It’s time for our third #BackToTheTable challenge in honor of National Family Meals Month. This week, Shannon is sharing the creative way she and her family worked to create a themed meal and learned a little along the way. Let’s get right into how you can Travel the World (Through Dinner)!
What’s the Back to the Table Challenge?
To encourage The Busy Bee community to get creative with their family meals this month, we’ve created our #BackToTheTable Challenge! The winner will receive a $50 APIARY gift card. Entering the contest is easy: simply tag The Busy Bee on a social media post of you participating in the challenge and use the hashtag #BackToTheTable. Each challenge entry is a bonus entry. Shannon and Jenna will randomly select a winner on Instagram Stories on October 1st. To be sure your entry counts, have a public profile and/or send us a DM with a photo of your entry (if private).
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Travel From the Comfort of Your Own Table
The whole idea of “Travel the World” is to choose a cuisine and really lean into the theme for dinner. Choose a country or region, research a new dish or choose one of your favorites, and create a meal at home that honors the place you’ve chosen to “travel.” This is a great way to expose your kids to other cultures, relive an old vacation, or explore something completely new together. We love how this can get as detailed as you want: maybe you learn how to cook a new dish from scratch or maybe you order takeout from a new local restaurant. Whatever it is, adventure is the name of the game!
Going With a Family Favorite
With Bobby’s birthday approaching, Shannon knew he wanted Nana’s Eggplant Parmesan for dinner. This made the theme easy for Shannon to set: Italian. Buon compleanno, Bobby!
Set the Realistic Menu
Shannon planned her whole menu and knew which parts she wanted to cook (the Eggplant Parm) and which parts she wanted to purchase (appetizers and dessert). Especially when trying new cuisines, it makes sense to outsource what you can in order to focus on creating a new dish yourself.
The plan for Bobby’s Italian birthday dinner was fresh Italian 5 grain bread from the bakery with olive oil and Italian blend seasoning for dipping; Nana’s Eggplant Parmesan; and fresh cannolis from the bakery for dessert.
Involve the Family
Our Travel the World challenge is a great way to involve your whole family and #GetBackToTheTable! You can choose an authentic dinner playlist to set the tone for dinner, read about traditional meals and customs in the country you’re exploring, and choose recipes (or collect to-go menus!). The charm of this meal comes from all the thought that goes into your dinner outside of the kitchen.
Plan Your Next Adventure
Strike while the iron is hot and plan your next “adventure” meal while you’re enjoying this one! Shannon’s family decided they would love to do a traditional Spanish meal next time. Bobby’s dad’s side of the family is from Spain and it’s one of their favorite places to travel. They also love listening to Spanish guitar while dining so creating a playlist for that feels like fun. Our biggest tip is to choose a cuisine from a part of the world that has meaning for you. Somewhere you love to travel; where your family is from; somewhere that holds a special meaning to make it that much more special. Something that will bring you #BackToTheTable!
My husband and I always had our meal together. When our children were born we continue having ou meal together. And I always tried to bring my children to the kitchen. All of them know prepare meals. Right now, we are celebrating National Latino American Heritage Month. I am from Brazil, and last week we prepare Brazilian food. We planned to prepare Mexican, Italian an Spanish food. I love to do that. Thank you for your inspiration !
Having a routine that includes meals together is such a great way to make sure it consistently happens! We love that you and your husband have set time together.