what's for dinner....

Isn't it crazy, when you become so obsessed with something, how you start to notice it ALL around you? Since I made my New Year's Resolution (see below) to eat more dinners together as a family, and to make it meaningful, I've been seeing or noticing "family dinner" examples EVERYWHERE! The Today Show, People Magazine, and Rachael Ray.....HERE

Gwyneth Paltrow (my all time favorite actress since I first say her play the role of Emma) appeared on Rachael Ray last week, and her interview was so entertaining. What a graceful, lovely and funny girl she is! To Rachael, she mentioned having family dinner with her family. And about her dad, she says, "He kind of taught me that just eating a meal with the people that you love is like the biggest success in life ..." She is coming out with a cookbook in April, My Father's Daughter. I can't wait to check it out! (She also mentioned that she is completely OCD, has to be in control of everything, and takes a bath religiously every single night....leaving me to wonder if she and I were separated at birth!!! Gwyneth, am I your long, lost twin?) And let's not forget that Gwyneth ROCKED Glee a few weeks ago....she left me absolutely amazed.

I found an old mini-chalkboard in my basement, and brought it upstairs to put on an easel on my kitchen counter. It's our new daily menu board. (Cafe Adrienne, ha ha!). Each day, I write 'what's for dinner' on it. My kids LOVE it. And I better not stray one bit from what's written on it. They come home from school expecting EXACTLY what's written on that little chalkboard menu. It's hilarious.

My kids have been helping, too. Chopping, cutting, stirring....setting the table, cleaning up. They are involved. And it makes me so happy. We are all in the kitchen together, helping. TOGETHER being the key word.

Now, the challenge? Deciding what to make every day. That's the challenge. I've never perused so many cook books or cooking blogs in my life.

This week, I am trying THIS....looks good! I even found a killer deal on a Cuisinart this week at the Macy's sale, so I'll be choppin' zuchini all day long!