The Family Dinner Teachers Lounge 5-9-2017

[scrapbookbuzz]

Good morning, all! The Teachers Lounge is now OPEN.

 

Last night, for the first time in awhile, we had a sit down family dinner. It was so enjoyable! 

Lots of laughter accompanied by good food, if I do say so myself.  ;)

Followed by some Scripture reading. DH asked our almost 13yo ds to read from the Bible. 

DS said, "What do you want me to read?" DH responds,"What do you want to read?"

DS answers, "What's that Psalm everyone always reads?"  :cool:  I said, "Psalm 23" and that was

the one he wanted. He and I can often "read" each other's minds.  :D

Anyway, it was so neat to have him pick a passage and then read it. He's a pretty amazing boy!

 

How often does your family sit down for a family dinner? Here: see above. I wish it was more but so often

we seem to be going in different directions OR it's just me and the kids because either dh works late or I just 

have no idea when he's going to be home.

 

If you don't have family dinner together, do you all sit down together for a different meal? Here: I've thought through

our other options. Lunch just really isn't feasible and dh often leaves for work before our kids are awake for the day.

 

Any bakers/people who like to bake here in the Lounge? Here: a professional baker I am not but I do like to bake. I find

it easier than cooking. Today I may make some gluten-free apple spice muffins, as well as some gf lemon poppyseed muffins, and some zucchini bread. Should be good snacking in the Lounge tomorrow!  :001_tt1:

 

Talk to me! :bigear:

[FaithManor]

We do not have family dinner much because the boys' college schedules are crazy and then with 4H and rocket team we are on the go a ton. I do a lot of crockpot, serve yourself at your convenience dinners.

 

Not a baker. Never have been. Dd however is a great baker and seems to enjoy it.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We rarely eat together anymore. Dh and I often eat together in front of the tv. Dd usually eats earlier and is volunteering by the time dinner rolls around. Ds is often eating while studying. Or he will eat later when he has a break from his studying.

 

Dd makes a bit of money from her quick bread/ cookie business that was passed down from her brother. Most of her business is on college breaks when local college students are around.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ScoutTN]

We eat breakfast together almost every day except Saturdays and dinner usually 5x a week. During the school year, we eat Wed night dinner at church and the kids usually eat with their friends. Dh misses eating with us a night or two each week, depending on scouts meetings. 

 

Baking. No expert, but yes, I do like to bake. Dd and I made some blondies with hazelnuts and chocolate chunks for teacher gifts this week and they are amazing! Trouble is Dh and I need to eat low carb, so I don't bake often. Not enough willpower! 

 

 

[Butter]

Family Dinner: All of us?  A couple times a week.  Parents and littles, most of the time.  Teens are working during dinner most days.

 

Other meals: Breakfast on Sunday.  Jamie's off to work when the rest of us eat breakfast weekdays.  The kids and I have lunch together.

 

Bakers: Not me, but my daughter loves to bake.

[scrapbookbuzz]

We eat breakfast together almost every day except Saturdays and dinner usually 5x a week. During the school year, we eat Wed night dinner at church and the kids usually eat with their friends. Dh misses eating with us a night or two each week, depending on scouts meetings. 

 

Oh, the bolded part! Makes me think of when my mom was the kitchen hostess at church and we always had to get there early on Wednesdays so she could get the main dish cooked for 100+ people. She'd cook the main dish and everyone else brough potluck sides and deserts. Fond memories of that! Especially when she made Swedish Meatballs as the entree. Delicious!

[Selkie]

We eat dinner together at least five or six nights a week. Most of our activities happen during the day rather than in the evening, so that makes it easier. We don't actually spend that much time together at the table, though, because my kids eat in about five minutes flat and then disappear.  :001_rolleyes:

 

Everyone is pretty much on their own for breakfast and lunch, although dh and I do manage to eat breakfast together a few times a week.

 

I used to like baking a lot, but I don't do it much anymore. Dh and I stopped eating gluten and have reduced our grain consumption, so baking is trickier now and I don't have the energy to figure it out.  :tongue_smilie:

[scrapbookbuzz]

 

I used to like baking a lot, but I don't do it much anymore. Dh and I stopped eating gluten and have reduced our grain consumption, so baking is trickier now and I don't have the energy to figure it out.  :tongue_smilie:

Selkie, I get it! That's why I was thrilled to find Pamela's (brand) gluten-free baking products. They are gluten-free and the main ingredient in the Pancake & Baking Mix is almond meal. She also has an all-purpose flour mix in which the first ingredient is sorghum flour. These have truly been a God-send! You can order them online and even find in some grocery stores. And the best part is, she's figured out all the right measurements so you don't have to!  :hurray:

 

Just finished eating my breakfast of two double chocolate muffins I made using the Pancake & Baking mix. Delicious!

 

Now to go do some dishes, get the kids going on some household tasks, and figure out the schooling for this afternoon.

Oh, plus some housekeeping as I'm having guests over for a "Coffee (& tea) Klatch" on Thursday morning. (Thank you, Dirty Ethel Rackham, for the idea!  :laugh: )

[HeWillSoar]

We have always eaten dinner together as a family most nights of the week, even if that usually means we are eating late because we're waiting for DH to get home.  Or sometimes it's just the kids and me.  Now that oldest DS has a job, he isn't here as much for family dinners--maybe a couple times a week.  He always wants to play cards while we eat, and I'm just happy that he wants to do something with his family.  So on nights when DS is home, we are playing Uno or Rummy while we eat dinner. 

 

I used to love baking before going gluten free.  I'm surprised so many of us on this thread are gf, by the way.  GF baking is trickier, and it took me a while before I wanted to bother with it.  Now I usually use a gf mix and doctor it up. I made the best gf coconut cake over Easter using a mix, and I finally had to put it in the freezer so I'd stop eating it.  I gave myself two days and then put it away.  Major sweet tooth here!

[HeWillSoar]

Selkie, I get it! That's why I was thrilled to find Pamela's (brand) gluten-free baking products. They are gluten-free and the main ingredient in the Pancake & Baking Mix is almond meal. She also has an all-purpose flour mix in which the first ingredient is sorghum flour. These have truly been a God-send! You can order them online and even find in some grocery stores. And the best part is, she's figured out all the right measurements so you don't have to!  :hurray:

 

Just finished eating my breakfast of two double chocolate muffins I made using the Pancake & Baking mix. Delicious!

 

Now to go do some dishes, get the kids going on some household tasks, and figure out the schooling for this afternoon.

Oh, plus some housekeeping as I'm having guests over for a "Coffee (& tea) Klatch" on Thursday morning. (Thank you, Dirty Ethel Rackham, for the idea!  :laugh: )

 

What is that?

[mom31257]

Good afternoon!

 

Dd is at college for 8-9 months of the year, so family dinner most of the year here is just the 3 of us. We eat most dinners together as well many Saturday breakfasts and Sunday lunches. We eat out on Sundays after church. 

 

Dh is a school teacher and home at a decent time each night. He leaves early for school, so we don't eat breakfast together during the week. I don't cook on Sundays (except occasionally dinner), so breakfast is on our own. Saturday breakfast works together a lot, even if it's a late breakfast. 

 

I don't do much baking, just for special occasions. My new favorite for several in my family is a carrot cake recipe I tried at Thanksgiving. I have to eat mine without the icing, though.  :(

 

 

[scrapbookbuzz]

HeWillSoar, I take it you're asking about the "Coffee Klatch"? Just a unique name for having people over for coffee and conversation.  :)

 

ETA: just googled the term "Klatch" and the definitions given was "a social gathering, especially for coffee and conversation."

Edited May 9, 2017 by scrapbookbuzz

[Butter]

That's why I was thrilled to find Pamela's (brand) gluten-free baking products.

 

I don't know who Pamela is, but I seriously love her.  I make Pamela's bread mix in the breadmaker at least once a week and it turns out perfect every time.

[LucyStoner]

How often does your family sit down for a family dinner? Almost every single night. We don't eat at the table on Fridays (we eat pizza and salad in the living room that night, with movies). Only exceptions would be if we aren't home at dinner time. Sometimes my husband works past dinner time, but it's still a family dinner.

 

If you don't have family dinner together, do you all sit down together for a different meal? Pretty much any lunch that we are home for and weekend breakfast too.

 

It's not super flexible because we have two kids with SN and things have to be very predictable/routine. I kinda wish it wasn't such a limitation.

 

Any bakers/people who like to bake here in the Lounge? I like to bake pie but since I shouldn't be eating too much of it, I don't make them a whole lot.

Edited May 9, 2017 by LucyStoner

[Selkie]

Selkie, I get it! That's why I was thrilled to find Pamela's (brand) gluten-free baking products. They are gluten-free and the main ingredient in the Pancake & Baking Mix is almond meal. She also has an all-purpose flour mix in which the first ingredient is sorghum flour. These have truly been a God-send! You can order them online and even find in some grocery stores. And the best part is, she's figured out all the right measurements so you don't have to!  :hurray:

 

Just finished eating my breakfast of two double chocolate muffins I made using the Pancake & Baking mix. Delicious!

 

Now to go do some dishes, get the kids going on some household tasks, and figure out the schooling for this afternoon.

Oh, plus some housekeeping as I'm having guests over for a "Coffee (& tea) Klatch" on Thursday morning. (Thank you, Dirty Ethel Rackham, for the idea!  :laugh: )

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm off to Amazon to check out the Pamela's selection!

[Mbelle]

Sounds like you had a lovely dinner!

 

We do try to eat together in the evening, but we don't manage any other meals together these days.

It's something i'd like to work on in to help my teens get a better routine in their days.  I have on early bird though and one who sleeps later.Plus a young one who wakes fairly early as well.  It seems like in the mornings I just do the next thing to try and get through till we are all fully awake and fed.

 

I do like to bake.  I like old fashioned style traditional cakes.  Strawberry cake, lemon curd cake, Italian cream cake, coconut cake etc..  I love pie. All kinds of pie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

Family dinners are usually 4 nights a week.  3 nights a week, I take dd to practice and we don't get home until 9.  The other meals are typically all of us unless one of my adult children has plans.   On days that dd and I are gone, I do prepare dinner for everyone and put aside portions for dd and I to take with us.  

 

No other meal has us all together.  2 are at work, one is at school and it just leaves my 20yo and I at home, but K is usually not awake early enough to share a meal.  

 

I like to bake.  Muffins are a favorite for me.  I try to make healthy (or at least mostly healthy) ones ... pumpkin (or butternut squash when we are all out of baking pumpkins or I'll substitute sweet potatoes for the pumpkin.) (I love the instant pot for those.)   We like adding chocolate chips when we are feeling naughty ... like all the time.  I love zucchini-carrot muffins with raisins.  I grind my own whole wheat pastry flour.  I like making whole wheat bread and rolls as well, but I have gotten out of the habit.   For special occasions ... like holidays or bringing dessert somewhere, dd and I like to make something special.  Dd loves to  make things for her teammates birthdays.  The usual birthday baker for the team is graduating, so dd will be taking on that role.  She has actually updated her calendar with all the birthdays and 1 week reminders so that she can schedule her baking.  She has done a cooking project for all of her years in 4-H and has been selected to take her cooking demonstration to State several times.  We did that once and it was a real pain.  Our state fairgrounds don't have the best facilities to do this and it is a lot of work bringing all of the ingredients and things partially finished.  Dd and I are working on learning how to make Potica for dh.  He is Slovenian and misses this.  We have done a couple of attempts, but it is difficult to get the dough rolled out thin enough. 

 

ETA:  I have become a huge fan of the Great British Baking Show and even sat through the Great American Baking Show (not as enjoyable as the British version, but much kinder and gentler than those cutthroat cooking shows with people who yell a lot.)  In addition to watching all the interesting bakes and techniques, I love that they are all so supportive of each other.  They just seem like nice people.  I never liked cooking shows until I was stuck with a sleeping nursling in my arms many an afternoon and saw lots of cooking shows on PBS. 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2017 by dirty ethel rackham