No, I’m not suggesting that you take the kids to the neighborhood bar! I stole this idea from a friend of mine. When she and her husband were first married, they went to happy hour almost every Friday. With their newlywed budget, they couldn’t afford to eat out often. So they took advantage of the free appetizers that many restaurants put out on early Friday evenings. And then, my friend and her husband had twins.
So now, they have “family happy hour” almost every Friday. We only do it once a month or so. Sometimes, by the time Friday rolls around, we are all beat. No one feels like cooking, and even going to out eat doesn’t sound all that appealing. Restaurants are so crowded on Friday nights.
So what is “family happy hour”? Think snacks for dinner. Think easy or no cooking. Think party food. But I’m not talking pure junk food. Nachos are one of our favorites, and by the time you add cheese and beans they really aren’t unhealthy. Dippy (chicken) nuggets or wings are great. We also like vegetables with dip, carrots of course, but also celery, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper. Sliced apples can be paired with cheese. Cashews or mixed nuts have lots of protein. Other fun things are French fries, homemade milkshakes. We don’t make all of that of course, the idea is to keep it easy!
For drinks, I let the kids make their own sodas. We use club soda or seltzer water combined with juice. It’s yummy, and the kids love to make their own concoctions with different juices. And sometimes, we even buy real soda. It’s nice to have a night off from real cooking. The kids think they are getting away with something by having snacks for dinner. And it’s nice for us all to sit and visit and relax after a hard, busy week.
Tonight is one of those nights. Happy hour time.