This is the latest installment of my Tales from the Trenches Series. An ongoing series where friends and readers share their stories and recipes about the great food they fit into family life. We all have tips and tricks to share with each other: when we cook, what we cook and how we cook the delicious food we love to eat.
GIVEAWAY: {If you are interested in a winning a copy of Laurie’s book please see entry rules below the interview}
Today I am chatting with Laurie David, the author of The Family Dinner Cookbook: Great Ways to Connect With Your Kids, One Meal at a Time and well-known environmental advocate. I had the great fortune of meeting Laurie at the BlogHer Food Conference in Atlanta last May where we made an instant connection. Both of us strongly believe in the power of families eating together as a way of connecting with our children and strengthening family bonds. As you know, I often cook during naptime or when my daughter is at school so that I can enjoy cooking and our dinner is ready with minimal fuss in the evening. This is my way of getting a joyful dinner on the table for us to converse over. Sure, there are nights when my husband travels or I am out for work, but, like Laurie, I strive to make our meals meaningful and memorable as often as possible.
I encourage you to pick up a copy of Laurie’s wonderful book and enjoy it. Better yet, pick up two copies, one for you and one for a friend. The volume contains gorgeous recipes and anecdotes relating to all kinds of family gatherings and ways to connect with your family over meals. It stresses the importance of low-stress food and easygoing fun. A notion I think all parents, especially me, can stand solidly behind.
1. It can be hard to have lengthy sit down dinners with young children. Do you have any tips for parents looking for ways to get their toddlers to stay engaged at the table for more than just the time they are eating?
Kids stay at the table when they’re having fun. And one way to accomplish that is by playing verbal games. My book is full of suggestions for games we played in my house to take the conversation away from the ordinary and get everyone laughing. Kids love to answer questions, they love to respond and they even love to wait their turn to participate. Tonight, try playing “What I Like about Me”. Go around the table and have everyone say one thing that they like about themselves. And then for the second and third rounds, have everyone go around and say what they like about the person on either side of them.
2. Since time can be the enemy of parents with young kids, what kind of meal prep tips do you recommend for people trying to sit down for at least 10 minutes with their families for dinner?
First of all, take the pressure off yourself about what constitutes “dinner”. It can be soup and a salad or healthy sandwich and cut up fruit. On days when you’re super busy, remember that the really important thing is sitting down together and talking. Also, I’m a fan of time savers, such as doubling up recipes and freezing one, sharing meals with friends and simplifying, simplifying, simplifying!
