I think I’ve finally realized now how my Mom must have felt when I was growing up and she put dinner on the table in front of us only to hear groaning, complaining, and moaning. My Mom worked hard during my childhood, working full-time outside the home, and also cooking many meals for us as kids. I don’t remember eating out a lot, and I don’t remember many nights where we had to fend for ourselves. There was always a dinner of some kind, and we almost always ate together as a family.
Recently, my 2 and 5 year olds have become very picky eaters. It’s driving me insane. My 2 year old will see something set in front of him, and say, “blech” before he even knows what it is. Then, he will spend 10 minutes crying at the suggestion that he should just try a bite before he actually does. I used to brag about my 5 year old’s eating habits, and how she would try anything, but even she has become a complainer.
I used to love to cook, but seeing as I’m seven months pregnant, and the two little ones have become rather picky, sometimes I wish we could just tell everyone to make a sandwich. But, I refuse to give up. Eating dinner as a family is important to me. There have been general authorities that have spoken about it, in fact. In the talk Good, Better, Best by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, he states the following:
“The number of those who report that their “whole family usually eats dinner together” has declined 33 percent. This is most concerning because the time a family spends together “eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children’s academic achievement and psychological adjustment.” Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children’s smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you.”
I have seen this as being true in my own family. If my daughter happens to be eating a meal alone at the table, which would usually be breakfast, she will say, “I want someone to sit with me while I eat”.
Tonight, I’m making dinner from one of my favorite cookbooks, “The Essential Mormon Cookbook”. I laughed at the subtitle “Green Jell-O, Funeral Potatoes, and Other Secret Combinations” when it was given to me as a gift a long time ago. But, it has quickly become my go-to cookbook when I am looking for something my whole family will eat. Everything in it is delicious, and most things my kids will eat too! Tonight, I’m making this for dinner:
Shephard’s Pie
1 Pound Ground Beef (I use Turkey)
1 T. Olive Oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (14oz) can cut green beans
1 (10 3/4 oz) can tomato soup
6 potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed (or I prepare 2 packets Betty Crocker instant potatoes when short on time)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Brown ground beef in olive oil. Add onion, salt, and pepper and saute until onion is tender. Put into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Top with drained green beans. Spread tomato soup over beans. Combine mashed potatoes, milk, and salt. (Or just use the instant potatoes and spread over soup and beans). Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
I hope one day my kids will look back at their childhood, like I do, and be thankful for those family dinners. And, I know that one day they will appreciate my hard work even if they can’t do it right now.
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