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This week Kimberly and I were together in Ohio working on Table365, and we were joking about all the things that we could use to help feed our families.  So, here are our top five things that would assist us in feeding our families:

1. Time is always the greatest challenge — especially during the school year when schedules are set and there are a number of evening activities.
2. Having the right amount of food on-hand.  Even though I use the Table365 system, I’m still not accustomed to how much food my boys can eat (and it varies).  So I am still under-buying/cooking.  I count on having left-overs, and they eat it all!
3. Having the food prepped ahead of time.
4. The right tools.  I have a well-equipped kitchen with the basic supplies, but I can do a better job of keeping my knives sharpened and replacing worn out tools.
5. Having a kitchen would be the most helpful thing right now (we’re in the middle of remodeling our kitchen) in feeding my family!

My list is very similar to Sharon’s list, and it probably is similar to what a lot of people have on theirs.  I think we all wish for more time, more help, easier meals, etc…  Even though it is difficult, I always try to celebrate the successes when it comes to feeding my family, even if there aren’t as many as I hoped!

1. Time, time, time.
2. Having help with grocery shopping is always so fantastic.  My husband has gotten used to my grocery lists, and it is always a big help when he does takes care of it.
3. Having meals in the freezer more consistently.  I go through waves of being really good at stocking my freezer, but I can always do better.
4. Help with prepping ingredients goes a long way to making cooking easier.
5. I don’t always want to deal with dishes after doing the cooking, so if I know I don’t need to do them after dinner it helps keep me motivated.

Think of a pile of fluffy pancakes dripping in butter and maple syrup; a bowl of bright berries with chopped, fresh mint; a plate of pasta with grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves.  All of these images are the first step in creating a desire for and enjoyment of the food.

We eat first with our eyes.  It’s how you choose what you will eat from a buffet, or why just seeing an image in a magazine or cookbook can start a craving for a certain food.

If you ever hear complaints of “I don’t like that food,” or “I don’t want to eat that,” you can increase the odds of your children trying a dish by making it more fun and visually appealing.  Studies show that children are most attracted to plates that have a greater variety of color than what appeals to adults.  Presentation matters to children as well as adults — especially shapes and garnishes.

Be creative, colorful, and have fun!

3 Ways to Make it Look Delicious!

1.     Use color:

• Use multi-colored fruits and vegetables.  For example, serve slices of bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, and green) with orange carrots and a dipping sauce.
• Purple and green cabbage for salads and sides.
• Sliced red and green apples for snacks and dessert.
• Green and purple grapes.
• Multi-colored beans, lentils, rice, or grains for soups, sides, and mains.

2.     Vary Textures:

• Top creamy mashed potatoes with crunchy fried shallots.
• Serve crisp roasted broccoli with smooth, saucy spaghetti.
• Pair chewy chili with crunchy green salad.
• Cut a grilled cheese sandwich into cubes and serve on top of tomato soup.

3.     Use patterns and shapes for children:

• Use cookie cutters or a paring knife to cut vegetables, tofu, or cheese into small shapes for garnishes on the plate.
• Arrange food into a shape, face, or animal.
• Put dressing or sauce into a squeeze bottle, and use it to write or draw on the plate.
• Create a colorful pattern of fruit, or of cubed food on a skewer (with the sharp end cut off) or popsicle stick.

For more ideas on creating fun and inviting foods see the USDA’s MyPlate.

It doesn’t get much easier than a grilled cheese sandwich.  Sometimes, it doesn’t get much tastier, either: just think of cheddar cheese oozing out of toasted sourdough bread — yum!  Although we usually associate grilled cheese sandwiches with lunch, they can be a fun option for your dinner meal planning since they don’t require a lot of time, equipment, or effort.  We’ve mentioned having breakfast for dinner sometimes; this can be a lunch for dinner option.  Here are tips on how to make a great grilled cheese sandwich, as well as fun ideas to add variety, and maybe a bit more nutrition.  This is a perfect dish to get your kids involved in the kitchen; they can select and assemble ingredients.

The Basic Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese sandwiches can be made almost anywhere — a frying pan on a stove, in a toaster oven, on an electric griddle, on in our personal favorite, a sandwich press.  This recipe is for two sandwiches.

• 4 slices of bread
• 1 Tablespoon of butter
• 3 ounces of cheese (or about 1 cup of grated)

1.  Spread butter evenly on each slice of bread.  With the buttered side down, divide the cheese among two of the slices, then cover with the remaining slices, buttered sides out.

2.  Heat a large skillet (use a small amount of cooking spray if you are not using a nonstick skillet) over medium heat.  Place sandwich in skillet and cook 5 to 10 minutes per side.

Cooking Tip:  If you ever have problems with cheese that hasn’t melted in the middle of the sandwich, use this trick we learned from Katie Workman’s The Mom 100 Cookbook: After you place the sandwich in the skillet, cover the skillet and cook for 2 minutes.  Flip the sandwich, then cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Flip again to get the sandwich crispy.

Ideas, Tips, and Variations

• Grated cheese melts more evenly than sliced.
• For browner and crispier bread, brush melted butter on the slices before cooking.
• Spread sauces (like mustard or mayonnaise) on the bread before adding cheese.
• Cut the sandwich up into small pieces and use as croutons on soups, like tomato soup.
• Use a popsicle stick to skewer cut up pieces of the sandwich and let your kids eat them off the stick.
• Vary or combine cheeses: Cheddar, Gruyere, Monterey Jack, fontina, blue, goat, muenster, Provolone, Swiss, Brie with rind cut off, feta.
• Add fillings: Caramelized onions, chutneys, relishes, Dijon mustard, olive or sun-dried tomato tapenade, pickled jalapeno, bacon, thin apple slices, tomato slices, ham or prosciutto, thin turkey slices, sautéed mushrooms, mashed black or cannellini beans.
• Sandwich any additional fillings in between the cheese so the sandwich sticks together.
• There are endless possibilities. You can use anything that sounds good to you, but for more ideas, check out this long list from the Food Network.
• For a decadent take on the grilled cheese, try this “Ultimate Grilled Cheese” recipe from Barefoot Contessa’s How Easy is That?

From Kimberly’s kitchen:  For one of those inexplicable reasons, my girls decided they don’t like grilled cheese sandwiches anymore. So, I started making an “open-faced” grilled cheese by broiling the cheese on a slice of bread. Sometimes I add mashed black beans (It might sounds strange, but it is good!) or other spreads on the toast first.  The cheese gets melted and a little browned by doing it this way — and bonus, my girls eat it!

I love a full freezer – it feels like money in the bank – and it has saved me multiple times with a quick meal.  My favorite freezer dish is my spaghetti sauce because it is fast to heat up and can be used as a sauce for pasta or lasagna, pizza sauce, or even on a baked potato.  I also always try to have an ample supply of chicken stock that can be used to create a fast soup, or as an ingredient in a number of recipes.  I like to cook large batches of beans (black, white, pinto) and freeze them in 2-cup  containers to use for burritos, chilies, or any recipe that calls for beans.  In the fall and winter, I like to have other soups and stews in the freezer for an easy and healthy meal addition.  My freezer staples include an assortment of vegetables, fruits, meats, tortillas, and rolls.  I also keep a variety of hummus and stuffed pastas (tortellini, ravioli)  for quick snacks and meals.

The things I usually have in my freezer are chicken stock, soups, and stews.  I always feel like these can be a bigger undertaking to cook — or at least require more time even if they are easy — so I always cook extra.  I love having braises or stews stocked in winter, especially Barefoot Contessa’s Beef Bourguignon.  It has a lot of ingredients and takes some time, but the payoff is so delicious, and I can stretch it into several meals.  Happily, the rest of my family likes it as much as I do!  My favorite soup to freeze is a Kale and White Bean soup from Gourmet.

Be Saucy

Zest up lunch or dinner with tasty dipping sauces for raw and cooked vegetables, proteins, and breads.  Making your own sauces is fast, easy, and allows you to skip the artificial sweeteners or preservatives used in many pre-made sauces.  Expand beyond ketchup, mustard, or ranch with these healthy alternatives. You probably have most or all of the ingredients for these sauces already, so all you need to do is spend about 5 minutes putting them together.  Once you make the sauce, it will keep in the refrigerator for a number of days or longer, depending on the sauce, so you can use it as a condiment for multiple meals:  salad dressing, protein marinade, a dipping sauce for packed lunches, or a topping for pasta, rice, or grain.

Explore and enjoy!

Yogurt-based Dipping Sauces:
Yogurt is a nutrient-rich base for a great variety of dipping sauces.  Plain yogurt can be combined with sour cream, cream cheese, feta, or ricotta for a variation of flavors and textures.

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (Raita)

• 1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup cucumber (about 1 cucumber) peeled, seeded, and minced
• Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stir all ingredients together.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.  Enjoy!

Serve with:  Grilled chicken; raw vegetables (carrots, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, radishes, snap peas); fish; pita bread; falafel balls.

Nut or Seed Butter Sauce:
This great recipe for peanut dipping sauce can be used as a dipping sauce, dressing for a green salad, or sauce for cooked noodles served hot or cold.  Any nut butter, soy butter, or sunflower seed butter can be substituted for the peanut butter in the recipe.

Peanut Dipping Sauce from Cook’s Illustrated.

• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (optional)
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Whisk peanut butter, hoisin sauce, water, tomato paste, and chili sauce, if using, in small bowl.  Heat oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in small saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in peanut butter mixture; bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend, about 3 minutes. (Sauce should have ketchup-like consistency; if too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until proper consistency is reached.) Transfer to bowl; cool to room temperature.

Serve with: Spring rolls; cucumber spears; noodles; cubed firm tofu; broiled or grilled shrimp.

BBQ or Honey Mustard dipping sauces offer sweet and zesty flavors good with grilled meats and raw or roasted vegetables.

Barbecue Sauce from The Mom 100 Cookbook by Katie Workman

• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 4 cups ketchup, preferably Heinz*
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• ¼ cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes (don’t let the onion and garlic get more than light golden in color).  Add the ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and chili powder.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, stir well, and let simmer over medium low heat until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes.  If you like your sauce a bit chunky with the chopped onions, it’s ready to go.  If you like it nice and smooth, let it cool a bit and then puree it in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender.

*Look for Simply Heinz – a catsup that tastes just like Heinz traditional ketchup without the high fructose corn syrup.

Serve with: Cubed chicken or chicken nuggets; baked sweet potato fries; rolled up deli meats; steamed green beans; pretzels (soft or hard).

Pesto dipping sauce traditionally has a basil base but can be made with sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, mint, spinach and pine nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds.

Traditional Pesto (Pesto Genovese) from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

• 2 cups loosely packed cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried
• Salt
• ½ clove garlic, peeled, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts or chopped walnuts*
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more if desired
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, pecorino Romano, or other hard cheese (optional)

Combine the basil with a pinch of salt, the garlic, the nuts, and about half the oil in a food processor or blender.  Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary and adding the rest of the oil gradually.  Add more oil if you prefer a thinner mixture.  Store in the refrigerator for a week or two, or in the freezer for several months.  Stir in the cheese by hand just before serving.

*Look on-line for a nut-free pesto recipe if you have a nut allergy in your family. 

Serve with:  Cooked pasta; mini fresh mozzarella balls (or string cheese); whole wheat bread sticks; roasted small potatoes; raw, steamed, or roasted cauliflower.

Variations:  There are hundreds of variations for these dipping sauces.  For loads of ideas and recipes on creating variations, see one of our favorite cookbooks:  How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. 

Speedy version: All of these sauces can be purchased fresh or preserved.  Look for sauces with the least number of preservatives (the freshest sauces are usually in the refrigerated cases), and sauces without high fructose corn syrup.

Pile It On…A Potato!

A baked potato can be a filling side dish but piled up with tasty toppings it can become the vehicle for a great and easy main dish.  The baked potato can be as versatile a foundation for meals as rice or pasta; most ingredients will pair well with it.  There are the classic pairings like cheese and bacon, but ingredients as varied as braised greens or leftover taco meat tastes great too.

If you have the time, a traditionally cooked baked potato comes out with a fluffy interior texture and a crisp skin.  Depending on the size of the potato, this may not be a good weeknight option for your family.  However, there are some ways to get around the long cooking time and the inferior texture of a fully microwaved baked potato.  Either cook the potatoes ahead of time, microwaving to reheat, or use a great 30-minute method that uses both a microwave and oven.  Although you don’t get the same textures, you still get some of those qualities of a classic baked potato.  And really, who really cares about fantastic texture when just trying to get a meal on the table?

Oven-Baked Potato

Here is the recipe to use if you either have the time before dinner or just want to bake the potatoes ahead.  One tip to remember if you want to make them ahead of time though: still open up the potato by cutting an X in the top and pushing on the sides of the potato to let the steam escape.  This will help preserve the fluffy interior texture and allow you to heat any toppings along with the potato if you want.

• 4 russet or Idaho potatoes, scrubbed and dried

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Poke each potato a few times with a fork or the blade of a knife.

2.  Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack (or on a rimmed baking sheet) and cook for about an hour, or until you can easily slide the blade of a knife or a skewer into the flesh.

30-Minute Baked Potatoes

From Kimberly’s kitchen: I discovered this Cook’s Illustrated recipe years ago, and have put it to good use over those years.  I loved finding a way to cut cooking time in half, but still end up with a great baked potato.

• 4 medium russet potatoes (2 pounds), scrubbed and dried

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with the rack in the center of the oven.  Poke a few holes into the potatoes with a fork, and cook on high in the microwave until slightly soft to the touch, 6 to 12 minutes, turning them over halfway through.

2.  Transfer the potatoes to the oven, and cook them directly on the oven rack for about 20 minutes, or until you can easily slide the blade of a knife or a skewer into the flesh.

10 Topping Ideas for Baked Potatoes

1.  Black beans, cheddar cheese, scallions, and salsa
2.  Chili (meat or vegetarian), cheddar cheese, and chives
3.  Chicken with barbeque sauce
4.  Vegetable curry (super speedy: use a jar of simmer sauce to make the curry)
5.  Ham and Brie
6.  Ham, peas, and a flavored olive oil
7.  Greek yogurt, chopped cucumber, and chopped olives
8.  Bacon, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and a little melted butter
9.   Caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and roasted chicken
10.  Cooked crumbled Italian sausage, sautéed kale, and Parmesan cheese

The kitchen is my favorite room in a house, so I spend a lot of my day in it, preparing meals, cooking, and cleaning up.  My boys have always been interested in being involved in the kitchen – when they were younger it was unloading cupboards and drawers and exploring the dishwasher.  As soon as they were old enough, I would put them on chairs so they could reach the counter to “help” me cook.  I enjoy spending the time with them talking about food, introducing them to ingredients, and teaching them cooking skills.  We use measuring wet and dry ingredients for math lessons and counting practice.  They love cracking eggs (we always use a separate bowl – and it usually involves a big wipe up).  I get the boys involved in as much prep and cooking as is safe for them to participate in (no sharp knives, stove, or oven yet) and it’s impressive how much they do well.  We open spice jars and smell them and taste oils and vinegars.  I think knowing the raw ingredients has increased their appreciation and understanding of their food and meals.

Sometimes I don’t want my kids anywhere near the kitchen while I am cooking!  It definitely slows the process down and interrupts some of my own quiet time.  HOWEVER, there are lots of times when they want to help me out with dinner, and I certainly don’t discourage them since I know how special it can be to have that time with them.  I do love the learning opportunities, whether it is helping their hand-eye coordination during measuring, or explaining the math involved, or just fostering an interest in food and how to prepare it.  I am often surprised by their desire to taste the raw ingredients and spices.  Getting the kids involved in baking is another adventure altogether — as long as I mentally prepare myself for a messy kitchen, I am all in.  I have been know, though, to pre-measure all the ingredients before beginning to bake with my girls.  Of course, this is more a precaution for me since baking is not my strong suit.  Even though they don’t help with the measuring, they have fun with all the mixing and scooping.

Other than helping with cooking, both girls are old enough to help set the table, and it is a task they take turns with.  I used to just put out the napkins and silverware for them to arrange on the table, but now they know where all the supplies are and can do it themselves.  Our older daughter can now reach the counter, so she also clears her plate from the table when she is done.  My hope is that they don’t think of these small tasks as chores, but as positive ways to contribute to the family.

Fast Fish Fillets

All fish cooks fast.  When you are looking for a quick dinner to get on the table, make fish!  You don’t need to do a lot for it to taste great, although it is easy to add more flavor to cooked fish with seasonings, like a spice rub, or with a quick sauce.  Since cooking methods don’t really vary with the kind of fish you select, but rather with the thickness of the fish, we’ve decided to focus on two great ways to cook thin fish fillets: broiled, and pan sautéed.  Look for thin fish fillets that are between ½” – 1 ¼” thick, like tilapia, catfish, perch, orange roughy, black sea bass, and thicker flounder/sole fillets.

How to Select Fish Fillets 

Broiled Fish Fillets
This is a basic recipe from Mark Bittman that is a simple, easy way to cook any type of fish.  Once the broiler is heated, thin fish fillets will cook in about 2 minutes.  You may need to cook in batches depending on the size of the fish and the size of your pan.

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
• About 1 ½ pounds thin fish fillets
• Salt and freshly ground pepper or a pinch of cayenne
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish (optional)
• Lemon wedges for serving

1. Heat the broiler until quite hot.  Move the rack as close to the heat source as possible.  Put a sturdy pan on the rack and heat it for about 5 minutes.
2. When it’s hot, remove the pan and pour in the olive oil, then put the fillets in the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Time under the broiler will be 90 seconds to 2 minutes, rarely more.  Do not turn; the fillets are so thin it’s not necessary.  The fish is ready when it becomes opaque and the tip of a knife flakes the thickest part easily.
3. To serve, carefully remove the fillets with a spatula, sprinkle with parsley if you like, and pour the pan juices over all.  Garnish with lemon wedges.

Pan Sautéed Fillets
This is also a fast and simple method to cook the fish, but one that gives the fish more of a crispy texture.  Although you can use panko or breadcrumbs to coat the fish, a quick dusting in flour keeps the fish moist and helps it brown.  A hot pan is essential to the recipe, so make sure to let the pan preheat properly before adding the fish.

• 2 Tablespoons of butter
• 1 Tablespoon of oil
• 1 ½ pounds fish fillets, portioned into four servings
• ½ cup all-purpose flour, measured onto a plate or other shallow dish for dredging
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Lemon wedges

1. Heat the oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over low heat.  As the pan heats up, pat the fish with paper towels to dry them off.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and wait until the butter begins to brown.  Add the fish, making sure not to crowd the pan.  Cook, without moving the fish, for 2 to 3 minutes.  If you have to work in batches, you can keep the cooked fish on a warm plate in a 200° oven.  Also, if you have any pieces of fish with a tail end, you can tuck it under to create a more even thickness.
3. Carefully turn the fish over with a thin spatula, and cook for another minute, until the fish just begins to flake when checked with the edge of a knife.
4. Serve with lemon wedges, or with a simple pan sauce.

Flavorings and Pan Sauces

• Add a favorite spice rub to the fish before cooking to add extra flavor, especially if you have kids that may not be as used to eating fish.  It is a good way to ease them into it.  Something as simple as a lemon-pepper spice mix can add great flavor.
• A simple pan sauce made in the same pan immediately after cooking the fish is also a good way to vary the flavors.  We love these basic guidelines for a pan sauce from Pan Anderson’s How to Cook Without a Book.
  • Add a ½ cup of liquid and any flavorings (like mustard) to skillet; boil until the liquid is reduced to about ¼ cup.  Tilting the skillet so that the reduced liquid is at one side of the pan, whisk in butter until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
  • Here are some of our pan sauce favorites using her method: White Wine Vinegar Pan Sauce (6 Tablespoons chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon butter); Lemon-Caper Pan Sauce (6 Tablespoons chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons drained capers, 1 Tablespoon butter).

Buying Fish Fillets

The most important factor in cooking fish is the selection of the fish.  Although recipes may call for a specific fish, keep in mind that it may not be available the day you go, or it may not be from a sustainable source.  Rather than going to the fish counter with a very specific fish in mind, ask for help in choosing something similar for how you want to prepare it.

• Look and smell.  You want to look for fillets that are firm, glistening, and moist.  The look of the fish counter itself can tell you a lot – make sure it is clean and well maintained.  Definitely avoid any fish that looks like it might be in a puddle of juices or has an inconsistent coloring.  Feel comfortable asking to smell the fish.  It should have no odor, or at least smell like seawater.  If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you can always open the package a little after it has been handed to you so you can give it a test before leaving the store.
• Ask the fishmonger.  This is a common suggestion you are probably already familiar with, but for good reason.  They will know what is fresh, sustainable, and a good value.  (If you want to check out the sustainability of a certain fish beforehand, or while at the store, check out Seafood Watch® from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.)  The fishmonger is also a great resource for recipes.  Ask them how they like to cook the fish.  You’ll probably get some great ideas for future meals.
• Decide how much to cook.  If you do not have a specific recipe in mind, a general rule of thumb is that 1 ½ pounds will serve four people.  That works out to four 6-ounce servings.  So, you can increase or decrease the amount you buy accordingly.
• Have it packed on ice.  Whatever you select, it is a good idea to have the fishmonger pack the fish on some ice so it stays as fresh as possible until you get it home.  Fish is one of the most perishable items you can buy, so even if you will head straight home after shopping, it is still a good idea.
• Properly store fish at home. To keep it fresh at home, especially if you want to keep it for up to a day, place the fillets in a zip top bag and then place the bag either on top or under some ice.
• Buying frozen fish.  Frozen fish can be a convenient alternative, especially for thin fillets — a lot of times thicker fillets and steaks do not compare well to their fresh counterparts.  We like to purchase frozen fish in clear packaging where we can see what we are buying.  The packaging will have instructions for defrosting that often suggest thawing overnight in the refrigerator.  For thin fillets, though, you can also easily defrost the entire package under cold running water in about 30 minutes.

Finding time for the always-important family dinner can be extra challenging when the fall schedule of activities gets into full swing.  Sports and other after-school activities fill the calendar, making dinner preparation — and even eating together — tough to do on a daily basis.

If daily family dinners are not possible for your family, you can still reap the benefits of this valuable family time by planning a dedicated meal together at least once a week (Souper Wednesday, Friday Family BBQ, Sunday Family Brunch).

3 Ways to be a Supper Super Hero in your home:

1.  PLAN PLAN PLAN.  Having a plan will always make it easier to get dinner on the table.  Make your weekly meal planning easier by using themes (Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Pizza Friday, etc.) and/or by picking meal categories (Fish, Soup, Pasta, Stir Fry, etc.).  When you plan, you’ll have the food you need on hand, and you can do the prep work ahead of time (make and freeze, chop and refrigerate).

2.  Prep for Home and Away.

• Home: Get healthy dinners on the table quickly by preparing the entrée over the weekend or early in the day so that at dinner time it only needs to be heated and assembled.  Pre-cook large batches of proteins (roast a number of chicken breasts, cook a large pot of beans), and carbs/grains to use in multiple meals all week.

• Away:  If evening events make it hard to eat together at home, eat together on the road.  Pack healthy picnic dinners for the car or stadium (we have a friend who eats a lot of picnic dinners at the Lacrosse field).  You can pack dinner while packing lunch in the morning or the night before.  When you pack a dinner, you won’t be limited to fast-food or concession stand snacks.

3.  Enhance Your Super Powers (we’re here to help you, but these are super resources too).  These books have recipes and ideas on how to make the family dinner work for your schedule and meals:

• The Family Dinner: Great ways to connect with your kids, one meal at a time, by Laurie David
• The Mom 100 Cookbook:  100 Recipes Every Mom Needs In Her Back Pocket:  Solutions for all the cooking-for-kids dilemmas that everyone faces every day, by Katie Workman
• Barefoot Contessa Family Style:  Easy ideas and recipes that make everyone feel like family, by Ina Garten
• Café Cooking at Home, by Pascal Rigo and the Chefs and Bakers of La Boulange
• Family Table:  Favorite Staff Meals from Our Restaurants to Your Home,  by Michael Romano & Karen Stabiner

You’re Super.  Up, Up, and Away!