Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in pittsburgh, PA

Time-Saving Tips to Bring Back the Family Meal

by Jennifer Signore

April 28, 2009

If your home is anything like mine, it seems like everyone is always heading off in different directions.  Whether you are a working parent or not, pulling together a family meal can sometimes be a daunting task.  But it doesn't have to be.  I think for a lot of families the time required to prepare a family meal creates the biggest barrier (especially when the kids are young-when you have teenagers, you may need a different strategy entirely).  This week at the Savvy Source, we are talking about food with the family, so here are a few ideas to help you make the meal a reality without losing your mind.

Do The Prep Work in Advance

Even a simple recipe can take a while if it involves a lot of fresh ingredients that have to be peeled, chopped, or otherwise prepared.  Because fresh foods are such an important part of a family diet, make them easier to use by preparing some in advance.  Most foods can be prepped a day early as long as they are stored properly.  Let's say that you want to make a quick stir fry for the family on Tuesday.  Monday night you can chop all of the veggies and store them in a sealed container (add a touch of moisture if you think they might dry out).  Then chop the meat (or tofu) and store in a different container (I sometimes use a baggie for raw meat and then toss-avoids any potential contamination).  If your sauce is homemade, make that, too.  Then, on Tuesday you need only fill the rice cooker (a necessity in our house) and cook the prepared items.   

Use the Crockpot

I know that I have mentioned this appliance before, but it bears repeating.  Many a hot meal in our home has been a result of slow cooking.   Use the hint above and then morning assembly is easy.  If you have a removable crock, you can even assemble the night before and store in your refrigerator.  Who doesn't want to come home to the smell of a cooked dinner.  Plus, for the summer months, it doesn't heat up the whole kitchen!

Cook Two Meals at Once

Now you think I'm crazy because if you don't have time to cook one meal, how on earth will you cook two?  Well, on those days when you do have time to cook, make the most of your kitchen time.  If you are making one lasagna, make two.   Make your pot of chili extra large.   Let tomorrow's dinner simmer while you are eating tonight's.  And the best tip related to this practice?  Freeze a bunch of the food.  That way when your day is extra crazy and you come home to realize that there are no prepped foods and no crock pot meal, you can turn to your freezer and have a hot meal ready in no time.   

A Meal Doesn't Have to Be Hot (or Complicated)

That being said, a family meal doesn't have to be a hot meal.  It's a time to get together, share your day with each other, and reconnect.  Have a salad, or sandwiches, or (gasp) take out.  True, it's a lot healthier if you make your own food.  But picking up a pizza on occasion is not the end of the world.  Especially if it gives you a moment to breathe and enjoy the people with which you share your home. 

There's More Than One Meal in a Day

Everyone seems to imagine dinner when they think of the family meal.  But if you know that your day is going to be especially crazy, get everyone together for breakfast.  It's all about the time together, not the exact food items in front of you or the time of day.  Cherish it, and make it happen when you can.

What do you do to make the family meal a reality in your home? 

99 Things to Do With Your Kids Before They Grow Up

by Jennifer Signore

March 03, 2009

In no particular order, here are 99 things you should do with your kids before they go to kindergarten (ok, actually, it’s only 60 right now…your input welcome!):

1.  Go through the keyhole in Storybook Forest

2.  Ride the trolley in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood at Idlewild

3.  Eat warm soft pretzels at the Pretzel Shop on Carson Street

4.  Cook a meal together

5.  Visit the animals at Round Hill Park

6.  Go on a hay ride

7.  Watch a thunderstorm roll in

8.  And then splash in the puddles

9.  Get a cone at Page Dairy Mart and watch the trains

10.  Ride the rails at the Trolley Museum in Washington, PA

11.  Stop at a random playground—just because

12.  Spend a day at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum

13.  Ride the bubble-making see-saw in the nursery

14.  Make your own paper or clay sculpture

15.  And don’t forget to run the trolley in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

16.  Have dinner at Eat n Park just for the Smile Cookie

17.  See the holiday lights at Oglebay

18.  Visit Dippy the Dinosaur in Oakland

19.  Ride the carousel at Schenley Plaza

20.  Cuddle up with a book in the children’s room of the Carnegie Library

21.  Get hands-on at the Exploration Room at the Natural History Museum

22.  Dig for dinos at the Bonehunter’s Quarry

23.  See a mummy with your Mummy

24.  Pretend to be a king or queen in the commons room at the Cathedral of Learning

25.  Go to a neighborhood carnival

26.  And eat cotton candy

27.  Spend a day at Moraine State Park

28.  Find the Smiley Van at an event and decorate your own cookie

29.  Feed the fish at the Pymatuning spillway

30.  Check to see if the ducks really walk on the fish

31.  Visit Tour-Ed Coal Mine

32.  Play in the Silver Clouds room at the Warhol Museum

33.  Wish on the first star of the night

34.  Visit the cheese counter at Penn Mac in the Strip

35.  Get creative at the Weekend Factory at the Warhol

36.  Wear a sweater for Won’t You Be My Neighbor Days

37.  See a Fiddlesticks concert

38.  See the city on the back of a duck (a Ducky Tour, that is)

39.  Visit Laurel Caverns

40.  Go to a Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater performance

41.  See a baseball game at PNC Park

42.  Enjoy a day at Kiddieland at Kennywood Park

43.  And then ride the big carousel

44.  And then ride the train

45.  Now you’re ready for a funnel cake

46.  Take a river tour on the Gateway Clipper Fleet

47.  Attend the International Children’s Festival in May

48.  Go ice skating at PPG Place

49.  And catch snowflakes on your tongue

50.  Hear a story told by the Queen of Hearts

51.  Have a picnic dinner at First Fridays at the Frick

52.  Ride the incline (one or both…just do it)

53.  Have an ice cream sundae at Sarris Candies

54.  And wander the rows of chocolate delights

55.  Go to the Blue Slide Playground

56.  See the miniature railroad at the Carnegie Science Center

57.  Go to the Three Rivers Arts Festival (bring your umbrella)

58.  Check out the fish tanks at Wholey’s

59.  Go to one of many summer outdoor concerts

60.  Go on safari at Living Treasures Animal Park

Party Preparations with the Kids

by Jennifer Signore

January 29, 2009

Unless you've been away on a remote island isolated from the rest of the world, you may have heard that the Steelers are going to play in the Superbowl this Sunday. And, chances are that many of you are either throwing or attending a Superbowl party. And that means food. So, why not get the kids involved in the action? Here are a few ideas to let the kids help you with party preparation  Read more...

Pittsburgh Holiday Traditions

by Jennifer Signore

December 02, 2008

Pittsburgh's rich ethnic heritage, while always a part of life in the 'Burgh, becomes clear to all when the holidays approach. So many cultures have come together to form our city, but it's the differences between these cultures, the traditions they hold dear, that truly make this place we call home so special. I'd like to focus on a handful of holiday traditions that I look forward to each  Read more...