CurrentMom

Family Dinners: An Imperfect but Important Meal Ideal

Work Wednesday

Monday was Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children^TM. The initiative was sponsored by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), a non-governmental think tank that focuses on the effects of substance abuse and develops innovative ways to prevent and combat it. CASA just published a study, The Importance of Family Dinners V, showing that "dinner makes a difference."  Specifically, that the more often children - here, teenagers ages 12-17 -  have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use drugs. 

CASA's high-profile campaign came complete with a Presidential Proclamation from Barack Obama and endorsements from high-profile sponsors. And with a tool kit containing some recipes, courtesy of such sponsors, for items such as chili and cheese spirals (featuring Smucker's orange marmalade (!)) and fruit kabobs with creamy cherry peanut butter dip.  (Cherry peanut butter?) And also with cues for conversation starters. Like "Using one word, how would you describe your family?" And "What is your favorite smell in the whole world?"

Now, before you get the idea that I'm mocking Family Day, I want to make clear that I'm not. Family Day is an excellent idea. It's just that I just can't imagine any kid - especially my preschooler and kindergartner - chowing down on some of the suggested fare.  (Orange marmalade with green chiles?)  And I can safely predict that my three-year-old's  response to the "smell" question would end, rather than start, a dinnertime conversation. 

Traveling, by Eating

Travel Tuesday

Traveling, by eating… now there's a concept. I was pondering this after reading a blog entry the other day, titled "A little slice of somewhere else." The title appealed to me so I gave it a further read. Whilst it was more about naming restaurants to go to in sunny Melbourne when looking for an international food fix, it got me thinking: why couldn't you do this as a basis to travel the world, via your stomach?

"Hmm, I would really like to go to India," says Mother.

 

Google the closest Indian restaurant, get in the car and dine there.

 

"I would love to visit Italy," says Father.

 

Google a nearby Italian restaurant, get in the car and dine there the next week.

 

"We really want to go to Africa," say the Children.

 

Google the closest African restaurant, get in the car and dine there the week after.

Healthy and Flavorful Turkey Taco Recipe: All in One Pot

Meal Monday

I love food and I love cooking. I especially love cooking for my family and friends. I'm not huge on presentation – much to some of my guests' chagrin, I'm sure – but I love thinking about how to make a healthy, substantial meal that is universally appealing, easy to make and relatively cheap. I used to lie awake at night challenging myself to design new menus that met those criteria.

Now that I'm a working mom up in the middle of the night for a new set of reasons, the criteria for a perfect meal have become even tougher. Make it in 20 minutes (who has more than that?!); make it good not only for dinner, but also for the next three lunches (gotta save money!); do it in one pot (washing dishes takes forever!); and try to get protein, veggies and flavor all in a single dish (side dishes are not an option!).

Here's a turkey taco recipe I've been making for a while. It's simple, but it gets the job done, and contains lots of lean protein and some veggies.  You may even already have all the ingredients on hand.

How to Set Prices for Your Entrepreneurial Product

Startup Sunday

Photo by Robyn Gallagher via Flickr.

Last month, I wrote about how small business owners set prices for services they provide. Now, I'm going to tackle how to set prices for products that your business makes. The cost of your entrepreneurial product is one of the most critical factors in the success of your business, so take your time setting prices.

Research the Market

The first step to set prices for your entrepreneurial product is to research your competitors and customers. Look at prices for comparable items, whether they are made by small businesses or major corporations.

Be brutally realistic about whether your product is higher or lower quality than your competitors, and adjust your numbers accordingly. If Fisher-Price is selling a dollhouse for $30 and you feel your hand-made version is higher quality, survey potential customers about how much more they'd be willing to pay. $5? $10? $2? In these tight-fisted times, people are counting pennies and may not be eager to pay more for an unknown brand -- even if it appears to be higher quality.

Mother Heal Thyself

Sharing Saturday

What happens when mom gets sick? The potential for chaos is high as is the extra dose of guilt on top of the endless nasal drip. That’s where I am as I type this blog post. My nose is like the kitchen sink, a cough for added measure, and a full feeling of body aches. I’m sure that this is something that many can relate to, if not all of you. So what is a Mom to do?

Last time I checked, I don’t get "sick days" from my family duties. (It’s tough for me to take those for work!) The best part is, I can attribute this cold to my son, who was sick last week. I’m all for his learning to share, but this is taking it a little too far.

When do you get to the point where it is more important to "outsource" your mom duties and focus on getting better? I have a lucky situation where grandparents are plentiful and always happy to help out.  But I feel guilty even asking. Over time, it’s something that I have to just "get over."  While I know they are happy to help, I also know that I am not asking for an easy thing. And I feel selfish for wanting the time to get better.

So it is time to take stock: at what point do I need to ask for help? For everyone, there is a different answer to this question. For some, hospitalization is necessary before help is asked for. For others, the smallest sniffle is enough. I’m somewhere in the middle: normally, I can handle a cold. But for this one, I’m opting for help. On top of being sick, I’m also pregnant. I’m convinced that my body can only do one task at a time: build a baby OR heal itself. 

The added joy is that my arsenal of over-the-counter medication is very small, as I can only take medications that are safe during pregnancy. (No NyQuil for me!) Somewhere in my foggy-brain state, it dawned on me: Hillary Clinton was onto something when she said, "It takes a Village to raise a child."  I’m thankful that I can enlist my village and that they are willing to support me. Now I have to get back to my own healing, so that I can be there for my family.  And if I look on the bright side, at least it's not the flu!