Got the winter blues? Break out of your hibernation and enjoy some quality time with your family! The easiest way to spend more time together is to organize a Sunday night dinner. But this is so much more than just takeout. We have a few ideas on how to make your weekly meal a special event. Gather everyone around the dinner table (or kitchen counter, living room floor—whatever works!), turn off the TV and enjoy a great meal with some much needed flair!
Tour The World
Get creative with themed dinners from around the globe! Focus on French cuisine one night, order Chinese takeout the next week and have spaghetti and meatballs the next. For our dinner, we took the French theme to the max by using our new, everyday Profile collection to serve delicious crêpes by the Eiffel Tower.
Cook With Your Kids
Get your kids involved with preparing, cooking and assembling. It makes them a part of the process and they’ll be able to enjoy the compliments once everyone takes a bite! If you’re preparing a themed dinner, ask your kids to help find new, interesting recipes. It’ll get their curiosity going and help introduce them to special ingredients and flavors. For the younger ones, you can always choose a recipe that doesn’t require a lot of cooking on their part, but is still fun to put together. Assemble crêpes, create a taco bar or have a build-your-own pizza night!
Happy Helpers
Many hands make for short work: everyone can help set the table for dinner! Have a teen who’s glued to their phone or a husband who only makes messes in the kitchen? Let them get creative and have fun with table decorations and place settings, especially for themed dinners! Encourage them to place plates, flatware and glasses where they want, rather than following any guidelines for table settings. They might surprise you with something ingenious!
Kick-Start The Conversation
Now that the meal is ready and the dinnerware is set, keep the momentum going with memorable conversation. For your themed dinners, add little fun facts about the location you’re touring to the table. Or you can play the classic game of Two Truths & A Lie to test how much you really know about everyone. Our favorite way to get everyone talking is to go around the table playing Highs & Lows, where everyone shares the best and worst parts of their week. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate each member of your family’s little achievements and help them with their struggles. Of course, you don’t have to stick to these all meal long. The best conversations will flow naturally!
Have any other great ideas? Share them by tagging @lenox on Instagram and Facebook. We’d love to see what you came up with!
