Two of our daughters were sick this weekend with the flu. To pass the time, we curled up in dad and mom’s bed and enjoyed a lot of TV.
We watched, with amazement, a biography show on the comparisons of modern day sitcom families verses the sitcoms of the 50’s and 60’s.
The sitcoms compared were Leave it to Beaver and The Brady Bunch, verses Roseanne and Growing Up Gotti. (of which we had never heard of, yikes)
One comparison was the family dinner table. In the 50’s and 60’s, dinner was each night at the same time. With the father at the head, and mother at his side, the family reconnected while feasting on a delicious dinner.
In comparison, the sitcoms of today show kids scrounging through the fridge, with parents nowhere to be found, fending for themselves. What a sad state the home is in when we dismiss the importance of the dinner table.
As a mother, I have found the dinner table to be the most important family time of our day! I try each day to make that time as special as I can. Special in food and fun!
The memories I cherish most often happened around the dinner table. I clearly remember the night we had oyster crackers with our chili and we started a contest on who can throw the oyster cracker highest in the air and catch them with our mouths. Although an entire box of crackers ended up on the floor, it was one of the best meals we have ever had! Other memories include wonderful conversations with hilarious tid bits interjected by the youngest member of the family.
As hectic as life is, I would encourage moms of today to take the extra time and make coming to the dinner table as special as possible! It doesn’t have to be a 7 course meal, but it can be special for your family. I try to make each child’s (and of course daddy’s) favorite meal, side, bread or dessert at least once a week! The extra effort makes a difference and lasting memories!
If you’re crunched for time, here’s a recipe that is delicious and quick!
Minestrone: (it does make a lot of soup, so half it if your
family is small or you have lots of little ones)
2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
6 cups water
1 jar (30 ounces) chunky spaghetti sauce
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed beef broth, undiluted
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cooked pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook sausage, onion and garlic until sausage is browned and onion is tender; drain. Stir in all remaining ingredients except the pasta and cheese. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add pasta and heat through. Garnish with cheese if desired. Yield: 20-22 servings (5-1/2 quarts).
Great post Becky! Thank you for your contribution. I know it will only get harder as the kids get older and involved in so many different things. We definitely have to make it a priority!
Here’s a tip that makes things more organized here as well: I plan a menu so that there is no running around at the last minute trying to figure out what is going to be for dinner. Helps in making the grocery list out too.
I look forward to hearing more from you!
Hey Crystal,
Thanks for the tip. I look forward to venturing out more into the bloggosphere! (is that even a word?)
Funny Thing! The last two posts have been about organization and family dinners and that’s just what I’m trying to organize in my life right now.
I have 5 years of cooking magazines to cut out and organize, recipes on 3×5 cards, 4×6 cards, online cook books, and about a dozen other recipe books. My problem is I can’t remember where I got that great recipe that I want to make for dinner this week and I lose so much time trying to find them again. I’m working on creating a system, but it will take a LOT of time before I’m completely organized! I’m open to suggestions. What works for you all??
I have a master recipe notebook. Anything that was an experiment and a hit with the family, I write into the notebook and re-write it on the menu a couple of months away. That way I make sure to do it again.
Maybe you can just start on one recipe at a time and work your way through them and pitch those that you don’t normally have the ingredients for or were a bomb when you made them! That way you can slowly tackle that mountain of gourmet recipes and give some variety to your menu. Or…maybe your hubby could go through them and rip out the ones that he thinks would be good for the family.
Anyone else have any tips?
I use allrecipies.com. It’s free, it’s easy, and if I spill spaghetti sauce on my recipe, I can just print out another one! I can even have my own “recipe box” online.
We have an old photo album that has the protective sticky sheets, I simply cut out our all time favorites and secret recipes and categorized them by main dishes, side dishes, soups, and desserts. It is a 3 ring binder, so I can just put a new page in or move a page around very easy.
I also am an avid Taste of Home collector. But, it’s hard to remember what year a recipe was published, so I look it up online and go from there.
I saw this post about family dinners and TV family focused shows. I’m working on a transgenerational TV show called American Dinner. It will invite real families to show us their family dinners and the issues that are important to them.We are loking for diverse voices and lots of great food ! Please contact me– Crystalhaidl at gmail dot com
310 926 5323 http://www.americandinner.ning.com