Back to School, Back to the Table

Rosh Hashanah Round Challah

Today's our family's first "real" back to school day and our first full week of routines, homework and afterschool classes are ahead. The first official day of school was Wednesday, but that was almost like an orientation day. Several days off for the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah seriously challenged the momentum of starting school. Though celebrating the new year, with the required apples, challah, and honey, seemed especially appropriate on Wednesday night, the four-day break from school makes today feels like the first time all over again.

The slight chill in the air also hints that summer is really over. We did eat dinner together over the summer, but things were much more relaxed. The norm was eating late or eating very light meals because the older kids were away at camp or with friends. There were many days when less than the five of us were at the dinner table.

Now it feels like back to business. Dinners every weeknight with the challenge of making enough food for a growing teen and tween who have sports practice 4 out of 5 nights and are seriously hungry. It's like rapid re-entry into the days of balancing work, homework, activities, dinner and getting to bed at a decent time, all with the stress and emotions that school can bring. I'm trying to remember how it is possible to cram all this into the few hours left at the end of the day.

Still, it's an exciting time of new beginnings. On Wednesday night, my kids were all aflutter with stories. They were actually shouting over each other to be heard and to tell their tales. We had to calm it down on several occasions to make sure everyone got their turn. Our youngest speaks very slowly and deliberately to be understood, and the older ones could barely mask their frustration as we let her have the floor. This is really what family dinner is about. The give and take and the chance to share the day: to be proud, to pose questions, to listen to others, to give and get feedback on these new experiences, knowing you have this touchstone at home.

La Shana Tova and Happy New Year! To great school years, to great dinners, to great accomplishments for all! Love, peace and happiness above all!

Happy New Year Family Dinner

Photo from www.healthnews.com

Saving money and losing weight often top the list of New Year's resolutions and it's no surprise that cooking at home and having family dinner can help with both those goals. (Plus, it helps with being more connected to loved ones, which is a good resolution too.)

The biggest challenge with resolutions is that most people who make them give up with shocking speed. I think the average time on a diet is one week. This old CNN article tells the tale that at least 30% of people don't keep their New Year's resolutions into February. It's understandable, because change is hard. The best way to change is to make it a part of your routine. Want to exercise more? Get a dog that needs walking or bike to work, or sign up for that exercise with a friend who will absolutely make you go. Want to cook more at home and eat healthy foods? Start out with a weekly shopping trip and a plan, get your family involved and start doing it. Everyday.

For a little inspiration, Bittman starts out the year with a great column on how to stock you fridge and pantry to have the ingredients for easy, delicious meals on hand. There's even more tidbits on his Bitten Blog. And remember, even small changes can make a huge difference. Good advice on picking a manageable healthy eating goal here.

Fresh Start for a New Year? Let's Begin in the Kitchen. Mark Bittman, NYT 01.06.09
What to Ditch in the Kitchen. Bitten Blog, 01.07.09
Recipes for Health A NYT Round-up
New Year's Resolution 2009: One Small Step Toward Healthy Eating. Susan Brady, Health News Blog, 12.28.08

New Year Thoughts

I hate New Year's Resolutions, but somehow I can’t help feeling melancholy at this time of year. I guess New Year's Resolutions are supposed to be upbeat challenges to get your mind off the doldrums you feel mid-winter, after the holidays and after the kids are (finally!) back in school.

To stop all my ruminating, I'll just jump right in. I start back blogging with a funny holiday story and a short, personal to-do list.

Goose Fat
Michael cooked a goose for Christmas. It was delicious, but as Julia Child notes “Goose has a fat problem.” He removed cups and cups of goose fat during the cooking process, but not all of it apparently. So much goose fat is not good for the plumbing, it turns out. After an emergency service call, the plumber, of course, blamed the “wife” for putting grease down the sink. My husband couldn’t find it in himself to own up. Nonetheless, the kids are asking when we can have “cracklings” again. All in all, a triumph for Michael!

To Do List:

• Catch up on Food Reading: namely, Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food and Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
• Learn more about the local food movement, specifically my "local" NYC food network and distribution system.
• Make connections and get word out about eatdinner.org.
• Start our sister site: carfreenation.org.