I'm trying to put more emphasis on our dinners as a time for the whole family to gather around the table, practice some more refined manners, talk to one another, and avoid other distractions for awhile. In this effort, I'm inspired by recently having The Family Dinner by Laurie David. The Family Dinner is partly a cookbook, but also a loving account of how one family made dinner the foundation of their family life. I didn't have time to try any of the recipes before it had to go back to the library, but I was inspired by the message none-the-less.
So I'm trying some new recipes - looking for things that feel fun, that invite participation at the table, that will surprise the kids a bit, and that are also healthy and economical.
I borrowed The Earthbound Cook from the library, and had one good recipe out of it and one disappointing recipe out of it. But the whole family liked the red curry chickpeas recipe, and it was pretty easy to put together quickly, so that was a winner.
Stuffed peppers from this recipe were fun, and the kids were mostly OK with them with BBQ sauce.
And we all really enjoyed Chicken Chutney Wrap Ups from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Dinner.
What are your favorite fun meals for family dinner?
Because of our schedule, we are more likely to have a family lunch and then a quick dinner. Sometimes my kids really surprise me--if I try a complicated, time-consuming recipe, chances are they won't like it. But something I "invent" out of what we have in the pantry is usually a big hit.
ReplyDeleteI always like your cookbook suggestions!