What’s for Dinner? FAMILY VALENTINE’S DAY FEAST
BY RERE LUNSFORD. PHOTOS BY MORGAN LYNN HAMMONTREE.
Since the kitchen is my home-away-from- home, I quickly learned that getting my kids in the kitchen with me is a great way to spend time with them and make them part of the meal prep process (with hopes that will make them like a vegetable or two!) From make-your-own pizza night to fancy grilled cheese night, if I’ve learned anything about cooking with my kids, it’s that they love choices. There’s something powerful about getting to customize your meal. Customizing is not always feasible, but one thing we have mastered is snacks. There’s nothing better than a snack plate with a variety of things to nibble on, and you can create one for any occasion. After years of calling them “mama’s lunchables,” I discovered a big snack plate is called a charcuterie board. I also discovered that when you throw your snacks on a big wooden cutting board and post it on social media, you up your mom game by 10 points. For Valentine’s Day we’re opting to forgo the meat and cheese charcuterie board and tap into our sweeter side with a mix of chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate dipped wafers with heart
sprinkles. A side of blueberries and apple slices provides balance, along with some peanut butter Greek yogurt dip. For some reason the ability to snack on a variety of things laid out in front of them makes my kids more willing to try new things. Kids are weird like that. They also like dips (no one can deny the power of a good dip!) and to eat things in ball form. My son snubs meatloaf, but if I roll the exact same concoction into small meatballs, he’s all about it. Making meatballs together combines the perfect amount of fun and mess and by making a garlic honey sauce, there’s enough ingredients for everyone to get a turn contributing before rolling up our sleeves. I’m thankful my boys have discovered the love of cooking. We hope your family will, too, using these recipes to create a special Valentine’s dinner together. Editor’s note: This is the second article in a three-part series exploring ideas for cooking as a family from local moms. ReRe Lunsford is a Norman mom of two boys and an adjunct journalism professor at The University of Oklahoma.
The kitchen is the heart and soul of a home for many families. It’s where we make memories and yummy meals. It’s also where, as a mom, you can feel like you spend the majority of your time. If someone says they’ve been in the kitchen for nine years, believe them!
8 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / FEBRUARY 2020
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting