Family Time Made Easy, And Delicious

Now let me start by saying, I truly love to cook.  When my wife, Nikita, and I found our first apartment together, having ample space for us to cook for guests was our number one search criteria.  We loved that little one bedroom (it’s where I started Mosaic!), and while we lived there, I’d cook 3-5 nights a week.

And then along came little Adrian, now 2 years old… and not long after, baby Zoe now 6 months old. And now cooking is one of a half dozen hobbies that has to fight for a slot on my packed weekend dance card, and weeknight dinners look a little different at the Davis household.

There is just too much to do in the slot between 6:00 to 7:30pm if Nikita and I want to have a prayer of keeping our delicate bedtime routine intact.  It’s a lot even when it’s on rails, and dinner isn’t involved - two baths, teeth brushing, a bottle, a book, a couple dirty diapers, PJs, and usually (if I’m being brutally honest) a tantrum.  Then you’ve got to feed the cat and change his litter, clean whatever came back from daycare dirty, and find a window for a quick call with the grandparents.

And more importantly, some days this crazy little window is the only chance I get to spend time with my adorable little kiddos.  And like a lot of busy parents out there, I want to make the most of it.

That’s why we launched family meals.

Now, whoever gets home first turns on the oven, pops a meal out of the freezer and tosses it in.  We’re able to dive right into the evening routine, and about an hour later, after Nikita puts Zoe to sleep, she, Adrian, and myself get to enjoy what he has lovingly coined a “daddy meal” together. And that precious time with just the three of us around the table is more often than not the high point of my day.  And best of all, after Adrian goes down, Nikita and I can cork a bottle of wine, and put our feet up for a couple hours without having to argue over who’s turn it is to do dishes- because there aren't any!  A perfect ending to a busy day, and the start of our own early bedtime.