Reclaiming Family Meal Time

Farm fresh ingredients, delicious recipes, pre-measured amounts, all delivered directly to my doorstep. And the best part? Family engagement started the moment it arrived.

This post is sponsored by Blue Apron. All opinions are my own.

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: "After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations." ~Oscar Wilde quote

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.”

Leave it to Oscar Wilde to share such sentiments with his snarky wit, but the principle remains true even in the most serious and heartfelt situations: meal time has healing powers.

The older my three children get – and the more baseball practices and evening commitments we garner – the more this truth has been impressed upon me. We spent March-June playing baseball 2-3 evenings a week (and that’s when only one of my kids is sports age!), and the number of peanut butter sandwiches consumed was astounding. You’d think that after that diet I would be thrilled to get back into the kitchen and cook meals we could enjoy, but I confess that I just felt out of rhythm and uninspired.

That’s where Blue Apron comes in…

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: incredible soy glazed meatballs and veggie fried rice

Farm fresh ingredients, delicious recipes, pre-measured amounts, all delivered directly to my doorstep. And the best part? Family engagement started the moment it arrived.

so sweet! Kids love opening the box from Blue Apron

My kids were thrilled. They pulled every item out of the refrigerated box, read all the descriptions of the fresh ingredients (we are now, for the record, absolute experts on shiitake mushrooms 😉 ), and put it all away for me with gusto. (Oh, and we regularly wear ninja bands while working in the kitchen, don’t you?)

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: kids love opening and exploring the fresh ingredients from Blue Apron

Blue Apron sent us two family meals, and when it came time to cook, I had the glorious chance to cook one meal (the Soy-Ginger Pork Meatballs) entirely alone while Mr Pax swam with the kids.

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: gorgeous, fresh ingredients from Blue Apron

Now don’t get me wrong, family engagement is amazing, but sometimes this introvert appreciates a little alone time in the kitchen with a good recipe.

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: beautiful kitchen prep space on this marble island

45 minutes later, I got to enjoy a delicious meal…

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: incredible soy glazed meatballs and veggie fried rice

And the happy laughter of my sun-kissed family in our new outdoor dining room.

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: kids love the fresh ingredients from Blue Apron

The second meal was a collaborative effort. The pre-measured ingredients and clear instructions make it easy to put even little ones to work as sous chefs. (And yes, my boys wear the personalized aprons I made by choice when they work in the kitchen with me!)

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: how to encourage kids to help in the kitchen

He loved washing and sorting the ingredients.

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: kids love opening and exploring the fresh ingredients from Blue Apron

And the New England Style Salmon Rolls were a huge hit. Though I’ve served salmon plenty of times over the years, my kids now ask me every time they see it (at the grocery store or even at a restaurant) if it came from Blue Apron. Clearly it made an impression.

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: delicious salmon rolls

You can see more of Blue Apron’s delicious recipes here, and I have an exciting offer for you! Blue Apron has generously offered 3 free meals to 25 readers on their first Blue Apron order.

Just be one of the first 25 readers to click here and place and order… and receive three meals for free! You’ll find options for 2-person meals or family-size ones, and you can stop the subscription at any time.

I hope you love it as much as we did, and I especially hope it helps you to capture those incredible family moments over meals.

Reclaiming Family Meal Time: so important for our families!

 

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2 Comments

  1. This was such a fun read, with a gorgeous backdrop, beautiful family and inspirational home. Thank you!

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