Lydia & Asa making a salad last night
I think I have established that I am not a chef. I totally love food. Obviously. But meal planning is not my forte. Hence my love affair with Once a Month Mom and E-Mealz. One thing I’ve always tried to do is make the kids part of cooking dinner. They love it! What is a chore for me is a special treat to them!
Last week I decided to make meatballs {Yes, my husband is still a vegetarian. We ate them for lunch!}. But I didn’t want to get my hands dirty. So I poured everything into a bowl and let the kids have at it. No, the meatballs weren’t evenly shaped. And yes, my almost-vegetarian daughter said, “I love the feel of meat in my hands!” But it got done!
So, as part of my back-to-school resolutions, I’m going to start involving them as much as possible with cooking–dinner AND packing lunches! It makes it (mostly) easier for me and the kids learn something new while contributing to our family! In fact, tonight, I didn’t let the kids help me with dinner and they were running around the house pretending to be cats. By the time dinner was finished, they had stuck homemade goo to the floor and been in trouble for whining. If they had been cooking with me, that may have been avoided! Plus, don’t you think cooking counts as a credit towards homeschooling or something?
What’s your Back-to-School Resolution? How ’bout trying making dinner as a family? It might be a fun one to conquer! Leave me a comment about dinner at your house or your Back-to-School resolution and win this FABULOUS prize pack from Nestle: a $25 MasterCard rewards card, $20 in school supplies, Stouffer’s VIP coupons, Tombstone VIP coupons, a Family Dinner Box of Questions (I have this box of questions & Lydia LOVES to do it at dinner!) and a Nestlé Family coupon booklet!
If you’d like an additional entry, leave a comment for each of the following:
1. Tweet: My Back-to-School resolution is to WIN A PRIZE PACK from @oohamanda! http://wp.me/p6p4p-2CJ
2. Like ohAmanda on facebook.
3. Visit Nestle’s Back-to-School site (there’s all kinds of great ideas PLUS a really great sweepstakes!)
Also (totally giveaway unrelated) join me on today on Nestle’s Facebok page to discuss Back-to-School resolutions! Next week Bridgette Duplantis from The Not-So-Blog will be sharing her resolution, too! CONTEST CLOSED!!
This is part 2 of a 3-part series with Nestle’s Back-to-School campaign. I’m being compensated to share MY ideas on THEIR topic with YOU.
I love getting the kids help me cook. Some days I have to get past my desire to cook as neatly as possible to let them help, but when I do, I am reminded about how much fun it is.
I follow oh amanda on facebook
My back to school resolution is to try to calm down and not stress out between homework time and dinner time. It always seems like chaos around here between 4 and 6 and I’d like to keep it peaceful.
tweet-http://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/106719877355675648
I like you on FB with my username Mary Happymommy.
I visited the Nestle site. I love their fresh fruit swirl recipe.
our back to school resolution is eating at the dinner table as a family again- during the summer time- the kids were always at someone elses house or outside playing and we all ate separately-
tcogbill at live dot com
i like you on fb
tess c
tcogbill at live dot com
i ented the sweepstake-thanks
tcogbill at live dot com
My Back-to-School resolution is to eat together as a family at least twice a week!!
I tweeted this giveaway @stacia527
I like ohamanda on FB
I love the Strawberry-Banana Breakfast shake and the Oatmeal Banana Crunch Cookies on the Nestle Back-to-School site
To teach my kids to be more “pro-active” for themselves rather than re-active. I think (actually I know) I do too much for them. Time to teach independence!
I also follow you on Facebook 🙂
green bean casserole is a favorite dinner at my house.
My back to school resolution is to freeze more meals and sandwiches for lunches so they are ready for busy school nights.
I liked you on facebook!
I visited the Nestle site….great recipes. I especially like the juicy juice pops for an after school snack.
Make sure we keep our game nights
https://twitter.com/#!/Ladytink_534/status/106994333139480576
I LIKE you on FB~ Jen Tink
entered nestle family sweepstakes
We’re creating a menu and sticking to it. It makes shopping easier and we never have to ponder what’s for dinner. We also prepare lunches before going to bed so we don’t have to stress of the next days lunch. We cook & eat at home rather than eating out.
Tweet – https://twitter.com/#!/NCBelle36/status/107075904710262784
Like OhAmanda on Facebook
I love the Nestle Back To School site. There are tons of good ideas and suggestions. I especially like the Weeknight Rescues: 5 Ways to Prep So Meals are A Cinch article.
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ugh….I am not a fan of cooking…..but I am hoping that when I get my new kitchen in a few months I will be inspired!!!! We do always eat together!
My resolution is to have a sit down dinner with the family every night. It’s easy in the summer…but with activities beginning when school does, it gets a little harder.
Thanks!
jackievillano at gmail dot com
I need to make myself involve the kids more at dinner time–sometimes it just seems so much easier to do it myself! Also, my 13 month old wouldn’t be much help yet. 🙂 But, my older daughter LOVES to help, especially in the kitchen. By the way, I love the picture of your kiddos in the kitchen!
I visited the Nestle website–they’ve got a lot of neat stuff on there!
I’ve just started including my 4 year old in my dinner making plans; we make a grocery list together, grocery shop together (I give her a couple things from the list that she is in charge of getting) and then we make dinner together. She loves to add things to the bowl/pan, and it keeps her from getting into things she shouldn’t while I’m preoccupied with cooking!
I’ve liked ohamanda on facebook!
I visited Nestle’s site and came across several craft project ideas that I will definitely put into use soon! Thank you!
I just found you from the Tommy Nelson blog. Thanks for the encouragement in starting the school off well. I am determined to have my daughter start right away with being intentional about putting her things away for school each day when she gets home, as well as making healthy lunches for her each day that she will love!
And I am now following you on Facebook! Thanks!
I’m new here. I always try to make dinner for my family four times a week. It may not sound like much, but I work about 12 hours a day. It’s important.
Nice site you have here.
Okay, girl. You inspired me. I made meatballs last night with my kids. They tasted gross, and no amount of spaghetti sauce (out of the jar, of course) could make them taste okay, but I figured since I picked the recipe with the least amount of ingredients, they had the least amount of taste. Lesson learned. But it was fun! I tried to control my OCD-ness and only made Max wash his hands three (maybe four) times in the process. Thanks for inspiring me!
Back to school resolution: Plan meals with my 4 year old and include her in the shopping and preparing for the meals. She is a very picky eater and I’ve heard that the more they are included the more they are willing to try new things. Hoping for a good school year!
eat more at home is always our goal! involving my girls more in meal prep is something I need to work on! Thanks 🙂
I tweeted! @jenilee220
I liked you on facebook 🙂
FYI – one of my Top Ten Tues posts was published in a Christian emagazine. 🙂 Thanks for hosting your link up!
http://emotionofgod.com/PF/BOL_082011/Default.html pg 26-27
My back to school resolution is to get more reading done, I never have time to read and now I have a little extra time and I would love to finish some of the books I have been neglecting
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I liked oh amanda on facebook
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I visited Nestles back to school website and learned some great things about getting conversations started with your kids beyond a one word answer, I think it will be a helpful tool!
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My back to school resolution is to be better organized this year and be on a good homework,dinner,bath and bed schedule
I want to keep it simple and fun and include the kids more in helping me make dinner. Although they are young they are very capable and I want to take moments to teach them even more in the kitchen – and not worry about messes all the time.