Summer is in full swing. Swimming, tennis, playdates, we're all so busy. The evenings are longer, the sun is brighter. What better time to get back to the family dinner table than tonight! Hey forget the table, it's summer, eat together where ever you are...
Family dinner around the table, at the soccer field or on the tailgate of your car is an important family ritual. Dinnertime is the perfect opportunity to relax, connect and talk about your day. It’s a non-threatening environment that can really help your kids open up to you and tell you what’s going on in their lives. Try to make the atmosphere low key and enjoyable – and make a rule that no one leaves the table until everyone has finished eating. If conversation seems stymied, talk about your own day, or ask some questions to get your kids talking.
What was the funnest part of your day today?
What did you and Annie do this morning?
What movie shall we see as a family this week?
What shall we play after dinner? Running bases or Hearts?
Dinnertime is your chance to get to know one another, learn about your likes and dislikes and create lifelong memories. So eat up and dive in!
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Extended Family Dinner
Research shows that sitting down to dinner is an important protective factor in maintaining the health and well-being of your children. Establishing a set dinner time is the first step. Engaging your children in activities that extend the dinner hour is the second step.
Children love doing homework with you at the dinner table, they love playing card games, testing themselves at math facts and bringing new, sometimes even made-up vocabulary words to the table. Take your time, talk, laugh and talk for hours.
After dinner extend the fun by labeling each night a different family activity.
Monday Night is Discovery Night
Bring the "Discovery Box" to the dinner table. Place unique, familiar or fascinating objects in a box and allow each child to pull an object and talk about it. After dinner go on-line or take a trip to your local library to learn more about topics related to the things in your discovery box.
Tuesday Night is Reading Night
Prepare early readers, by bringing everyday objects to the table that have words or print on them, such as cereal boxes and other items in your cupboard. Play reading and guessing games using the printed materials. Play games with the words, making silly sentences, tongue twisters and fun stories.
Wednesday Night "You are a STAR"
Play find your "Star Word." Assign one word to each child. That is the word that makes them A STAR at this meal. Frequently occurring words such as "The, and, it, him, her, she, he" are good beginning words. Then have each child bring a book to the table, choose a page, and name how many times their STAR word appears. That number becomes the child's "Magic Number" for the night and every time he encounters that number for the rest of the evening he gets to make a wish or discuss his current life dreams and aspirations.
Thursday Night it's Show and Tell
Play show and tell at your family table. Have your children bring an object, a piece of art, a song or something to share. Shine the "spot-light" on one child at a time and allow only him or her to share.
Friday Night is Family History Night
Bring family photos, heirlooms or pieces of family history to the table and talk about your family ancestry and historical family member's life experiences.
Saturday Night is Game Night
Play board games, cards, chess or checkers at the table after dinner to enhance your family experience.
Sunday Night You're on Broadway!
Put on a show, dance, sing, do a skit Laugh and "lift each other up" with genuine compliments, enthusiasm and joy.
You will enhance family relationships and help your children develop self-esteem when you extend your family dinner with family fun!
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
PHAT KIDS CAMP RECIPES
I promised the wonderful families at PHAT KIDS CAMP that Chef Keith and I would come up with some simple recipes that can be served with steamed veggies and brown rice.
Simple Solutions: Make the meat selection, then steam your fresh vegetables or frozen organic veggies, take a moment and slice some onions and quick sautee them with a basket full of mushrooms in 1T olive oil, whip up your Uncle Bens Quick Brown Rice and you have a delicious dinner!
PHAT KIDS CAMP Chicken
INGREDIENTS
1 (2 pound) organic roasting chicken, cut and quartered
2 T organic chicken broth
1 sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend
kosher salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Place the chicken into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over medium heat until chicken is easily removed from the bone, about 35-45 minutes. The chicken will be boiling, even though the heat is on medium. Turn the chicken over once during this time so it will cook evenly.
When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the water. Run cool water over it, pull off the skin, pull the meat apart in long shreds and place all of the chicken meat in a clean pyrex dish.
Place 1 T olive oil in the original pan, quick saute the onion on high heat, turn the heat to medium add garlic, toss the chicken back in, pour in 2T chicken stock stir til warm, 3 minutes.
Serve with steamed veggies and brown rice.
HERBED CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin
2 T olive oil
Palmful fresh basil
4 peeled garlic cloves
Kosher salt
Pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place chicken breasts in a lightly olive oiled 9x13 inch baking dish or roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil lightly on each breast, rub crushed garlic on chicken, sprinkle a touch of kosher salt and pepper over meat. Crumble and lay fresh basil leaves over chicken. Alternately, you can take fresh rosemary and place it between the skin and the meat.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Serve with steamed or grilled veggies, mango salsa and brown rice.
GRILLED STEAK
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
Whole wheat tortillas
Gourmet Salsa
DIRECTIONS
Brush steak with olive oil. Combine the next 3 ingredients to make a paste. Rub paste over steak and refrigerate overnight.
Broil or grill and slice thinly to serve. Throw away marinade. Wrap steak in warm flour tortillas. Serve with salsa, grilled onions and peppers.
We recommend Saddlebred Salsa, available from Desert Palms Equestrian Center Cave Creek Arizona.
Simple Solutions: Make the meat selection, then steam your fresh vegetables or frozen organic veggies, take a moment and slice some onions and quick sautee them with a basket full of mushrooms in 1T olive oil, whip up your Uncle Bens Quick Brown Rice and you have a delicious dinner!
PHAT KIDS CAMP Chicken
INGREDIENTS
1 (2 pound) organic roasting chicken, cut and quartered
2 T organic chicken broth
1 sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend
kosher salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Place the chicken into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over medium heat until chicken is easily removed from the bone, about 35-45 minutes. The chicken will be boiling, even though the heat is on medium. Turn the chicken over once during this time so it will cook evenly.
When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the water. Run cool water over it, pull off the skin, pull the meat apart in long shreds and place all of the chicken meat in a clean pyrex dish.
Place 1 T olive oil in the original pan, quick saute the onion on high heat, turn the heat to medium add garlic, toss the chicken back in, pour in 2T chicken stock stir til warm, 3 minutes.
Serve with steamed veggies and brown rice.
HERBED CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin
2 T olive oil
Palmful fresh basil
4 peeled garlic cloves
Kosher salt
Pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place chicken breasts in a lightly olive oiled 9x13 inch baking dish or roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil lightly on each breast, rub crushed garlic on chicken, sprinkle a touch of kosher salt and pepper over meat. Crumble and lay fresh basil leaves over chicken. Alternately, you can take fresh rosemary and place it between the skin and the meat.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Serve with steamed or grilled veggies, mango salsa and brown rice.
GRILLED STEAK
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
Whole wheat tortillas
Gourmet Salsa
DIRECTIONS
Brush steak with olive oil. Combine the next 3 ingredients to make a paste. Rub paste over steak and refrigerate overnight.
Broil or grill and slice thinly to serve. Throw away marinade. Wrap steak in warm flour tortillas. Serve with salsa, grilled onions and peppers.
We recommend Saddlebred Salsa, available from Desert Palms Equestrian Center Cave Creek Arizona.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Back To The Family Dinner Table
Dr. Kenney launches her Back To The Family Dinner Table program, with local community teachers, encouraging families to sit down for dinner several nights per week and extend their dinner hour with family activities.
Monday Night is Discovery Night
Bring the “Discovery Box” to the dinner table. Place unique, familiar or fascinating objects in a box and allow each child to pull an object and talk about it. After dinner go on-line or take a trip to your local library to learn more about topics related to the things in your discovery box.
Tuesday Night is Reading Night
Prepare early readers, by bringing everyday objects to the table that have words or print on them, such as cereal boxes and other items in your cupboard. Play reading and guessing games using the printed materials. Play games with the words, making silly sentences, tongue twisters and fun stories.
Wednesday Night “You are a STAR”
Play find your “Star Word.” Assign one word to each child. That is the word that makes them A STAR at this meal. Frequently occurring words such as “The, and, it, him, her, she, he” are good beginning words. Then have each child bring a book to the table, choose a page, and name how many times their STAR word appears. That number becomes the child’s “Magic Number” for the night and every time he encounters that number for the rest of the evening he gets to make a wish or discuss his current life dreams and aspirations.
Thursday Night it’s Show and Tell
Play show and tell at your family table. Have your children bring an object, a piece of art, a song or something to share. Shine the “spot-light” on one child at a time and allow only him or her to share.
Friday Night is Family History Night
Bring family photos, heirlooms or pieces of family history to the table and talk about your family ancestry and historical family member’s life experiences.
Saturday Night is Game Night
Play board games, cards, chess or checkers at the table after dinner to enhance your family experience.
Sunday Night You’re on Broadway!
Put on a show, dance, sing, do a skit – Laugh and “lift each other up” with genuine compliments, enthusiasm and joy.
Contact:
thefamilycoachATaol.com
Monday Night is Discovery Night
Bring the “Discovery Box” to the dinner table. Place unique, familiar or fascinating objects in a box and allow each child to pull an object and talk about it. After dinner go on-line or take a trip to your local library to learn more about topics related to the things in your discovery box.
Tuesday Night is Reading Night
Prepare early readers, by bringing everyday objects to the table that have words or print on them, such as cereal boxes and other items in your cupboard. Play reading and guessing games using the printed materials. Play games with the words, making silly sentences, tongue twisters and fun stories.
Wednesday Night “You are a STAR”
Play find your “Star Word.” Assign one word to each child. That is the word that makes them A STAR at this meal. Frequently occurring words such as “The, and, it, him, her, she, he” are good beginning words. Then have each child bring a book to the table, choose a page, and name how many times their STAR word appears. That number becomes the child’s “Magic Number” for the night and every time he encounters that number for the rest of the evening he gets to make a wish or discuss his current life dreams and aspirations.
Thursday Night it’s Show and Tell
Play show and tell at your family table. Have your children bring an object, a piece of art, a song or something to share. Shine the “spot-light” on one child at a time and allow only him or her to share.
Friday Night is Family History Night
Bring family photos, heirlooms or pieces of family history to the table and talk about your family ancestry and historical family member’s life experiences.
Saturday Night is Game Night
Play board games, cards, chess or checkers at the table after dinner to enhance your family experience.
Sunday Night You’re on Broadway!
Put on a show, dance, sing, do a skit – Laugh and “lift each other up” with genuine compliments, enthusiasm and joy.
Contact:
thefamilycoachATaol.com
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