Dream On

There's a saying, "The family that cooks together stays together." Okay, it may not be an official saying, but there's something to be said for the family who spends time together in the kitchen.

Cooking with and for your family definitely promotes family closeness and conversation, but have you ever thought of cooking together as a way to help others? We're all trying to find ways to save time and money, right? But maybe it's not your family you can save.

Have you heard about Dream Dinners? It's a place where you can go and prepare a week's worth of meals ahead of time in their kitchen with their ingredients and using their recipes for a fraction of the cost of your time and money you may end up spending in the take out line instead. That's sounds great all by itself, but there's another way to use Dream Dinners you may not have thought about - charity.

There are always families in need of meals: in your neighborhood, from your church, from your child's school. Maybe a friend just had a baby, provide a few home cooked meals. Maybe there's been a death in a family, show up with sympathy and a meal. It's hard for us to plan that far ahead and fill our freezers with "extra" meals, but you could make an appointment at Dream Dinners and as a family prepare meals for someone in need.

Our children need ways to reach out in their communities and realize that it's not all about them. There are many ways to serve in your community, but maybe serving up a great meal can nourish more than a body - it can feed the soul.

Belly Aches

I used to be able to eat just about anything I wanted with few consequences. There was that time when I was 17 when I had way too much pizza and I got sick. That kept me off pizza for almost 10 years after that. I had a similar experience with cottage cheese while in college. I have to say that I have yet to regain that craving.

At 44 years old my insides just don't handle much. I'm lactose-intolerant, so I only use soy milk. I drank ALOT of milk growing up; easily a full glass with every meal and often in between meals with a snack. I always wonder if that has anything to do with it.

There are a lot of food myths out there that we use to explain why our tummies bother us. My youngest son says he can't eat apples because he's allergic to them. When I ask him why he thinks that he says, "They make my throat itch!" I have no idea what that feels like, but I'll take his word for it. The bottom line is that if it bothers you, don't eat it.

What I see, however, is how people (including my own husband) eat the things that do give them belly aches anyway! They're willing to pay the price of indigestion, nausea, and the other gastrointestinal ailments the "pink" medicine soothes. Obviously the price isn't high enough. The good feelings they get from eating that ice cream or chocolate or fried food outweighs the bad they feel afterwards.

The problem is that sometimes those who live with them are the ones who pay for it!

And the drug companies get rich - how many commercials do we see for that little purple pill or the pink medicine or the chalky, calcium-enriched antacids? It's big business. . . all because we don't avoid the foods that bother us.

Why is it that we eat what we know we shouldn't? I'm not talking about low fat versus high fat, but foods that hurt us. I must have a low tolerance for indigestion because I'd rather drink soy milk than be doubled over in pain after a glass of milk or a bowl of cereal.

How about you? What foods do you eat that bother your belly?

Want to find out more about what might be causing your belly ache, check out this article.

Feeding Other People's Children

"Mom, can Rachel eat over?" your sweet daughter says ten minutes before dinner while Rachel is standing just out of sight in the hallway. We'll leave the hospitality manners for another day, but today, you say "Yes, of course she can," but then quickly add, "Make sure she calls her mom first though to make sure it's okay."

Do you cringe when your child asks if a friend can eat lunch or dinner at your house? Do you panic when one of their friends spends the night and you're faced with feeding a complete stranger breakfast in the morning? Do you run out to the store to buy frozen chicken fingers, curly fries, soda, and cookie dough? Or do you punch the speed dial on your phone and order from Pizza House?

Too many of us fear rejection by these "little" people and make changes to our existing mealtime routines just to please them. Consistency is the key. Let your kids' friends see what it's like to live and eat in your house. Even if they don't like what you serve that night, they will see a family that enjoys eating together and values good nutrition. For all you know, what they eat at your house may be the only nutritious meal they'll eat all week. You can contribute to another child's well-being and development by not deviating from the balanced approach you use to feed your own kids.

Friend Friendly Recipe - Pot Luck Pizza
Let your kids and their friends decide what goes on these pizzas

Ingredients

Freezer bread or pizza dough
jar red or white sauce
anything you have left in the fridge you need to get rid of!
(deli meats and cheeses, hot dogs, black olives, jalapenos, whatever is "topping worthy")

Directions

Defrost dough completely

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Divide dough in half

Spray two round pizza pans (cookie sheets) with non stick spray

Spread dough evenly over both pans

Top each with your choice of sauce, cheese, and toppings

Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes

Allow to cool slightly before slicing