Easy Family Dinners with Homemade Gourmet

I had a wonderful time with some friends this past week as I hosted my first J.A.M. class (Just add meat).
We were all moms feeling a little overwhelmed with the prospect of feeding the kids a healthy, well planned meal on a daily basis (what mom doesn't?)
Solution? Have fun doing it together, and leave my house with meals to fill the freezer.
I gave them a variety of recipes to pick from. I provided the Homemade Gourmet pantry staples, and any additions - can of soup, black beans, whatever the recipe called for, while they provided their choice of meat (beef, chicken or pork). I had stations set up with instructions, and we had a great time laughing, fellowshipping and brainstorming some additional meal ideas. They left with 4-10 meals in ziplock bags ready to cook or stick in the freezer for a busy day.
It was a huge success and my family has been eating the rewards all week. I will be doing many more of these. How much more fun to climb mealtime mountain with a group of girlfriends.

Have any interest in finding out how to organize this for your friends and family? Let me know, I would love to help.

From my kitchen to your on this beautiful fall, NC day,
Jen

In the midst of the hot heat, daydreaming about summer in the Southwest may not allow you to think longingly about a quick visit, but I can assure you that our Southwest Seasoning will.

I had been reading the HG blog about brainstorming vegetarian alternatives for quick and tasty family dinners without much success, so I decided to challenge my mom and sister in law to help me out. My husband is a meat and potatoes guy, but is very gracious when I want to experiment with him. Our five children have learned they eat what is served, therefore being a true delight to try out these new recipes...for the most part:).
I had not been a very proactive meal planner last week, as I was speaking at the NCHE homeschool conference. I had no meat thawed, had hungry troopers, needed something quick.
Plan of attack:
#1. Out comes the rice steamer....that is one of the best investment ever. Perfect rice everytime.
#2. Out comes the Southwest seasoning, and some creative "juices."

Honestly, I could have eaten just the rice mixed with the Southwest seasoning as a meal in itself. It was so yummy....just enough of a kick to lose the "rice meal feel," but I knew I needed to stretch it a bit more to feed seven.

#3. I stirfried green peppers, and onions (that had been already chopped and in the freezer) with some SW seasoning and olive oil. I then added the rice. I was feeling adventurous, pondered what the cowboys of the West would have had on the range, and felt that pinto beans was definitely appropriate. I added a can of those to the mixture, a bit of cheese, and then to get the balance of protein....some eggs (not to mention our chickens are laying like crazy, and I need to use those up). An extra dash of Southwest for good measure, and I was done.
IT WAS A HIT! Yummy, and SO healthy. My kids always ask, "is this healthy?" I think they enjoy eating the seconds alot more when they think it is making them big and strong...hee hee.

So, there you have it....heathly, quick, and tasty....vegetarian success in five minutes. (the rice took longer, but all I had to do was wait for the steamer to say "done.")
We have had some more success since then...I will share my mom and sil's ideas. Even if no one can read this blog yet.:)

Yes, this mom is just managing.....especially in the world of computers. For some reason, that I have yet to work through, I can't add numerous elements to my new blog. Until I can accomplish these very frustrating tasks, this blog will be in "low maintenance," and therefore not very exciting. I hope this will change soon...
Computers - can't live with them, can't live without them.:)
Experiencing joy in the journey,
Jen

When is the last time you ate dinner by candlelight? Do you remember the tone it set? How those flickering lights helped soothe your soul? Why don't you turn off the overhead lights this evening, and light those candles.

Whether it's pizza or pasta, salad or sirloin, eating by candlelight is one of our family's favorite things to do. It allows the hectic pace of the day to fizzle, and allows conversation to flow - gracefully. It also gives the appearance of a beautiful, calm atmosphere - even on those days/weeks when cleaning was the furthest thing from reality

Enjoy, and let me know how it went.

Good family traditions are near and dear to my heart. Just like stimulating conversation around the family dinner table can open up the lines of communication and establish strong family ties, so can meaningful traditions.

Once Upon a Family is all about building strong family ties, and encouraging character in our children through meaningful tradition ideas. If you want to engage the sense of values and family identity into your everyday life, incorporate a fun tradition idea that your family will remember for a lifetime. There is power in purposeful traditions. What are some of yours?

As a mom of five, I guarantee that climbing Mount McKinley often pales in comparison to the managing of our mealtime madness. Once thing I can guarantee is that spending quality time in the kitchen and connecting with friends and family around the meal time will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. This simple, deliberate act will add more to building strong, family ties and opening the lines of communication with our kids than 100 trips to Disney.

This will be my opportunity to share what works, (and what doesn't) when it comes to maneuvering this mountain. We will brainstorm ideas on cooking with the kids, bulk cooking, 4 Meals in 4 Minutes, and a host of other ideas. I am open for ideas......we will liven up this mealtime madness together. It's about sharing ideas, and getting excited about cooking again. Is this possible? I know so. Homemade Gourmet has helped me solve some of these dilemnas, but it's not just about our products (which are great), it's about looking at our dinner time from a new perspective.
Amid busy schedules, sports, school, and ..... life. I hope this blog will refresh, encourage, and inspire you to bring your families back to the dinner table...something that our family is still working on.