Growing up, I had a very cut and dry sense of food. It wasn’t anyone’s doing, just in my head I created this black and white picture of food. It had to fit into the little niche space I mentally created for it. Pasta was always served with marinara (except for the one or two rare occasions that we had alfredo. Wings were always either fried or served tongue-burning hot with buffalo. Meatballs always were Italian.

But I remember this one time in the grocery store – I was probably a tween at the time. I stood, staring at the fruits. I surveyed the apples, oranges and bananas -fruits I knew so well – and felt that there just had to be something more. Peaches and plums, strawberries and blueberries, melons … That couldn’t be the end all, be all of fresh fruits, could it?

It’s not. Food isn’t cut and dry. It’s not a black and white, if you have this, you have to do this sort of thing. Foods, flavors, combinations … they all adapt and change and grow as palates do. Cultures change and so do their cuisines. It’s just part of the ebbs and flows of food evolution.

These days there is nothing black and white about how I cook. I make what I want, and mix flavors liberally … What a 180 from that day in the grocery store, right? Read the rest of this entry…

Popcorn. That’s what this is about. Popcorn … and movies.

See, Shawn was a little disappointed to pop over here and find that the photo in my last post was a map and there was nothing about family or food. Can’t please everyone, right? … Nonetheless, this is decidedly about family and food.

When it comes to family, creating memories is something that just happens. Memories happen when you are least expecting it – an impromptu trip to the playground, a game of tag, a baking session … There are also memories that are born from traditions. And creating traditions is a little more challenging. You need repetition and it has to be something that everyone looks forward to.

That’s what movie night is in my house. It’s a new habit we are getting into that I want to be a tradition.

It all starts with popcorn. Will absolutely loves popcorn … then again, so does Paige. So we pop some fresh popcorn (not to be confused with the other popular popcorn around here – Smartfood). Often, I will melt some fresh butter, pour it over and sprinkle with sea salt. But sometimes I want the popcorn to be a little different, a little more special. In those cases, I go for more flavor – like the Cheesy Garlic or Chocolate popcorn below.

Once the popcorn is ready, we start the movie. Obviously, it has to be kid friendly … This week, that meant Jessica Rabbit strolling across our screen as we watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The kids were enamored with the whole story … and Will’s expression when we found out that the bad guy was a toon was priceless. He was just in shock … and maybe a little taken aback. “Mommy, I don’t like that guy!”

I love these quiet, inexpensive family experiences. It’s low-key. We can huddle under blankets or retreat to ends of the couches. We can curl up on the floor, or even bring dinner into the living room. The usual decorum that dictates where and when we eat is set aside in favor of relaxation and togetherness. What can I say? It’s just perfect.

While I do my best to focus on the present, I always have it in my mind how the present can impact the future – Will and Paige’s future. When my kids grow up, I want them to remember the fun times we spent as a family during their childhood. And I want that to be something that they look forward to coming home to when they are away at college. I think it’s a mom thing …

What are your family traditions? Read the rest of this entry…