Archive for August, 2011

Family Dinner: The Screenplay

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

FADE IN:

EXT. BACK PATIO – EARLY EVENING

A late-summer evening in a typical suburban backyard. A family of four is gathered around the dinner table. MOM is serving salad on each plate. DAD has just finished filling water glasses. KID 1, age 7,  is fiddling with his vegetables while KID 2, age 4,  has pulled too many napkins out of the napkin holder and is trying to replace them. The yard has some toys scattered around, but you get the sense that the commotion of the day has subsided, albeit briefly.

KID 1

When you grow up, can you do karate as, like, your job?

MOM

Wait – didn’t I put the parmesan cheese out on the table?

DAD

I just saw it here, somewhere. (Lifts up pile of napkins) Hiding right here.

(Everyone settles in and begins eating)

KID 1

I mean, would someone pay you to just do karate?

MOM

Well, you could be a karate teacher, right?

KID 1

I don’t know if I want to teach it. I just want to do it all the time.

DAD

Lots of grownups take karate before or after work, or with their kids, or join karate clubs…

KID 2

Did you know that Saturn is a planet? It has rings. And Earth is a planet too.

MOM

That’s right – we just read that in the space book last night. I think when we go camping we should look for stars and planets and maybe meteor showers.

KID 1

When are we going camping?

DAD

Not this weekend but the weekend after that. Let’s remember to look at the star charts before we leave so we’ll know what to look for.

(Forks clank on plates, eating continues)

MOM

So, did anyone laugh really hard at something today?

KID 1

I wasn’t laughing at first, but there was a kid at lunch who was laughing and milk came out of his nose. That made ME start laughing really hard.

KID 2

Milk came through his nose!?!?!

MOM

One time when I was a kid, my brother started laughing at dinner and by accident he spilled his grape juice all over his plate of spaghetti. Grandma was SO mad.

KID 1

Did he get in trouble?

MOM

I don’t remember – I just remember a big mess. And I remember that I had to walk away because I was trying not to laugh too.

KID 2

I was laughing today because there was a boy who was trying to put a pair of shorts on his head.

DAD

Shorts on his head? Doesn’t he know that you’re supposed to wear shorts on your ears? (winks at KID 2).

MOM

OK, so who had a good day today? Raise your hand.

(Four hands shoot up into the air)

FADE OUT

****

Folks, family dinner doesn’t have to be pretty or fancy or serious, or even Oscar-worthy. It’s just about sitting down together to eat. And you can talk about spilling grape juice in spaghetti, or wearing shorts on your ears. Just talk.

Want to read more? See the Blog for Family Dinner.

Posted Under: Just For Fun, Parenting | Tags:
This post was written by jollytomato on August 31st, 2011

The Un-Salad

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

Some kids like salad. But many, many kids see something that’s green and leafy and they freak out. That’s too bad, because in most cases salads are good for you AND taste great. Plus, the definition of salad is now so broad that it doesn’t necessarily have to mean a big plate of greens.

Case in point: Two salads that caught our attention recently are a little more fun than your typical lettuce-and-dressing, and they have great kid appeal. First, this mouth-watering Quinoa Shirazi Salad from Family Spice would make a perfect late-summer meal. It’s got cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, onions –  and healthy, flavorful quinoa to give it a little heft. Call it a “confetti” salad and you will probably have kid takers.

We also like this Salt and Vinegar Potato Salad from Joy the Baker because, as she puts it, it’s a ”salad that tastes like chips.” Most kids would probably love that – and when they eat it, they’ll also have the benefit of red onions, green beans, and red, white, and blue potatoes.

Inspired by these friends, we’re giving you our own favorite “un-salad” salad: panzanella. This Italian salad is a classic end-of-summer dish because it lets you use up your tomatoes and other fresh produce, along with your day-old bread. See, kids? It’s not a salad at all. It’s more like a chopped up sandwich. We decided to get even more crazy with our usual panzanella by serving it inside some of the wonderful heirloom tomatoes of late summer.

Inside-Out Panzanella

4 medium-to-large heirloom tomatoes

2 cups chopped high-quality day-old bread

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1 small red onion, sliced and chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored and diced

1/2 red bell pepper, cored and diced

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn

3 T. olive oil

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Pepper and salt to taste

Carefully make a circular cut around the top of each of the tomatoes and then scoop out enough flesh to create a “bowl” inside each tomato. Dice the fleshy parts that you have removed. Combine the diced tomato in a bowl with the bread, olives, onions, peppers, and basil. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Stir the dressing into the salad and until the ingredients are just combined. Distribute the mixture among the hollowed-out tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately. Serves four.

Posted Under: Just For Fun | Tags: , , , , ,
This post was written by jollytomato on August 30th, 2011

Easier School Lunches

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Overwhelmed by the thought of a whole year’s worth of school lunches ahead of you? Don’t be so hard on yourself. We’ve got a lunch bag full of tips to make school lunch-making easier on you. Check out our new post on Moms LA for all the details.

Posted Under: Nutrition, Parenting | Tags:
This post was written by jollytomato on August 24th, 2011
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