The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner - Easy Family Meals For Every Day Of The Week
By: DianaIn Book/Magazine Review on October 14th, 2008
I must confess, I am the person The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner by Liz Edmunds was written for. My life, the life of the parent of a teenager who is involved in many sports and activities is hectic and quite often out of control especially when it comes to preparing dinner and making healthy food choices. I work away from home most days, but then pick my son up from his activities. Some days he goes from one to another because they are right there at the school. I pick him up we go home and I throw dinner together. If I am tired, when my husband and son declare sandwich night, I cave. Sandwich night usually means everyone makes their own and to me is not always substantial or nutritious enough.
The Food Nanny tells you to stop making excuses and start working together to put together the meal. She makes every night a theme night. You cook for the theme night - which cuts down on the decision making considerably. She gives dinner recipes and ideas for cooking for each of the theme nights, plus adds in salads, sides, desserts and after school snacks.
The theme nights are as follows:
- Monday - Comfort Food
- Tuesday - Italian Night
- Wednesday - Fish & Meatless
- Thursday - Mexican Night
- Friday - Pizza Night
- Saturday - Grill Night
- Sunday - Family Traditions
Once you figure out your theme nights, Liz Edmunds talks about how to plan your menus for two weeks at a time, making lists, and shopping for two weeks at a time. She talks about meal preparation, setting the table and meal time conversation starters if you are struggling with that (we never do, my son loves to talk during dinner). One thing I never considered, she says that you can unobtrusively monitor what and how much your children eat to see if they are having eating issues.
I’m sure you can change the nights to suit your needs, but sticking to a plan will help out immensely to get back on track for the family meals. I find that family meals are so important for communication and bonding together . I can’t help those nights we are out at a sports event after school and don’t come home until late, but I feel extra guilty on those nights I let the family meal slide. I am working harder at it. Tonight we picked my son up from school, he made himself a snack, but I still made the family a delicious meal because I decided to make it important enough to put it in my schedule.
Go to the Food Nanny Website for sample menus and templates, plus sample shopping lists.
About the Author:
Liz Edmunds serves as a part teacher/coach/counselor for families in need of organizational help and cooking instructions so they can implement a family dinner plan in their own homes. She teaches cooking classes at Sur La Table in Salt Lake City and travels around the country as a guest chef. She and her husband are the parents of 7 children and 14 grandchildren. She enjoys bicycling and in-line skating.
From the Food Nanny Rescues Dinner:
8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
4 small red potatoes, quartered
8 ounces low-fat spicy bulk
Italian sausage
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound fresh green beans,
trimmed and cut in half (see Note)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped
fresh parsley
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Romano, Asiago, or
Parmesan cheese, plus additional
PENNE WITH SAUSAGE, RED POTATOES,
AND GREEN BEANS
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. Steam the potatoes or cook them in boiling salted water until tender. At the same time, steam the beans or cook in the microwave until tender, 6 to 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion is soft and the sausage is completely cooked. Pour in the broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the oil and butter until the butter melts. Add the green beans, potatoes, and pasta. Mix well with a large spoon. Add the parsley and
salt and pepper to taste.
4. Decrease the heat to low and sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over the mixture. Cover the pan and cook a few more minutes until the cheese is melted.
5. Serve immediately in the same pot or spoon the mixture into a large, shallow serving bowl or deep platter. Pass the extra cheese.
Note: As a speedy alternative to preparing fresh beans, heat 1 (14.5-ounce) can of cut green beans, drained, in the microwave and add them with the potatoes and pasta.
Can be made Meatless.
