Hasta La Ideas

Getting a nutritious, warm meal on the table each night for dinner can be stressful. Even though I plan our meals each week, I still look for ways to make the process easier and run more smoothly. For advice on how to reduce the stress, I decided to interview large families to see how they manage the chaos and keep their families full.

The families: I interviewed 10 families with three or more children. Four of the families have three children, three of the families have four children, two have six children, and one has eight children. Ages range from two weeks old to seniors in high school, but all the families have at least one or more children in elementary school. In half the families, both parents work or are in school full time. In the other half, the father has a full-time job outside the home and the mother manages the business of the house. These families live all across the U.S. and they are all two-parent families.

The interviews were surprising in many ways, but what caught me off guard was how often I heard similar responses. I was not expecting there to be as many trends in the answers as there were. There seems to be an art to feeding large families, and all of the families I interviewed are accomplished artists. The biggest trend I found is that mealtime is a focus of the day for these families and dinner is not something these families just want to get through. Dinner is a valued destination and is the one time each day when these families come together as a unit.

Trends

• Eat together. In 8 of the 10 responses, the entire family eats together at the dining table at least six nights a week. In one family, dinner is at 4:00 p.m. so the family can eat together before the kids go off to practices and lessons. The father of this family goes to work at 6:00 in the morning so he can be home by 4:00 for the family meal. Another family gives kids high-protein snacks after school to keep them from attacking each other before dinnertime at 7:00 p.m., when everyone is finally home from work and after-school activities. Irrespective of when they eat, these families place a high priority on dinners together. Most sit down to dinner around 5:00 p.m. Six of the families reported sharing breakfast together, too.
• Eat at home. The children eat at home, and they eat food made at home. One family said they do pizza delivery six times a year for their kids, but that was the only mention of restaurants in the entire survey.
• Weekly meal planning. All families reported doing some type of meal planning. Whether it means they plan meals based on what the local butcher and stores have on sale (almost all subscribe to the weekend paper to get coupons and sale announcements), build meals on what the CSA delivers or what is in ample supply at the farmers market, scribble meal ideas on the back of grocery lists, or use a formal meal-planning chart — they rarely fly blind. None of the families do monthly meal planning.
• Prepare ahead. The majority of respondents said that some meal preparation is completed earlier in the day. Vegetables might be chopped or casseroles are assembled or items are put in the slow cooker or meat is defrosted hours before dinnertime (usually while preparing breakfast). In three families, fathers make their lunches and their children’s lunches for the next day while the rest of the family cleans up after dinner.
• Shopping at more than one location. Not only did families report wanting to get the best deals, but they also want to get the best food for their dollars. Almost all families reported to buying only hormone-and-antibiotic-free meat (when they eat meat), relying on farmers markets for produce during the summer, and eating as little commercially packaged food as possible. This meant that grocery shopping didn’t happen in one weekly trip to one store, but to many locations to get exactly what they want. All families reported that the majority of shopping is done on the same day each week, but that one or two “quick trips” are made to pick up additional items later in the week.
• Very little meat. More than half of the families said they only eat meat a couple times a week. Although cost might be part of the reasoning for this decision, health concerns and freezer space were the reported motivations. None of the families interviewed is strictly vegetarian.
• Everyone eats the same meal. None of the families make entirely separate meals for picky eaters. A few families said they make extra portions of favorite foods for picky eaters that they freeze so if one food at a meal is refused, there is an alternative on hand. However, the child is responsible for heating up this side dish on her own and can only do so if the leftover is available. In families with children with food allergies or intolerances, the whole family follows the special diet. One responder said she tries to incorporate two new main dishes into the meal plan each week. She does this to introduce her children to new foods and new flavors, but pairs the entrees with favorite side dishes in case the meal isn’t a hit.
• Teaching opportunity. Seven of the families responded that mealtime is also a great time to teach life skills, like organizing. Their children are involved in cooking, planning, cleaning, and even creating a food budget and shopping. One mother occasionally changes the serving sizes on recipes to have her kids work the math problems.
• Divide responsibilities. Again, 8 of the 10 families reported that all family members help in the mealtime process. A young child sets the table, an older one slices vegetables, a third child grates cheese, one sweeps the floor after dinner, one rinses the dishes, dad loads the dishwasher, etc. In only one family do children sit and do their homework while mom and dad prepare the meal. In this family, the children are responsible for cleaning up, however.
• The head chef. Mom is usually in the role of head chef, but sometimes it is dad and sometimes it is an older child. Irrespective of who it is, the head chef is responsible for coordinating what responsibilities each person in the family has for that night’s dinner. This coordinator doesn’t do all the work, but rather makes sure all the work surrounding mealtime is completed. One family explained the head chef’s role as being similar to a conductor’s role in an orchestra. Who will be head chef for a night is determined during the meal planning stage.

Additional advice

• One family doesn’t use formal serving dishes, just puts the pots and pans right on the table, to save on dishwashing later.
• Once a week, one family eats off china dishes and pretends to be dining in a fine restaurant, complete with dress code. This isn’t really organizing related, but I found it interesting nonetheless.
• In a family with six children, favorite meals are rotated into the plan at one a week, so it takes eight weeks but each family member gets their favorite meal six times a year. Favorite meals are tracked on the central family calendar.
• One family makes double portions and freezes half for a meal they’ll eat in a week or two.
• Surprisingly, the only two families that relied on make-ahead services like Dream Dinners were the two families that eat in shifts and not together. Both of these families also only have three children. My guess is that price is a factor in using these services, and that they are too expensive for very large families to use on a regular basis.
• One mother writes what the family had for dinner on a family calendar and then reviews the calendar when meal planning to make sure one food doesn’t get into heavy rotation.
• One family has a no complaining rule and anyone who complains about the meal has to wash all the dishes by hand even though they have a dishwasher. Again, this isn’t really organizing related, but I thought it was a fun rule.
• Only one responder mentioned making dessert each night. Dessert doesn’t seem to be a regular part of large family meals, at least for the families I interviewed.
• I didn’t ask this question, but six families reported mom and dad go out on a date night on the same night each week. On these nights, the children still typically eat a meal prepared at home, but they eat together with a sitter or grandparent.

The responder with eight children (her oldest is only 12) summed up her mealtime perspective with a nice catch phrase: “Keep the majors major and the minors minor.” For her, the major is sitting down to a meal with her family each night. The minors are missed ingredients and foods that didn’t turn out exactly right. I believe this perspective and the insights listed above can help all of us, regardless of family size, to reduce the stress surrounding mealtime.

Like this site? Buy Erin Rooney Doland’s Unclutter Your Life in One Week from Amazon.com today.

A ceramic overhaul to the classic kitchen grinder

A lot of ingenuity is required to rework a classic. Swiss company Kuhn Rikon recently had in-house designer Philipp Beyeler take on the iconic pepper grinder to create a fun design object informed by contemporary materials and ergonomics. The ratchet mechanism is more intelligent than a traditional twist grinder, and there’s something to be said for a design that brings an element of playfulness to the mundane task of cracking pepper.

The grinder’s personality resembles that of a small creature—a detail that’s enhanced by the ratchet’s chirping sound. We received a green one, which offers a nice pop of color and feels contemporary, but there are more classic colors available to fit any kitchen’s scheme. Made from high-grade ceramic, the grinder can withstand the salt and moisture that erode a metal grinder over time. Ceramic also allows for high precision grinding from powdered dust to coarse chunks.

The Kuhn Rikon Ratchet Grinder is available from Amazon for $20.

Superfood snack-makers combine all-natural, gluten-free ingredients for a surprisingly tasty treat

Touted as the only whole grain that’s a complete source of protein, South American quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids and has thus become one of the most favored superfoods in recent years. To harvest the health benefits of the gritty grain in a tasty way, I Heart Keenwah makes surprisingly delicious little snack squares packed with gluten-free, all-natural ingredients.

Of the four available flavors—almond, cranberry cashew, ginger peanut and chocolate sea salt—we preferred the chocolate sea salt and almond for their modest, yet distinctive flavor. Although some of us were a bit apprehensive to dive headfirst into the superfood snack when Josh and Evan brought them in to the office this morning, after one little Keenwah cluster I was hooked. The salted almonds added to the intense crunch from the quinoa, while the sweet honey flavor was the perfect compliment to really pull the natural ingredients together.

Unlike artificial snack foods these tasty little morsels are filling, healthful and actually taste really good. For now Keenwah is only available in stores across Chicago, Milwaukee, Mineapolis and New York, with additional availability through their online store where a four-ounce bag goes for $5.

Tomorrow, November 15, is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day in the U.S. I’m not really sure who decided to declare such a day, but my guess is a refrigerator manufacturer or food producer had something to do with it. I only know about it because of Hallmark’s Ultimate Holiday Site, which tracks the most absurd holidays. (Case in point, today is National Guacamole and Pickle Day.) Although zany, Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day makes a teensy bit of sense being so close to Thanksgiving — it is a good idea to make room in your refrigerator for all the food that will be needing space in the coming days.

When cleaning out a refrigerator that hasn’t been tended to in many months, I like to tackle it in the following manner:

• Gather supplies. Two large trash bags nested one inside the other (food is heavy and a broken bag makes a huge mess) is a must. You’ll also want a bucket with fresh, warm (not hot) water and mild dish detergent with a sponge. Also, a roll of paper towels or a few clean hand towels are good to have with you to dry the shelves when you’re finished wiping them down, especially for the freezer. Finally, I recommend having a notepad and pen handy so you can create a shopping list as you work.
• Purge all food past its prime. Working from top to bottom, clear out all food from your refrigerator that is expired, rotten, and not good for eating. If you don’t know if something is edible, check StillTasty.com. If a food is in a jar or bottle and you can’t find its expiration date, visit the company’s website. Many websites have sections where you can enter the item’s bar code and learn its shelf life information.
• Wipe it down. Give all the walls and shelves of your refrigerator a firm but gentle scrubbing. Clean up all spills, leaks, and general yuckiness that can dirty up the inside of your refrigerator.
• Organize. In addition to putting like items with like items (making it easier to retrieve foods, as well as remembering what items you have), consider employing some advanced organizing techniques. Add stackable, removable shelves or under shelf baskets to better separate items. Use shelf liners to make it easier to clean up future messes and to keep round foods from rolling. If your crisper is where foods go to mold, try removing your drawers so you won’t forget about your produce (if you’re a visual processor, this may really help you). Also, learn what the recommended cooling temperatures for your food are so you know where the best place is inside your refrigerator to store each item.
• Clean the containers. Now is a great time to wash all the reusable food containers that may have been hiding storing rotted items.

While you’re working, it’s also nice to inspect the seals on your refrigerator. Are they letting air escape? If they are, you can likely replace them yourself for not very much money or effort. Check your manufacturer’s website for exact information on the replacement seal required for your specific refrigerator model.

If your workplace refrigerator is in need of a good cleaning, you still have time to organize a clean-up project for tomorrow. You may want to add rubber gloves to your list of supplies, though. You never know what science experiments are happening in the back of those shelves.

Random note: November 15 is also Sadie Hawkins Day, so if you are female you can ask a male to help you clean out your refrigerator and celebrate two bizarre holidays at once.

Like this site? Buy Erin Rooney Doland’s Unclutter Your Life in One Week from Amazon.com today.

Ceramics, candles, hand printed agendas and more from one of our favorite Parisian brands

It took a recent visit to one of our favorite Paris shops to realize that despite using their products all the time we’ve never written about them. Astier de Villatte is a 15 year old lifestyle powerhouse founded by Benoît Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli. Their unique take on ceramics, paper goods, perfumes, candles, furniture, silverware, glassware and more are created in a Bastille workshop that used to house Napolean’s silversmith.

They are perhaps best known for their 18th- and 19th-century inspired handmade ceramics, many of which are designed with the equally multi-talented French artist Nathalie Lété. Their team of twenty ceramicists (perhaps the biggest in Paris) makes pottery the way Benoît’s father taught him and his siblings. Starting with black Terracotta, each piece is finished with a milky glaze that amplifies the unique character of the clay, celebrating its imperfections and ensuring that no two pieces are exactly alike.

A similar nod to the past styles and methods can be found in many of their other products, from scented erasers to the only hand-typeset agenda in the world. The two-page week layout also includes an important 8th day that changes each week, named after some of their favorite foods (Cassouletday anyone?). Created with a vintage printing press, the new 2012 agendas feature the same signature mosaic pattern and bright colors but now include the Astier team’s insider tips on their favorite venues in New York as well as Paris. Studiohomme has a great video visiting Astier de Villate’s print and ceramic workshops:

The candle market is certainly a saturated one, but quality shines through in these glass or ceramic votives with vegetable wax candles, often named for places that inspire olfactory overload: Alcatraz, Algiers, Honolulu and Naples among them. Recent additions include a series made in conjunction with Françoise Caron and the Japan-based fragrance company, Takasago: Cabourg, Quebec, Broadway, Zermatt and Yakushima. We’ve had the soda-inspired “Broadway” scent burning in the office for the last week—a nice way to rid the office from the smell of its new lunchtime infatuation with the Schnipper’s Chicken Club sandwich.

Also new this fall is a collaboration with New York-based designer John Derian. The artist worked mostly on small plates, painting them with his signature menagerie of birds and insects, as well as sweetheart symbols and everyday household items. The John Derian collection for Astier de Villatte, as well as many other of their products, are available at his NYC boutique.

Astier de Villatte has a few shops in Paris, is available on their site and at stores in many countries. Check their site for details.

See more of our favorite items in the gallery below.