A Recipe for Family Bonding

We love a family dinner.  We don’t have one every night.  Because life.  Sure, we always manage to eat, but it is sometimes from a drive-through. Don’t judge.  And sometimes I only have time to dine standing up, eating the kids’ leftovers as I load their plates into the dishwasher.  Okay, maybe you can judge a little.  

Often, we don’t all eat the same food, even when we sit down together.  I have told the kids for years that if they don’t like what is on the menu at Chez Mom (…after they at least try it, that is.  And not just put their tongue in its general vicinity, but actually try it…), their other option is a peanut butter sandwich.  I refuse to make a second full-out meal, but I have given up on forcibly broadening their culinary horizons. Turns out, however, peanut butter is Ryan’s love language.  So while the rest of the family enjoys chicken fried rice or Boilermaker chili, Ryan typically prefers to subsist on a PB, hold the J. 

But I can always bring them to the table with a roast.  If my family can all agree on one thing, it is that carrots and potatoes belong in a crock pot with beef. If Baylor’s keen nose detects even a hint of red meat in the air, he has been known to abandon a video game to investigate. And that, my friends, is saying something. 

Pioneer Woman recipes are also an across-the-board hit for my clan.  I don’t know what she did to earn their loyalty.  Actually, I do.  It was baked ziti.  In any event, the kids have come to trust her taste so much that I may have even attributed a couple of “extra” recipes to her, from time to time.  “Yes, kiddos, the Pioneer Woman makes this quinoa spinach salad.  You’ll love it.” Sorry, Ree.

My father-in-law, Steve, made our dining table. Yes, with his bare hands.  Or tools.  Whatever, you get the point. The wood for the table came from trees cut down on our land.  The table is too new to be an heirloom, but I imagine someday it will be just that. It’s certainly a special spot to gather.

But, really, it doesn’t matter what we eat or where we sit, as long as we are together. Just the ability to share a meal makes us truly blessed. I mean, grilled grouper tacos in Marco Island would be ideal, but pizza on the couch could be just as good.  The point is that we spend some time together.  That we show up for each other and spend a good 20 minutes interacting like, well, a family. Sometimes we chat about the best part of our day, and sometimes we referee sibling bickering matches.  And some evenings we get out The Family Dinner Box of Questions. 

Before you ask, this is not a box of thoughtful questions I pulled out of thin air and handwrote like some Pinterest queen.  This is a cute little container that our friendly UPS man brought to us straight from the Amazon warehouse.  We all take turns answering whatever question is posed on the card we draw. The box contains such conversation-starting gems as: “Is there a household chore that you actually like doing?” (Nope.) and “If you could trade lives with any relative for 24 hours, who would it be?” (The dog, obviously.) 

I would like to tell you that you could go to Amazon and snag a Box of Questions yourself, but, alas, it is listed as currently unavailable.  So I will do even better and give you a few more of my favorites, instead:

• What is your favorite family tradition?
• What has a family member said or done for you this week that was very thoughtful?
• Where is the coziest spot in your home?
• Where do your first and last name come from?
• If your family had a motto, what would it be?
• What qualities do you look for in a friend?
• What do you like most about the person on your right?
• Have you ever gotten in trouble for something you did not do?
• What is one thing you want to do this year?
• What class would you like to take in school that is not offered?
• Describe a perfect weekend.
• What do you think is the greatest invention of all time?
• If you were given $1 million to give to charity, which one would you choose?

Pick a few questions, and give it a try. You may find out something new about a family member.  Or just have a few laughs. Either way, the exercise will distract your offspring from arguing over the last crescent roll.  Box of Questions for the win.