The imporatnace of dinner and family time...

Have you ever wanted to go back to a kinder, gentler place?  Where life was simple as a child and every evening after school, you knew you could expect some sort of home-cooked meal from your mom...I relish in the memory of those days of my youth and earnestly work to provide a similar atmoshpere for my boys.  In modern day society, schedules are jam packed with work, school for both parents and children now, and extracurrilar activities; in the midst of all this busy- ness, the task that receives the least amount of attention is that of lunch or dinner.  Most have succome to the drive-thru world where their only priority is getting a meal on the table.  We've also become a society where our financial structures don't afford us the opportunity to put more effort into our meal planning and preparation simply because the money to carry out the plan is typically not available.  Our worlds have become these rat races where we are strategically trying to work our way through, but no matter how hard we try, we often don't end up getting the cheese.  Being able to provide my boys with as many home-cooked meals as possible is an absolute joy.  There's something about placing those plates in front of them that gives me a sense of accomplishment.  I know they aren't just having a meal laiden with saturated fats and fillers, rather one that is prepared with attention and love.  Incorporation of these meals exposes the boys to meals that are not run of the meal or customary.  I have the chance to have an active role in the things that go into their bodies and for me, that means the world.

Dinner has become the time where we end our day as a family and there is this coming together to not just share a meal, but the events of the day as well.  These pictures are reflective of the admiration I have for my family and take advantage of every opportunity I'm presented with to show them through our meals.

 Saturday's dinner...Baked Mostoccoli with Italian Sausage and Ground Turkey

Sunday's dinner...Roasted Turkey Drummettes in an au jus reductions with vegetables and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The lunches I prepare for my children reflect the same time and care that goes into the preparation of a home-cooked meal.  My boys exhibit quite different personalities and there isn't much difference in the range of prefrances for meal time either.  One may love salami while the other can't go a lunch without his black forest ham.  This attention to detail is one of the many ways Elijah and Jeremiah are reminded of my love for them and the extents I am willing to go in order to give them that piece of comfort.  It's truly rewarding when you realize out of the many mommy mishaps that tend to occur, this is one area where I consistently hit the mark.  It's an amazing feeling.

The connection from daily lunches to weekend meals have a natural flow that exude the same care and time taken to make sure it's right for them.  My desire for their lunches is that a company will take the time to prepare meals as thoughtfully as I do instead of creating these one size fits all meals.  A custom fit meal appopriate to my childrens likes and dislikes would be ideal.