*dingalingaling* come and get it!

there is more to family mealtimes at the dinner table than what is on the menu. although i know this to be true, there is great satisfaction in creating a beautiful and delicious meal for my family. now that i am a "single" mom, practically working 24-7, going back to college and caring for additional children for additional income, the days of creating those colorful and delectable meals have long since past. these days, i am barely able to scramble some eggs for dinner, or open up a can of stew and heat it up on the stove - with some canned peaches on the side. i am grateful for these quick and easy meals. yes, they are also delicious...but they tend to be rather boring - especially when i keep repeating them. there is something to be said about a colorful meal presented in a beautiful manner.

looking back, i think i took advantage of the fact that i could more leisurely prepare a lovely meal for my family. i used to delve into different, fancy recipes. i would prepare delicious meats, pastas, salads and side dishes. i loved when the table was beautifully spread with food that i made. i took great satisfaction in not only feeding my family, but feeding them a wonderful homemade meal of my own efforts. i also used to make cookies, cakes and breads more often. i miss that so much. my feelings about offering up these amazing dinners have not changed, however, my circumstances have. i long for the day when i can bring the beautifully rich and satisfying mealtime experience back to my family dinner table.

i am the youngest of six children. we would eat dinner at the dinner table, as a family, every single night. as evening approached, my mother could be found busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner. my mother would make delicious meals and my father would come home and unwind. all he had to do was sit down at the head of the table and eat. this is what i experienced, as a child, and so it was what i always envisioned for my own life. a traditional family with traditional mealtimes. how nice...

i have dinner baking in the oven right now. it's one of my simpler recipes - but hey, it's a recipe! it didn't come wholly from a can and i had to do some chopping and stirring. it may sound silly, but i was in HEAVEN!! my children colored at the table while i prepared dinner. somehow, I was able to find the time to do this tonight. it certainly helps when everyone is well behaved and entertaining themselves. i have set a goal for myself, to make at least one "fancier" meal each week. my daughter lit up when she saw me making dinner as I used to. i want to give my children the same kind of memories i am blessed to possess. to have a good, healthy, happy, fun, wonderful childhood...rich and abundant with culture, family outings, silly moments, lessons learned....how priceless! i want that for them - they deserve it.

i believe the man i love and intend to one day marry has the same goals, ideals, values and desires. that means everything to me. there is nothing I want more than a joyful life with the ones I hold most dear - my family. having mealtimes together, i believe, is part of the glue that keeps families together. it is during those mealtimes that we can pause from our hectic schedules, listen to one another, laugh with one another, share our days, ask questions, look one another in the eyes, share priceless memories, even learn some manners!

dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes. my home is filled with delicious aromas and my children are now happily playing in their bedroom. in this moment, life is incredibly sweet. i am so happy.