Samples of "Gather Around The Table"

Guess what? Guess what? My cookbook is now available on Amazon!

 Woo-hoo!

 Anyways, I thought it would be fun to share a sampling of it :-)

 Here is an introduction to a section of the book AND a recipe.

What can I say? I am feeling generous ;-) Enjoy!

Table Talk

Every night we come together to talk about our day and eat dinner around the table. We have this tradition that was started awhile back. I am actually kind of shocked that we came about this tradition the way that we did. I was watching the news one morning and President (I use that term lightly because...well...never mind) Obama said that in the evening their family would talk about their day by referring to it as a rose. They each would talk about a throne – something that was bad about the day. Then they would talk about a rose – something that was good about their day.

We have turned the Obama idea into our “Good and Bad”. We go around the table and say one bad thing that happened and what we could have done differently and one good thing. The rule is you can only say one of each. Sometimes we have a tendency (Parker more so than anyone) to just focus on the bad stuff, so by limiting it to mentioning only one thing it allows us to process it and deal with it then move on.

Usually what happens at our table (ok...ok...this always happens at the table) is we pray, start eating, and Parker says “It is time for good and bad. Who wants to go first? I will just start.” Parker’s good parts usually revolved around defeating Darth Vader somewhere in the galaxy. Annie’s good parts consist of if being Monday and finally being able to go back to school (in case you have not noticed she totally gets that from me. Hee-hee). Logan’s good parts are usually about a Pokémon battle he and his best friend had that afternoon. Charlie’s good part is about a sign he was able to sell, collect, or finish. My good parts are about how I enjoyed walking the kids to school and the cow that lives on the land across from the school mooed at me...I love cows.

The talk of the day continues. We are able to hash out upcoming events and who is going where and doing what. Annie tells us how much she loves salad, Logan tells me I am the best cook ever, and Parker makes sure to mention how good dinner is. My ego is stroked and all is right in the world!

Meal Four

Vegetable Cheese Soup

If you have been cooking using this book for the last three nights and following the meals......and let’s face it – you are not – but let’s just pretend that you are, shall we? Okay, so you have been cooking the last three nights following these amazing recipes and you realize that you are kind of sick of your oven and your stove top is beginning to feel abandoned. It needs some love. Tonight’s dinner we are gonna fire it up and make Parker’s favorite soup. I like this soup because it has vegetables in it and the kids (especially Parker!) ask for seconds and thirds every time I make it. Not only that, but this is super easy to make and takes little time and prep work.

32 ounces of chicken broth

32 ounces frozen mix of cauliflower and broccoli

24 ounces Velveeta cheese (that stuff that comes in a box that is highly processed, salty, and totally and completely bad for you! Know what I am talking about?)

Open up your frozen veggies and place in a strainer and run warm water over them to thaw slightly. Let them dry out a bit as you do the next few steps. Now, cut up that stuff pretending to be cheese into about 1 inch cubes. Place fake artery clogging cheese in a big pot. Turn your stove on to about low – medium to medium heat and start to melt that yellow gunk that is pretending to be cheese. Now add the broth and stir. As that starts to get warm take veggies and place in the blender with a little bit of the soup mix and blend. You want the veggies to turn to an icee consistency. Once the veggies are sufficiently blended – and what I mean by that is they are unrecognizable by anyone under the age of 7 – add it to the soup on the stove top. Stir and heat. Stir and heat. Stir and heat. Serve with pretzel rods.

As your family eats feel mixed emotions – good about getting them to eat their veggies bad because of the arties you are clogging with that pretend soft orange yellow (depending on how old it is) brick of fake wanna be cheese you disguised the good veggies with!