bringing dinner back

“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.”  ~ Voltaire

Multi-tasking: Cooking chili for dinner while distilling water for Noah's science project.

Amen!

Today marks the four-month anniversary of this blog project. Four months of eating one meal together every day (except for one slip-up, for which we made amends the next day). Four memorable meals with friends — old and new — from Africa. Four months of researching the countries of Africa, learning about each country’s customs, people, needs, history (OK, I’m way behind on this one, but a string of posts will begin catching me up shortly). I can’t believe we’re one-third done. I say that like I’m ready for it to be over, which I’m not. It really feels like we’ve been doing it so much longer. Perhaps there is a way to slow our fast-paced world?

The whole family is a tad fixated on food this week, after a monthlong hiatus from all things bad for you. Bring on the sugar, wine, and fried food!

Sunday: A marathon day — a crepes brunch with friends at noon (our family meal), 4th-grade science project with Sawyer and two friends at 2 pm, spaghetti and garlic bread dinner for 30 church youth by 5 pm, discussion of faith and economics at church at 6 pm. As a side note, 10 of your closest friends and family squeezed around a table for six to eat crepes doesn’t feel as crowded as you might think. The key is in the love.

It all seemed like such a good idea at the time...

Monday: When we signed up as a family to do the Kelly Challenge, luring in another family along the way, we promised all the kids involved a Celebratory Feast on the first day of March. On tonight’s menu: Chocolate chip cookie dough, a chocolate cream pie, sour-cream-and-onion Pringles, Burger House French fries, Häagen-Dazs ice cream, milk chocolate from Whole Foods, root beer, and perhaps a little beer and wine. Our real meal will be chili (because it was 45 degrees when we got up, isn’t going to get any warmer, and is raining all day), served with Fritos, sour cream, cheese and purple onion, of course. I’ll likely make a veggie version for Noah, using those fake-meat crumbles from Whole Foods. Although I think a child so snarky about his food might have to start cooking for himself shortly. UPDATE: Nausea, all around. As Noah’s friend said at the end of the meal: “The chocolate chip cookie dough did me in.”

Tuesday: Sawyer has chess this afternoon, and Noah has exams to study for. End of the Kelly Challenge party with the rock climbing team this evening, so Noah and I will be up there. Late dinner of leftover chili.

Wednesday: Family breakfast as Clyde is going out with a friend tonight. Maybe oatmeal with coconut milk, dried cranberries, pecans, and agave nectar (our very tasty sugar replacement of the last month). Sawyer is finishing up his science fair project with friends after school, then off to guitar at 5 pm. Quick and easy dinner of dal curry soup when we get home with naan bread and, if I can make it up to Richardson that day, a few Indian treats from the Indo-Pak Market.

Thursday: Family breakfast this morning — fake sausage for Noah, Whole Foods blueberry maple sausage for the rest of us, banana/protein powder smoothies all around — as I’m off to see Half the Sky Live with a friend (and anyone else who wants to join us!) at NorthPark Mall. Life changing book about the plight and hope of women and girls around the world, especially in Africa and the Middle East. Leftover dal curry soup for the family.

Friday & Saturday: Our weekend is a bit up in the air as we’re hoping to go to my family’s time-share cabin in East Texas (we’re on the waiting list). If we go, family meals three times a day. If not, we’ll come up with a last-minute backup plan around town.