Simple Cooking, Family Style
Less and less American families today sit down at the table together for their evening meals.
We are so busy running here and there and grabbing fast food or eating on the couches in front of the television.
When we do that, we don't focus on each other and how our day has been.
We sit like zombies in front of the television.
There is rarely the simple cooking and home meals and family gathering.
Some say that it takes a toll on our children and their values and keeps us from staying close as a family.
As a single mother for years, my 2 children are now in college but still staying at home, I know how easy it was to grab something fast or plop down on the couch and watch our favorite shows while we ate dinner.
I tried to keep that to a minimum, though, and found that by simple cooking and home dinners at the table at least three days a week or more, the family knows more about each other and we can keep connected and have a good open dialogue that keeps us a tight knit family.
It's not as hard as it seems and here's a few tips to help bring the family closer together: 1.
Keep healthy staple items easily accessible (ie: whole grain pasta, rice, canned or frozen vegetables, fruits, quick and easy proteins/meats, etc.
) 2.
Have a simple cooking cookbook on standby for you to have a quick dinner idea or plan ahead when you shop for the week during the weekend so it's easier to make ahead of time or in a pinch.
3.
Keep your kitchen table free of clutter so that it's inviting and warm for those family dinners (I know it's easy to use the table as a catch all for computers, paperwork and other items that we like to drop off for quick grab out the door).
4.
Start slow, Rome wasn't built in a day! Start by planning one or two nights a week.
If your weekdays are too hectic, plan your sit down dinners for the weekend instead of going out to eat.
You'll find your home table is more quiet with less restaurant noise and easier to hold conversations and be able to hear each other.
5.
When you finally make it to the table for dinner and you find that it is hard to start a discussion, make it a game.
You can go around the table while each person takes a turn talking about what was great that day or what they liked best about the day.
You can discuss anything, but I would suggest to keep it problem free and simple, so that the dinner is pleasant.
Keep the disciplinary discussions for a later time.
We want the family to look forward to the home family dinner time and not dread what topic might come up.
Start following these simple tips and add your own ideas along the way.
It can be done any way that is most comfortable and normal for your family.
The goal is to have the family coming together at least once during the day to talk to each other, laugh together, reduce the daily rushes and stresses and start building a stronger unit.
A tight knit family built on dinner gatherings at home cooked meals with simple cooking, can make a huge difference in the long run.
We are so busy running here and there and grabbing fast food or eating on the couches in front of the television.
When we do that, we don't focus on each other and how our day has been.
We sit like zombies in front of the television.
There is rarely the simple cooking and home meals and family gathering.
Some say that it takes a toll on our children and their values and keeps us from staying close as a family.
As a single mother for years, my 2 children are now in college but still staying at home, I know how easy it was to grab something fast or plop down on the couch and watch our favorite shows while we ate dinner.
I tried to keep that to a minimum, though, and found that by simple cooking and home dinners at the table at least three days a week or more, the family knows more about each other and we can keep connected and have a good open dialogue that keeps us a tight knit family.
It's not as hard as it seems and here's a few tips to help bring the family closer together: 1.
Keep healthy staple items easily accessible (ie: whole grain pasta, rice, canned or frozen vegetables, fruits, quick and easy proteins/meats, etc.
) 2.
Have a simple cooking cookbook on standby for you to have a quick dinner idea or plan ahead when you shop for the week during the weekend so it's easier to make ahead of time or in a pinch.
3.
Keep your kitchen table free of clutter so that it's inviting and warm for those family dinners (I know it's easy to use the table as a catch all for computers, paperwork and other items that we like to drop off for quick grab out the door).
4.
Start slow, Rome wasn't built in a day! Start by planning one or two nights a week.
If your weekdays are too hectic, plan your sit down dinners for the weekend instead of going out to eat.
You'll find your home table is more quiet with less restaurant noise and easier to hold conversations and be able to hear each other.
5.
When you finally make it to the table for dinner and you find that it is hard to start a discussion, make it a game.
You can go around the table while each person takes a turn talking about what was great that day or what they liked best about the day.
You can discuss anything, but I would suggest to keep it problem free and simple, so that the dinner is pleasant.
Keep the disciplinary discussions for a later time.
We want the family to look forward to the home family dinner time and not dread what topic might come up.
Start following these simple tips and add your own ideas along the way.
It can be done any way that is most comfortable and normal for your family.
The goal is to have the family coming together at least once during the day to talk to each other, laugh together, reduce the daily rushes and stresses and start building a stronger unit.
A tight knit family built on dinner gatherings at home cooked meals with simple cooking, can make a huge difference in the long run.
Source...