Having four teenage boys with different sports and work schedules made eating together tricky some days, especially now that we were a gluten free family. I found that I needed to make sure our kitchen had options that replenished their growing bodies that were ready to grab and go or easy to put together, otherwise they were headed to Taco Bell.
When I think of feeding a family, I think of when my four boys were all in different activities, doing homework and me trying to squeeze in a tasty, nutritious meal. Having grab and go, real food options was so key. I used Sunday as my food prep day. Each week, I would bulk food items to have ready, whether it was for lunches or family dinners or on the go breakfast. Some classic crowd pleasers were: egg bites (made in muffin tins, individually wrapped and kept in the freezer) great for a lunch box or to eat on the way to school; waffle sandwiches (made with peanut butter and jam or egg and sausage) also individually wrapped and kept in the freezer, lettuce wrap (container of washed lettuce) and containers with different toppings partially prepared and ready to go for a quick dinner. My goal was to cook from scratch with as many real ingredients as possible, but, let's be real - sometimes I needed help and store bought was the way to go - the big picture reminder was that I was trying my best and making continual progress.
Sheet pan dinners helped us survive busy nights- veggies, meat, olive oil, herbs from my garden, all on one tray, and then each picky eater gets to choose what they want. I borrowed that idea from Rea Drummond - The Pioneer Woman and I love them to this day - not complicated, delicious and fast. *pro tip - line your tray with foil or make a foil pillow for the grill, makes clean up a snap. For me, the key to avoiding meal time chaos always related to thinking ahead and having easy access to partially prepped ingredients. Buying everything organic wasn't always an option; I would choose organic for our favorite fruits like strawberries and grapes and lettuce and leave the rest to conventional. Most people can't shop at a specialty grocery store every week- but choosing a few organic ingredients a week was one way I could feel I was doing better for my family - one ingredient at a time.
Reflecting on our favorite dinner traditions, I think it's safe to say my family really loved Hunter's Feast. You know those nights. You're whooped, drained, longing for a break - even a 5 minute breather, the kids are cranky and it's dinner time. Hunter's Feast to the rescue! It's when you have a variety of food in the fridge/pantry and you create a feast based on what you find. It's a fancy name for left overs. But, who wants to eat left overs - so, I named it Hunter's Feast making dinner seem like a royal adventure.
I'm on the other side of school lunches and after school activities now. That sure was a fun time in my life. Thankfully everyone grew up strong and healthy and hopefully my sons have fond memories of the way I cared for them through food.
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