by Emily Joy White

Created on: August 07, 2008

I once had a pastor tell me that the family who ate together stayed together longer than the family who prayed together. That is how important eating together can be! Preparing meals and an environment for meals can be a very pleasurable chore. This time can also be an incredible opportunity to teach your family members about nutrition, entertainment techniques, proper table settings and use of various implements and to instill in them the joy of dining in comfort and style!

Perhaps all meals to not have to be taken with the entire family in tow, but dinner should include all the family, at least as often as possible. Start by planning meals ahead of time. A menu planned for a full 7-day week (3 meals a day) is a wonderful place to start. Knowing what will be prepared in advance allows time for creativity to flow for such things as which table cloth to use, what theme might be appropriate and fun, or which dishes to use. Don't save the good stuff for once a year, get it out and use it to spice up any evening.

My young daughers really loved setting the table and could come up with some great themes. One night we had a "farm house" theme and they set out my old brown mixing bowl, some measuring spoons, the sifter, the rolling pin and scattered un-popped pop corn up the center of the table between the other props. We used a plaid table cloth and our mix and match everyday dishes, but the table looked inviting as could be. Of course, we served fried chicken that night.

Dinner should be fun, it should be attactive and it should be pleasant. Our family numbered 7 members, so conversations could get pretty lively. For a time we had a rule that the only conversation during dinner had to be about the food. When dessert was served, the conversation opened up and could be about anything. Wow, did my family love dessert.

Not all dinners warrant a theme setting. Sometimes dinner has to be quick and easy. Still, cooking off the planned menu helpes to ease even a hurry-up night. The point is to work you plan and keep things simple so that the overall attitude is joyful, not stressful. Cooking is one of the few essential daily chores where your artisitic tendencies can be put into play. Cooking food that is delicious and beautiful is an art form. How much more fun it is to cook a lovely meal than to fold another load of laundry!

Meals can be an event and any event can create a memory. Pack a meal up as a picnic and spread a blanket, even if just in the back yard. A park or the beach expands the outing and everyone knows that food tastes better at a picnic. When my husband and I would go out in the evening, I made "homemade happy meals" for the kids. I would pack a brown bag up with a sandwich, snack and even a little surprise. There was always one for the babysitter too and everyone loved this way of serving up lunch or dinner.

Food can be made in usual shapes, such as pancakes made to look like Mickey Mouse, or food can have a funny name, like "pigs-in-a-blanket. Food can also be elegant like a gorgious cake or a roasted duck or a beautiful Yorkshire pudding. Smells evoke memories and emotion. What an excellent opportunity food prep is to utilize the sense of smell. Open the front door and sniff baking bread and you know you have been welcomed home!

The cook in the household can take on the reponsibility of promoting good nutrition and very possibly without anyone else realizing it! Healthy, balanced meals are just as easy to prepare as any other, so make the committment to eat with health as the first priority. Eat together whenever possible, promote joy, and you will unite your family with a bond that is beyond compare.

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