Another fun way to get your family involved in meal time is to have a theme night once a month.  As a family, study another country or even another region of the US.  Find out about the area and the types of food enjoyed there.    You can make theme night as simple or complex as your family desires.  Some families pick a few recipes to make and discuss what they learned about the country.  Others play music from that area, dress in traditional clothing, and even make appropriate decorations.    This offers a wonderful opportunity for families to work together on mealtime, as well as learning about another culture. 

         Making tasty traditional family recipes doesn't have to be complicated.  This meal will take you about 40 minutes to complete.  The kids can join in to help as well.  My older kids like to peel the potatoes and the younger ones get to help mash the potatoes. 

          Salisbury Steak

Ingredients:
10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 pound lean ground beef
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. olive oil (vegetable oil can also be used)
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh)

In large bowl, mix 1/4 of the soup, ground beef, bread crumbs, onion and eggs.  Shape firmly into 6 patties.  In a 10" skillet over medium-high heat, cook patties in hot oil until browned on both sides.  Remove patties from skillet and drain fat.  In same skillet combine soup and mushrooms.  Heat to boiling.  Return patties to skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until patties are no longer pink.  Stir sauce occasionally.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
6 medium-sized potatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 cup heavy cream (can substitute 1/2 - 1 cup of milk)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cube potatoes.  Put in large pan with enough water to cover potatoes.  Boil then reduce heat, cover and let boil for about 20 - 30 minutes (check often for doneness).  Drain water then put potatoes in a large bowl.   In a small pan, melt butter then saute garlic in it.   Add garlic mixture and other remaining ingredients to the potatoes and mash until desired consistency.

Posted by Family Meal Plan at 7/24/2008 7:37 PM | Add Comment

Tips for Happy Meal Times

There is no "right" way to enjoy a meal as a family.  Time spent together can be as structured or laid back as your family requires.  Here are some ideas to get your family involved in the family table/ family meal time:

* Turn off the TV and turn on some music.  Dinner is a great time to give a new music style a try.  Let each family member choose the type of music for a different night.  Several years ago I read a study that showed children were calmer and used better manners when classical music was played at mealtime.  That might be worth trying if you have children who are overwhelmed at sitting at the table for meals.

* Make dinner, or even breakfast, extra special by eating by candlelight.  Some families I know pick one night each week to have a fancy dinner.  Though the food served may be something common, they dress in their nicest (yes, even Dad might need to wear a tie!), light candles, play classical music, and use the china and good silverware.

* Let your child (or children) plan the menu for at least one night each month.  Make it extra educational by having them research new recipes, find out the nutritional content and figure the cost of the meal.  If you have more than one child, let them take turns supervising the process and making final choices.  I give gentle guidelines regarding the types of things the meal needs to have (but the final meal decisions are theirs).  Or give them a main ingredient that needs to be used.  You will probably be surprised at the recipes they come up with to use that ingredient. 

Posted by Family Meal Plan at 7/21/2008 9:51 PM | Add Comment

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