I’ll be the first to admit that eating together isn’t always easy. Sometimes, my husband doesn’t make it home for dinner. Sometimes, I don’t. But on those days, we make an effort to sit down – whoever is at home – and eat together. What works for us may not work for you … the point is to make it work within the context of your own life.

Recently, I spoke with Jeanne Muchnick, author of Dinner for Busy Moms: Easy Strategies for Getting Food on the Table-Quick, which is coming out in April. Her book is a strategy guide for moms to help families eat together — even when life gets crazy. It explains how to pull together a meal easily and get everyone to the table. It’s a universal concept that reaches any mom struggling to get dinner on the table.

“The bottom line is to not make a mom feel guilty,” explains Muchnick.”Don’t over-schedule your kids so much. Plan to make plans … look at your calendar and try to be realistic about two or maybe three nights a week where you can sit down as a family.”

While I love to cook and do so daily, not everyone enjoys it … or has time to craft a homemade dinner nightly (I’ve been there!). So, what can you do? Muchnick says that moms need to play to their strengths when planning dinner. For instance, if the idea of preparing a main dish gives you the frights, then focus on the side dishes and pick up a rotisserie chicken. Likewise, you can focus on the main dish and go ultra-simple with the sides, says Muchnick.

“Depending on the age of your kids, you can involve them and get them excited,” says Muchnick. She is so right. My two-year-old and four-year-old get really into meals that they have a hand in creating. Salads, which are generally their dish for meals they help with, are something they devour with great ferocity. It’s awesome.

And the payoffs of a family dinner? Huge. “I think once you put the effort in, for me there is just nothing better than when you are all just sitting around. You are just so much more connected,” says Muchnick.

Tips for a Great Family Dinner from Jeanne Muchnick

• Focus on being together – Yes, you have 80 bazillion things to think about, but put them aside and just be together. You can talk about them, but don’t be distracted by them.”Be in the moment…Sometimes I feel that we are all so crazy,” says Muchnick
• Unplug – We are surrounded by technology and connectivity these days, but for the meal time it’s best to just set them aside so you aren’t tempted to check your email or watch that one clip.  “I am big on not having the TV on and not having electronic devices,” says Muchnick.
• The More the Merrier – “I do believe in having friends over,” says Muchnick. She says that having peers at the table can lead the kids to open up more, and that is totally a good thing.
• Have Something for Everyone – No one wants to be a short order cook, but you can still plan to serve something that each person likes. “Everyone has different tastes. Give options so there is a little bit of something for everybody,” says Muchnick.

How often does your family eat dinner together? Share!

“Mommy, tomorrow is hog day!” Will told me excitedly last night.

Now, Will is a smart boy who tends to remember everything (no, really, everything … he brought up a great time he had with our cousins in the summer two years ago this past week. The boy is four and a half – how did he even remember that?). So, it was safe to assume that he heard about this hog day somewhere … the question was where and what exactly was it.

It took me a good minute or two before I put one and one together …. Groundhog Day.

Right. So, today is Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Great! Thanks, Phil! That means, according to the lore, that there will be six more weeks of winter. Oh yay. Just what I wanted to hear on this dark, dreary day. Aren’t you excited?

Eh, the weather might be a bummer, but this dip is bright and sunny and so, so tasty. Will said that it tasted like frosting and was yummy. I’m not sure about the frosting part (maybe a cream cheese frosting? Sort of?). Meanwhile, Paige, 2, couldn’t stop eating it. She would have licked the bowl, if I let her. (Don’t worry, I didn’t! I swear!) But, heck, I couldn’t stop eating it either.

It’s pretty simple to make (just three healthy ingredients!). I used a low-fat yogurt, but you could use full fat, Greek, whatever you like … Just add, stir, serve … does it get any easier? Plate it up alongside some sliced apples, mini waffles or whatever else you can think of and go to town with dipping. Or just grab a spoon and eat it … It’s really delish.

Honey Lime Dipping Sauce
serves 2-3

1 6 oz container vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp honey
zest of 1 lime

Combine add ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until fully combined. Serve with a section of fruits, waffles, pound cake or whatever you like.

Tacos hold a very special place in my heart. Serious. Ever since I was little, something about the crunchy little shells filled with spicy meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato and hot taco sauce just made my mouth so darn happy. I mean sure, you can have better, more authentic tacos — and I enjoy those too — but it’s the totally Americanized version that I adore. No food snobbery here.

My kids really like tacos too, but for a two-year-old and a four-year-old, they can be a challenge to eat. Plus, I always worry if they are actually eating enough on taco nights. Paige usually doesn’t eat the shell (and gets tired of the spiced meat pretty fast) and Will stops after one, maybe two, tacos. How could their bellies be full? It’s with that thought that I usually whip up a side salad and yellow rice too.

There has to be a better way, right? A way that I can have the flavor of tacos that I love but in a form that is more kid friendly. Enter the Taco Burger.

Burgers have been on my mind lately. A friend mentioned them a few weeks back and I said that I usually don’t cook them in the winter. No sooner did those words exit my mouth then I developed a hankering for a good, homemade burger. Go figure.

Anyway, the other day while I was trying to figure out dinner, I got the idea to take the seasonings of a taco and use them in burger patties. It was a simple thought (and one that took advantage of ingredients we had on hand!) but it seemed like worth a shot. So, I mixed, we cooked and we ate. The result? A lip-licking good burger that everyone in the family enjoyed. It was everything that I was hoping for.

These juicy burgers are perfect topped with taco-inspired toppings like salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Delish! And if your kids want in on the salsa action without the spice of your favorite hot blend, try spooning on a little jarred bruschetta — it looks very similar without any of the spice.

Are you a taco fanatic too?

Taco Burger
served 4

Be warned, these aren’t spicy taco burgers. They are seasoned enough that they are unmistakeably taco flavored, but they won’t make anyone’s mouth burn. (Hence, these are very kid-friendly.) If you want spicy taco burgers double the quantities of the spices.

1 lb ground sirloin
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
4 1 oz slices sharp cheddar cheese
4 hard rolls

Combine the ground sirloin, chili powder, garlic salt, dried oregano and cumin (I use my hands to knead it together). Separate into four equal pieces. Form patties, making sure to press an indentation into the center of each (it will prevent shrinkage).

Cook as desired. When the burgers are close to being done, top with a slice of cheddar and let it melt. Transfer the patties to the hard rolls.

Serve with a choice of toppings such as lettuce, tomato, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

If you are what you eat, then my four-year-old Will is a moist pancake with berries. To say he loves pancakes is like saying that the sun is lukewarm. Will’s devotion to pancakes is unreal. If we let him, Will would have a big stack of pancakes every single morning. But, that wouldn’t be good for him to have every day (and the rest of us aren’t quite as fanatical about pancakes as he is) so we don’t.

That said, we do eat a lot of pancakes. I swear, Shawn and I can practically whip up batches in our sleep.

But while pancakes aren’t that bad for you, they have some room for improvement. Do they really need the oil? Nah. The good old applesauce in place of oil trick works great — and delivers moist cakes. Do they need refined sugar? Nope. Agave nectar, a natural sweetener made from the same plant used to make tequila, works fine and supposedly is a little better for you. You could also trade the egg for egg substitute, but I prefer real cage-free eggs.

The result is a moist, light, fluffy pancake with a nice contrast of ever-so-slight sweetness from the agave and tartness from the raspberries. I like mine topped with a drizzle of Grade B maple syrup from a local farm, but a sprinkle of powdered sugar could be delicious too.

How do you like your pancakes? Share!

Lightened Up Raspberry Applesauce Pancakes
serves 4

1 large egg
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup milk (I recommend using nonfat)
1 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup frozen raspberries

Add the egg to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until it’s foamy. Add all the other ingredients, except the raspberries, and mix until just combined. Scrap down the sides of the bowl, add the raspberries and beat once more.

Use an ice cream scoop to drop batter onto a hot griddle. Cook until golden brown on both sides, flipping once.

Serve hot with fresh maple syrup.

There is something amazing about biting into the crispy coating of fried chicken. It crunches between your teeth, revealing layers of flavors. It’s salty and wonderful … Before you know it, you’re biting into juicy chicken, just below the skin. Well, at least I hope it’s juicy. I’ve had a lot of flavorless meat on fried chicken in my day. Haven’t you?

This chicken is the total package: crispy and packed with flavor inside and out.

In 2010, I am focusing a lot on healthy, budget-friendly dishes. Chicken drumsticks are definitely budget friendly, and since these are baked, this is lightened up. (Don’t worry … only a portion of the 2 tbsp of butter actually makes it onto the chicken). Perfect for a night when you are craving comfort food … but not willing to break your healthy resolutions.

Psst … are you participating in the Ten in 2010 challenge? It’s a community effort to support each other to a healthier, happier 2010. Don’t worry — you don’t even need a blog to join. Click here to learn more.

Crunchy Oven Fried Chicken Drumsticks
serves 4
view the printable recipe at Tablespoon

2 cups corn flake cereal
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp skim milk
1 tsp garlic salt
4 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/3 lbs)
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spray an oven-safe 13×9x2 inch pan with cooking oil spray.

Place the cereal in a resealable bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add 2 tbsp parsley and the paprika to the bag and shake to incorporate. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Remove from burner and let cool for a few minutes. Then, whisk in the milk, 1 tbsp parsley and garlic salt. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Then, roll it in the butter mixture. Transfer chicken pieces to the resealable bag and shake until well-coated (do then all at once — it’s easiest). Place the chicken into the prepared pan. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray.

Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Ever since Will was old enough to stand, he’s been helping me in the kitchen. Paige too. They can spin salads to remove water like nobody’s business. They know how to tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces, measure ingredients and sift. They can mix and fold. Will knows how to add the flour mixture to wet ingredients s-l-o-w-l-y and without making a mess.

They love to cook, and so do I.

One of my goals for 2010 is to share more about cooking with kids, including recipes that lay out how kids can help you. Cooking with kids is a great way to spend quality time … and it gives them a great sense of accomplishment when they can say that they helped make it. You should see how my kids beam when they’ve made something delicious.

This first recipe is easy, easy, easy and totally kid-friendly. Kids will love being able to help make it, and then will love being able to eat the sweet, crunchy, chocolate-coated grahams too. Does it get any better than that?

First, you break graham crackers along the perforated lines into rectangles. If you have grahams that break easily, then this could be a kid-step, but mine weren’t easy to break. In fact, this was the hardest part for me. It took a whole sleeve of grahams to get the 24 that we needed for this recipe. Will didn’t mind though … he got to eat the causalities.

My advice? When you are breaking the grahams, take your time and be gentle. Really. I mean it.

Next, you line a baking sheet with waxed paper. You aren’t going to bake anything, but this is a good staging area for the grahams at all the stages of making them. If you tear off the paper, then your child can do the lining (and almost certainly ask “What’s next?”).

The next step is a kid-step too: spreading marshmallow fluff on the crackers. Will used a training knife, that came with a toddler silverware set. If you don’t have one, don’t worry — a dull plastic knife will work too. Don’t worry if they get a little overzealous with it — more is better. And bonus: for preschoolers, this is a great fine motor skill building exercise. We all know how important that is.

Also, you might want to have a spoon handy to let your child lick a little marshmallow off. They will probably want to lick the knife … and that just isn’t a good habit to get into.

The last step is for adults. You melt up some milk chocolate (I use the Trader Joe’s Pound Plus bar — about half a bar is perfect for this) in double boiler set over water. Don’t have a double boiler? Use a nonreactive metal bowl over a pan of water. Just don’t let the water touch the bowl.

Finally, you coat the grahams in chocolate, let them cool and then refrigerate them. As you are coating them, be careful not to touch the area where the marshmallow fluff is. It’s way easier than that sounds. I swear. Also, these actually get better with age, so make them the day before you want to serve them (don’t worry, it’s okay to snack on a few in the meantime!).

How do your kids help in the kitchen? Share!

Chocolate-Covered S’mores Grahams
yields 24

8 full graham crackers, broken along the lines into small rectangles
marshmallow fluff
8 oz milk chocolate

Kid Step: Line a baking sheet with waxed paper (an adult should tear the paper from the roll) and set on a table or work surface.

Kid Step: Using a kid-sized knife (either a toddler-training knife or a plastic knife), spread marshmallow fluff on one side of each cracker. Line them up on the baking sheet.

In the top of a double boiler, over water, melt the milk chocolate until just smooth. Remove from the heat.

Drop the grahams in the chocolate one at a time, using a fork to gently turn them to fully coat. Lift carefully from the pan (touching only the side WITHOUT the marshmallow fluff), tapping the fork on the side a few times to smooth the chocolate and drop any excess off. Lay carefully back onto the waxed paper-lined pan. Do not let the grahams touch each other.

Once all the grahams are covered in chocolate, let them harden at room temperature for about an hour. Then transfer to the refrigerator (on the tray) until fully hardened. Store them in an airtight container, until ready to eat.

Photo - Amazon.com

Happy New Year!

This year, I plan to focus even more heavily on healthy living and raising a healthy family. If we take care of our bodies, then we can live longer and happier, and who doesn’t want that? So I am hoping you, my dear readers, will indulge me as I feature occasional tips and interview tidbits from notable health experts. Please?

First up: Advice from Dr. Oz.

I was asked recently to participate in a press conference call with Dr. Mehmet Oz (yes, that Dr. Oz. I am a big fan of his). Sure, the call was in the middle of a day when I had a bazillion deadlines, but it was a small sacrifice. The topic? New Year, New You – particularly focusing on healthy living. So, I jumped on the call and asked about healthy eating on a budget.

His response was really interesting.

Buy in Bulk as a Group – Dr. Oz suggests that families band together and shop in bulk for staples like grains. He said that people should “find a large vendor somewhere near them where they can go and buy their staples and buy them in bulk.” This strategy removes the costs of marketing and packaging that can drive consumer prices up.

I loved that idea.

Join a CSA for Vegetables – Buying vegetables from farmers’ markets can be costly (not always, but in some areas, that is definitely true). Dr. Oz advises that people join a consortium with a farm, like a Community Supported Agriculture program. Through these programs, people buy a share in a farmer’s crops, supplying money for seeds and other costs of farming and getting boxes of produce in return.

“Farmers are cash poor, consumers are food poor,” Dr. Oz pointed out, so this relationship is mutually beneficial — people get freshly grown produce for cheap while the farmers get the capital they need to get their farm running in the spring.

Losing Weight? Remember to cut yourself some slack, since everyone slips up sometimes.

“The question isn’t whether you will fail – It is how you will deal with your failure.” – Dr. Oz

Are you a Dr. Oz fan? His television show, The Dr. Oz Show, will have a healthy living focus to kick off the New Year. On January 4, the show will feature Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Diet. And on January 5, it will feature a 28-day Detox Diet. Check your local listings for showtimes and channels.

Sometimes, you taste something – just a little bite of it – and it blows you away. That was the case with this dish. It was rich, buttery even (although there is no butter in the recipe) and absolutely mouthwatering. It was one of those things that the kids devoured so fast that I did a double take. Really, it was just that good.

The fish itself? It was good and had a nice flavor. That alone? Not amazing. But the pan sauce that you drizzle over everything? That was what made it spectacular (insert fireworks here).

I used thin wild-caught cod fillets that were on sale at my local grocery store. I served it with Basmati Rice Medley from Trader Joe’s (love that!). It would go really well with a side of roasted broccoli. This meal — including rice and a veg — can be made for well under $10. High flavor at a low cost? Love it.

Baked Lemon Herb Cod
serves 4
recipe adapted very slightly from EatBetterAmerica @ Tablespoon

1 lb cod fillets
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, lightly chopped
sea salt
pepper
Sweet Hungarian Paprika

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Get out a 9×13 glass baking dish.

Rinse the cod fillets under cool water and place in the baking dish. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Then sprinkle with garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and paprika. Try to divide the seasonings as equally as possible between the fish.

Bake for 13-17 minutes until the flesh is opaque in color. Serve with rice, spooning the juices from the pan over the fish and rice.

Devour.

What I’m Cooking With: a Global 8-Inch Cook’s Knife, a Oneida Cutting Board, Pyrex baking dish

–
One more thing! Check out my latest post on Tablespoon: Easy Recipes to the Rescue.

Gosh, I love these meatballs. Made with ground turkey, which is a little lighter in calories, they are filled with flavor and bathed in a sweet-savory sauce. Over rice, the whole concoction is just awesome.

The first time I made these meatballs, Paige was a newborn who counted her age in weeks. She was tiny and sweet. A few weeks ago, we celebrated her second birthday. Now, she is a sweet and fierce little girl. Doesn’t time fly? It feels like yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. Sigh.

Back to the meatballs. I came across this recipe recently while looking through my archives and realized that it’s been a long time since I made it. So long, in fact, that Paige has never had it. Knowing that Will, Shawn and I love it, I made it — and Paige loves it too.

I can’t tell you how fast Will and Paige cleaned their plates … and that’s a big thing. We don’t belong to the clean plate club here, instead insisting only that the kids eat until their bellies are full and they’ve tried a little of everything on them. So clean plates? That’s a good and significant sign.

Now, I know the ingredients list is long. But I swear, it comes together quickly and has a ton – a TON – of flavor. As for the special ingredients: rice vinegar and fresh ginger. Rice vinegar can be substituted with a mild vinegar, if it’s not something you normally use. As for the ginger, do buy fresh. It costs pennies for a small nob.

Earlier this year, I picked up a good tidbit about fresh ginger from Melissa D’Arabian of Food Network’s $10 Dinners. When you purchase fresh ginger, peel the whole thing right away. Then stick it in a resealable bag and freeze it. It will last a long time and be easier to grate.

Don’t you just love little tricks like that? I do!

Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs
serves 4

Meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 small onion, finely minced or processed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp packed brown sugar

Sauce:
1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits with juice, separated
1 cup water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 red pepper, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Mix together the ground turkey, onion, garlic, ginger, egg, panko, salt, pepper, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Knead with your hands to combine well.

With your hands, grab meat and roll into 1 inch meatballs. Place on the baking sheet. Don’t let them touch, but they can be close together.

Place the meatballs in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the pineapple juice, water, brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce until sugar is fully dissolved. Whisk in the cornstarch and raise the heat to medium high. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously.

Stir in the pineapple bits and the peppers. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Add meatballs and re-cover. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Until last week, I had never carved a pumpkin myself. There was this one time in high school where I insisted on having a carved pumpkin … but aside from a tiny knife jab or two, I didn’t do the actual carving. But on Halloween, I carved two pumpkins and my husband carved another two. I can’t tell you how excited I was to see them lined up and lit on our front steps … heck, I may or may not be still lighting them since I love them so.

Pumpkins are fun. They are also very tasty (and nutritious! Don’t forget nutritious!). Just look at all the pumpkin recipes I have written about lately. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Pumpkin Coconut Muffins … yum.

But the flesh of the pumpkin isn’t the only wonderful, edible, tasty part … the seeds are also amazing — especially when they are roasted. Between the kids and I, we polished off a whole batch of these in just days. Honestly, a few pumpkins are on my farmers’ market list for this weekend. I am hoping to puree and freeze the flesh and roast more seeds.

Chances are, the seeds won’t last long.

As far as snacks go, this is one that I can feel good about serving to the kids. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, they have a good amount of protein, iron and even anti-inflammatory benefits. For men, they may even help with prostate health.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
8 servings/2 cups

2 cups raw, whole pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Rinse the pumpkin seeds, removing as much of the pumpkin flesh debris as you can. Lay the seeds out on paper towel to get the excess water off. It’s okay if you don’t get it all.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the pumpkin seeds out and drizzle with butter. Use a spatula to mix well around the sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix again.

Bake for 40-55 minutes until the seeds are lightly browned. Stir every 5-10 minutes after 40 minutes for even browning.