» auteur: Marybeth Gregg
FAMILY MEALS - AN ENDANGERED SPECIES? This month I have been thinking a lot about those sit-down, middle-of-the-week family meals that are just a memory to many people. This was brought to mind by a commercial that is currently running on TV. You may have seen it. The dad, boy and girl are sitting at an empty table, and wondering why they are there - is it a family meeting? No one has a clue. Then the mom pops into the room, all happy and smiling, and then she plops down a basket of fried chicken and announces- "Dinner" The family is delighted. Well, I had three reactions to that message: how sad, couldn't she at least serve the greasy chicken on a platter, and then, well, she is trying anyway, so that's a good start. Fact: less than half of American families have dinner together. And when they do, they spend less than 20 minutes on the meal. I do know more and more clearly how important our relationships are, and whether there are two or ten in your family, eating together needs to be thought of again as a pleasure, not a chore. When we do sit down and eat together, you send out a wonderful message- to your kids, to your spouse or friend or other love, "You are very special to me to spend this time together." What could be more important and fundamental than that? Set a goal for yourself and your family that you will eat together a minimum of 2 -3 days per week, no matter what. It does not have to be a 3 course meal. Make your favorites and have everyone get involved. Have someone make salad, someone set the table, mash the potatoes, whatever works for you. Or try an easy new recipe. Get out that crock pot and dust it off. There are tons of crock pot recipes on the internet. And nothing is easier to cook than that. MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF For all of us who have little time during the week to cook, but a little bit of extra time on the weekends, make a couple of recipes in which the entree can be cooked and frozen until needed. You can also double your recipe and freeze the extra. This way, all you will need to do is to reheat it in the microwave or on top of the stove, and make a quick salad or side. (Be sure to label it- it's so easy to stick something in the freezer and wonder what it is several months later and then it gets thrown away.) Quick Tip- Cut your ingredients into a smaller size- it will cook faster. TIPS FOR EASIER CLEAN-UP One of the worst jobs it to clean a pan that has burnt food stuck to the bottom. To remove burnt-on food more easily from your fry pan or skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and about an inch of water , and bring to a boil on stovetop -- skillet will be much easier to clean. Let it cool a bit before cleaning. Something I just learned this week: To clean and deodorize your microwave without chemicals, put half a cup of water in a microwave proof dish with one tablespoon of baking soda in the microwave. Cook on high for one minute. The steam from the water loosens the dirt and make it easy to wipe it clean and baking soda absorbs odors. A cup of water with lemon juice, also cooked for a minute, will make it also smell wonderfully fresh. Speaking of crock pots, the new product that is being advertised is a special bag to put into the crock pot to save clean-up. Makes a lot of sense and it also makes the meal much more enjoyable knowing that you don't have any messy pots to clean at the end. TIME FOR A CHANGE Above all, if you are in a rut of getting take out food all of the time, promise yourself you will make a small change by just cooking a simple meal once or twice a week. The secret is to buy the freshest ingredients that you can, make a simple recipe and sit back and enjoy your food for a change. You will be glad that you took the time!