is a vine and will attract butterflies.

Our plan is to move them to part of the garden where they can grow on a trellis.

Maybe by next spring we will have fruit!

The Great Dinner Swap

2012-10-04T17:02:00.000-04:00

Baked Ziti with Spinach

I have always wanted to try this:

It seems like such a good way to have dinner ready quickly, especially during those busy weeknights.

The basic idea is that 4 families, each cook a big batch of a different recipe and then divide it to share.

Cook one meal & have 4 different meals ready to go-

Sounds good to me!

This article has recipes for to make a big batch:
Baked Ziti with Spinach (pictured) looks good.
So do the Chicken Enchiladas and more.

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/great-dinner-swap-00000000039507/index.html

Have fun, Get the kids involved. Talk while you cook!

Come home and have dinner ready!

You ate them all?

2012-09-17T21:10:00.000-04:00

Today I wanted....to have curry chicken risotto. A favorite in our house- I make it with curry chicken thighs from the night before. Last night, I planned ahead and made an extra 6 pieces of chicken to put into the risotto tonight. Perfect, I would come home and have dinner on the table quickly.

However,... I forgot that my teenage son would be home from school - Teacher Workday!

He called around 4pm, right around when I was thinking about dinner and told me that he had eaten all the chicken for lunch and it was really good. In fact, he was shocked by how many chicken thighs you can eat when you do not use a fork and knife - when you just eat them like cookies!

So much for my quick dinner.

Plan B - Looks like its Meatless Monday at our house.

Took out my favorite pesto sauce from Costco and tossed it with some penne.(so much for the risotto)

Cut up some tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil from the garden and put in on a bed of lettuce and sliced some nice bread. All from Plan A..

Dinner was delicious, quick and we all had a good laugh about the chicken while having dinner together.

The Publix Apron Lady

2012-06-13T15:52:00.000-04:00

This tip comes from my good friend Nia. She has deemed Monday's "Apron Lady Night!" Simply put, she goes to Publix every Monday, whatever the Apron Lady is making is what she makes for dinner. I love it, the Publix Apron's program is all about Bringing your family back to the table. Publix shares simple meal ideas every week and stocks all the ingredients ready to go in a case in the front of the store. Here is a link to their site. You can even keep an online Apron's recipe book. http://www.publix.com/aprons/Home.do
Here's to knowing whats for dinner next Monday! Thank you Publix, Nia and Apron Lady...

Involve the Kids

2012-04-30T19:27:00.002-04:00

This is a great article that shares 4 steps on involving your kids at mealtime - from deciding what to eat, to shopping and preparing the meal...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-novick-okeefe/family-dinner-meals-ideas-tips_b_1453826.html?ref=tw

Picky Eaters Anyone??

2011-11-16T17:42:00.001-05:00

I was talking to a friend the other day and she was sharing her frustration on having everyone eat the same thing for dinner. Her and her husband are on Weight Watchers and trying to eat healthy, but sometimes the kids do not want to eat what they are having, yet she does not want to play short order cook after working all day!

I have a picky eater too and the last thing I wanted to deal with at the end of a long day was her telling me she was not going to eat because she did not like what we are having. Growing up, I would not have had a choice but to eat what was there, sit at the table hungry, etc... But, I do not have the energy to deal with a hungry child at the end of the day who still has homework to do, etc.

So, there are 3 choices I always have available in my refrigerator that are relatively healthy and easy for my daughter to make herself and just in time for everyone to sit down together. Because again, my goal was to have a family dinner - who cares what everyone ate, as long as I did not play short order cook and we were all together.

Choice number 1: The Italian:
Cook a box of pasta - shapes hold up the best - penne, bowties, macaroni, etc.   Drain, add a touch of olive oil so it does not stick, pour into a ziploc bag and put in the fridge. When your little one does not want whats for dinner. Pour into a bowl, add his/her favorite sauce or butter and parmesean with cracked pepper ( the favorite of my picky eater!) and dinner is ready.   The good news here, if the pasta does not get eaten by the end of the week, you have the beginning of a pasta salad, pasta side dish - just toss with some pesto, or a pasta dinner - make a pan sauce and dadah!!

Choice number 2: The Cuban:
One of my time saving tricks - along with the pasta, is to cook a few cups of rice early in the week, enough for at least 2 meals. Leftover rice works well for picky eaters too! I never had this growing up in my Italian family, but my Cuban husband did. Heat up the rice in the microwave - I always put a damp towel over and it comes out perfect. (my mom's trick ) Then top with a fried egg or two. Followed by a ketchup happy face! It might not sound good, but I promise - it is delicious. Your picky eater will have protein, carbs and according to my daughter a vegetable - if you put a big enough happy face!

Choice number 3: The American:
Who says sandwiches are just for lunch? Keep some lunchmeat in your fridge and a quick sandwich with a piece of fruit or a few pickle strips is satisfying enough for anyone!

Eventually, my picky eater made a deal with my dad, when he spent a summer with us, that she had to try at least one thing on the table if she was not going to eat the entire meal and every now and then she was surprised at the foods she liked!

Not sure why, but I just realized that my Dad's name was Sam and this made me think of
Dr. Seuss' s Green Eggs and Ham - One day our picky eaters will say: "I do like this Sam I am!"- and I will eat it - in a ....and on a ...

Pizza Night!

2011-02-08T13:02:00.000-05:00

With my husband and I both working and the kids having a busy after school schedule, we declared every Wednesday to be Pizza Night (or any other fast food -my kids always like rotisserie chicken from Publix too!). It means a break for mom and dad - pick up or order out. No thinking about, "What's for dinner" all day.

If possible, still try to eat together - use paper plates, shoot for minimal dirty dishes and more time to be together and share about the day.

I once had a manager who declared everyday a different night - she had Pollo Tropical night, Burger King night, Subway night, etc.. I admit, I thought she was crazy, but in reality, she had figured out how to eat with her kids every night that she did not have to work late without spending hours in the kitchen. She made healthy dinner choices from the menu and everyone grew up fine!

Pick whatever day works for you and Go For It!

Set the table...

2011-02-02T19:18:00.000-05:00

Something as simple as setting the table lets everyone know that we are all eating dinner together tonight. My friend Kristi shared today that she gives everyone a 10 minute warning that dinner is ready..time to finish up what you are doing, turn off your electronics and join the family for dinner. After a few times, this will become a part of your family's routine.

Who would have thought?!!

2010-02-27T19:55:00.000-05:00

I started this page with the idea that we could all share our tips on how to get the family together for dinner. The research all shows that eating meals together 3 or more times per week helps to create kids who make smarter choices when it comes to drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Well then, proof that our efforts are worth it!

This week, I searched for something new for dinner on the Weight Watchers site. (Raul has lost 30 pounds on weight watchers in the past 2 years and really has our entire household eating healthier because of it.)

Not only did I find lots of recipes for dinner, but a great article entitled:
A good habit:The Family Dinner
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=577&sc=3022#Story

Check it out. Enjoy

Today I... The Art of Simple Conversation for Families

2010-02-27T18:00:00.000-05:00

Check out the new website for Today I. www.todayistore.com

A big thank you to my friends, Suzi Cruz of Cruz Creative Studio www.cruzcreativestudio.com and Alex Fuentes for making it happen!

I am also creating this blog to go along with the idea of Today I - helping families reconnect at the end of the day.

Please pass it along to anyone you think would like to contribute their ideas on bringing the family together, share a recipe, or would just be interested in the topic.

Thank you to everyone for their support!
And use code FAN for a special $10 rate when ordering Today I online.