My sister is a fantastic cook. Her social media shows a stream of evidence: Spicy pasta with lobster, perfectly plated and garnished, on a random Wednesday evening (captioned with something about cooking being a stress reliever on a busy day); a casual Saturday evening at home trying recipes from a new cookbook, including Burmese noodles with duck breast and glazed eggplant; a homemade hibachi-style steak dinner for two. She’s childfree, and despite having demanding careers, she and her partner have plenty of time and resources to allow for elaborate meals they often eat at a very European dinnertime of 9 p.m. or so.
She tells people I’m an equally good cook (maybe – I’ll at least accept the title of Better Baker). Dinner at my house, however, is much more likely to look like a lineup of chicken cutlets served with a giant salad, quick pasta dishes that definitely do not involve lobster tails, a super-fast improvised stir fry of whatever’s languishing in the fridge, or some sort of “board, platter, or bowl” concoction so everyone can help themselves around the evening’s schedule. We’ve always had to contend with sports, music, drama, school clubs and events, volunteering, and all of the other things that make up the life of a typically busy family with kids. In our world, dinner might be at 5 p.m. or it might be at 7:30, depending on the night. Leftovers are a regular occurrence. Nobody’s cracking open a new cookbook on a weeknight. In short, my sister and I are not the same.
I sometimes get…wistful? Self-conscious? A little jealous, maybe?…when I see what she’s serving on a given night. But of course, there are a hundred good reasons why our family dinners look totally different from hers, and especially as we head into May – historically one of the busiest times of year – I try to tell myself that dinner does not need to be complicated to be valid. Even if you like to cook, nobody’s got the physical or mental energy to make an elaborate restaurant-quality meal before soccer practice. And if you don’t like to cook, or don’t feel comfortable doing it, your best is absolutely good enough, whether that’s sandwiches or cereal or take-out.
So if you need a reminder, like I do, that it’s okay to get back to basics to keep family meals going in this busy season of life, try some of these suggestions to make the cooking and planning easier. That way, you can focus on the fun and conversation that make dinner together worthwhile.
Remember, in our social-media-fueled culture, it’s easy to compare yourself to others and feel like you’re coming up short. But you don’t have to make everything from scratch or be Julia Child to have great family dinners. Sometimes the most memorable meals are the simplest ones, because of the quality of the time spent together.
Need some additional inspiration? Try one of these popular Board-Style Family Dinners!
As the weather warms up, it’s time to get outside! Try a game of Dink Dink Dunk or What Can You Do With…? for outdoor family fun.
May is for moms, the beginning of graduation season, and it’s also Mental Health Awareness Month. Try some of these conversation starters to mark whichever is most meaningful to you.
