Enhancing Family Mealtime

I have such fond memories of the warm country kitchen of my childhood home—warmed in the winter by a large propane heater and warmed in the summer because of the hot and humid climate of Southeast Texas. But the greatest warmth was created because this was the center of our family activities.
It was a very large room that even accommodated an oversize wooden rocking chair with a comfy cushion. This chair invited conversation—decompressing after school while Mom prepared supper, a spot where visitors felt cozy and loved as they told Mom their troubles, a place to rock our babies as we became parents.

My memories of eating around our big, old table include all of my family--Mom, Dad, my three sisters and me. If Dad were missing, it was because he ate early and went out to work—he was a rice farmer and cattle rancher—or he came home very late from the field. Being in this business meant that Mom prepared 3 full meals a day. It was a lot of work. There were no convenience foods. But I have such cherished memories of our mother preparing delicious meals and our family spending treasured time eating them.

How do you envision successful family meals? Are there delicious dishes--served on time--that don’t destroy your budget? Is there good conversation, peaceful interaction, eye contact, help with preparation, lack of distractions—TV, phone calls, texting, etc.?

For me, they start with the menu plan and grocery list. What ingredients do I want to use from my food storage and what should I buy--using the weekly ads? I get a lot of satisfaction from feeding my family nutritious, delicious, budget-wise meals. Though, sometimes it has been very challenging.

Advance planning will assure that I have all the ingredients I need and that the equipment is handy—where is that crock pot or pressure cooker? Maybe I need to iron a table cloth or find something to use as a centerpiece. A centerpiece can be a great conversation starter: the vase you inherited from your grandmother or a memento from your mission. (Just be sure to choose something that won’t be damaged if someone accidentally spills.)

What preparations can be done in advance? Many dishes can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen, such as, meat dishes, bread dough, beans, rice dishes, desserts, etc. In fact many times the flavors are more enhanced after the dish has been refrigerated or frozen for a while. I eventually learned not to make complicated and/or time-consuming meals on my busiest days. And it is always a good idea to have something in the fridge, freezer or pantry that is QUICK.

Have you asked family members what they would like to put on the menu? Sometimes this has been the most exhausting part for me. We really don’t have to come up with all the ideas ourselves. When I run out of ideas, I talk to friends, check out books or magazines from the library, or look on the internet. As each child makes suggestions, it will be easy to make the assignments for your kitchen help. They will be much more willing to help prepare their favorite meal!

How are we doing at reducing our workload as chefs? What’s the best plan for meal preparation and clean-up? Even very young children can be taught to wash their hands and set the table properly and usually love to do so. (If they don’t, figure out a way to make it a game.) They will have to learn these skills anyway—might as well start now. I learned that I could use the help of my teenage drivers in the shopping, if I was very specific (which brands I preferred, how many bananas, how many pounds of meat, etc.) with my grocery list. After they had gone with me enough times to learn the routine, they could do it on their own.

Has everyone been informed as to just what time meals will be served and knows that he/she is expected to be there? How are our table manners? How will we stimulate good conversation that is conducive to love and family unity? We don’t want indigestion to result because the mood was sour and mealtime was a negative experience. If we have unpleasant subjects to discuss, that’s what personal interviews and family councils are for. Have we had eye contact during the dinner conversations? What distractions can we avoid? Too many children in our country have never eaten a meal with the TV off.
I firmly believe that quality mealtimes are some of the greatest things we can do for our families. There is something about eating together that can have a profound effect on one’s formative years. Family meals are a great way to build unity, memories and traditions. With a little planning and creativity our quality mealtimes can be beneficial, enjoyable and consistent. I know that Heavenly Father will bless our efforts in this important family work.
D. Baker

Copyright 2010