I am a mother of three active children. So I am constantly looking for recipes that are easy, quick, kid-friendly, inexpensive, and healthy.
But it’s hard to find meals that fit all those criteria! So I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my own recipe blog. Not all of the recipes fit all of the criteria all of the time, but ALL of them are easy, and all of them are delicious!
You should know that I believe ardently in eating around the table as much as possible.
It isn’t to say I don’t occasionally throw the family in the van and head off to Taco Bell. I’m just like you. I get in a hurry, I get lazy, I get tired, I get bored with what I’m cooking.
BUT for teens and preteens across America, frequent family meals are associated with significantly fewer high-risk behaviors (like smoking, drinking, drug use, promiscuity, poor grades, weight problems, eating disorders, and suicide and depression).
See more at: Dinnertrade.com
Of course there may be other influencing factors in these statistics. Families who can pull off regular meal time around the table likely have more money, more energy, more time, more education, more positive relationships, and less stress in general than families who can’t pull it off. Maybe meal time is nothing more than a unique form of quality time with quality people who love you.
See more at: NYTimes.com
Whatever the reason, we need to do it more! I don’t want to be a buzz-kill if you love your Big Macs and TV dinners. You don’t have to have a formal, napkins-in-the-lap, Beaver Cleaver dinner every single night.
Just shoot for a couple times a week if you must. Even if all you can do is throw a frozen pizza on the table (cook it first though!) and add a tossed salad from a bag. Just get the family together without TV and electronics, and in an environment that is positive (no criticizing, please!).
If you have any ideas for making family cooking easier and budget-friendly, please share! And be sure to repost your favorite recipes from this blog to your social network so other moms and dads can bring their families around the table too!