The Family Table

Olivia's Lollipop Trees

2009-03-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Olivia came up with this one and wanted to make sure I added it to the site. These are a really nice snack.

Red Grapes
Pretzel Sticks

Spear 1 grape with 1 pretzel stick- eat. The combination of sweet and salty tastes delicious!

Broccoli Steak Skillet

2009-03-10T11:37:00.001-07:00

This is an easy one I came up with while searching my pantry. It's really good!

Any kind of steak- cut into bite size pieces
Fresh or frozen broccoli- I used fresh- cut into pieces- about 2 cups
1 medium red onion- sliced and rings separated
Catalina dressing

Brown the steak in the skillet until cooked through. Add the broccoli and the onion and cook until the onion is soft (the broccoli will still be slightly crisp). Add about 1/2 cup of the dressing and cover skillet until heated through.

I served this with instant brown rice. Enjoy!

Dinner Table Games!!

2009-02-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

OK- I know its hard to get everyone to sit together at the table but here are a couple of ideas to keep everyone in their seats.

We have "story-time" where we each say a sentence of the story. One person starts the story and we keep going around until there is an ending- which can be awhile! We all like it because the stories get quite silly! But while they are listening, they are eating!

One other game we like is: "What's missing?" One person is "it" and the rest of the table closes their eyes. The person who is "it" quietly removes one thing from the table and the rest of the table has to open their eyes and try to figure out what was removed. This is fun and my 5 year old loves it!

BBQ Shredded Pork- Crock Pot

2009-02-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

1 pound pork tenderloin
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce
Hot Peppers (optional)

Place pork tenderloin in the crock pot- cover with sauce and peppers. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until done. Shred the pork using 2 forks and serve on hamburger buns.

Turkey Rice Taco Skillet

2009-02-17T12:26:00.001-08:00

I made this last night for dinner and it was great. I just used what we had on hand from the pantry and served it with a green salad.

1 pound ground turkey breast
1 cup Minute Rice
1 package Taco Seasoning
1/2 red onion
Salsa- any kind- around 3/4 cup
Shredded Cheddar Cheese- a handful

Prepare Minute Rice as directed for the microwave. Brown the ground turkey in a skillet- add onion and cook until soft. Add seasoning and water as directed (around 15 minutes). Add cooked rice, and salsa to the turkey mixture and stir well- let the salsa heat through. Sprinkle the cheese on top and cover for about 4 minutes until melted. Serve and Enjoy!!

Easy Dinner with 5 ingredients in the Crock Pot!

2008-10-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

We had this tonight for dinner- VERY EASY!!

1 package of Turkey Italian Sausage
1 can stewed tomatoes (I cut them up in the can using kitchen shears)
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I used a Marinara)
1 sliced onion (separate into rings)
Hot Dog Buns (regular or whole wheat)

Place first four ingredients in crock pot and set on low setting for 6-7 hours. Serve in buns- spoon sauce over sausage.

I started this at 10:30AM and it was perfect by 5:30PM. This is so easy and there were no pots or pans to clean up- just the crock pot. This would be great served with a nice green salad.

Salsa Chicken Breasts

2008-09-22T11:18:00.001-07:00

Salsa Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thin)
1 jar peach or pineapple salsa
1 can of corn
Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in a baking dish, top with salsa and cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Broccoli Salad

2008-09-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli florets (washed and broken into bite sized pieces)
1/4-1/2 cup mayo
2 small boxes of raisins
3/4 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tbsp unprocessed sugar

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. You may have to add about 5-7 tbsp of water to make sure the mayo sticks - add a tbsp at a time so it does not get watery. Chill for 20-30 minutes.

Banana Sushi and Pizza Casserole

2008-09-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Banana Sushi
1 Tortilla
1 Large Banana
Peanut Butter

Spread the tortilla with peanut butter, lay banana crosswise and roll up. Slice to resemble "Sushi".

Pizza Casserole
Cooked pasta (any shape)
Any veggies
Pizza Sauce
Pepperoni (leave out or use soy version for vegetarian)
Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)

Mix pasta and veggies in a casserole dish, layer pepperoni and cheese on top. Bake until cheese is melted.
*Use low fat versions of all ingredients if desired.

(Thanks to Kristi at Adoption.com)

Apple Pork Chop Bake- Great for an Autumn Night!

2008-09-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops (or boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1 medium sized green apple- Finely Chopped or sliced very thin
1 package Stove-Top Stuffing Mix (or your favorite)
Cinnamon*
Shredded Cheddar Cheese*

*Since I made this up one night- I didn't measure, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and maybe 1/2 cup of cheese.

Spray a glass 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare stuffing mix in a bowl. Add apple and cinnamon to the stuffing- mix well. Place pork chops in prepared baking dish, cover with the stuffing mixture, sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 20-25 minutes until pork chops are done. Enjoy!!

2008-09-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

One really easy meal and its very flexible is a stir fry. If you have chicken, beef, pork and any fresh or frozen vegetables- you are good to go. I defrost a pound of chicken, add fresh broccoli, carrots, onions, etc. I cook the chicken until its no longer pink (about 7-10 minutes). Take the chicken out- keep warm (I use the setting on the microwave- or just cover it). Add the veggies until tender and add the chicken back to the pan. I also make sauces (soy sauce with orange juice and a little crushed red pepper flakes) or buy some bottled sauces in the Asian section of the grocery store. I also like to make some instant brown rice. This is so easy and is ready in minutes- which is the key!

I can't wait to get some ideas from you guys! Please email them to me at olimom1@yahoo.com!

Everyone to the KITCHEN TABLE!!!

2008-09-09T18:35:00.001-07:00

Hi! I'm Julie, a stay at home mom of 2. I have a 5 year old kindergartner and a 22 month old boy. I'm a stay at home mom and married to the love of my life.

As a parent, I want the best for my children. I also want them to grow up knowing that family time is a priority. I think the best way to instill this is to sit down (somewhere) for dinner together most nights. If you are like me, you have seen articles and studies about how important family meals are. Meals are not solely for filling empty bellies. Even though we read these studies, I thought this would be a great place to share ideas, recipes, tips for quick healthy meals, and games for the dinner table to keep everyone in their seats. We all have school, work, soccer practice, errands to run, houses to clean, etc. But lets try to help each other make some special memories and healthy habits for our children.