Crazy Hot Dog Night? Themed Meals!

Meals can become monotonous. We can blow through a meal and not think twice about it. Years of public school trains us to eat like machines. Food is simply fuel that needs to be consumed according to a sectioned out pyramid chart. The fast pace of life only reinforces our robotic approach to eating. So when (if) we sit down to share a meal together it goes against all of the overwhelming assaults that life and training has battered us with.

A fun meal is a memorable meal. I’ve already posted about the benefits of singing around the table but we also try to spice things up by coming up with ‘theme’ nights. Themed meals are something to look forward to, something to participate in, and something to fondly look back on. There’s no formula to follow. Just think about what’s fun to do or serve.

One of our favorite themed meals is Crazy Hot Dog Night. This one is pretty simple. Just make some hot dogs and then take virtually everything edible out of the fridge and cupboard and place it on the counter. I’m talking ketchup, mayo, salad dressing, chips, peanut butter, jelly, hot sauce, soy sauce, cottage cheese, bananas, apples, carrots, honey, salt, pepper, raisins, crackers, and basically anything else we can think of. (I just thought of cereal…we haven’t done that one yet…) Then top your hot dog to make it crazy! (Warning: messes will be made so suck it up neat freak and have fun!)

While Crazy Hot Dog night is usually planned earlier in the week it’s not in our normal meal rotation. But we do have one themed meal a week that has been a big hit: Taco Tuesday. Again, pretty simple, but it’s something to look forward to and it’s always interesting coming up with different taco meals. I recommend frying your own corn tortilla shells. It tastes better than packaged shells and it’s pretty simple. Oil in a pan. Fry the tortilla. Don’t burn it. Then try to fold it into a shell (good luck…I’ve yet to master it…one day, corn tortilla my friend, one day…)

We have other themed meals that actually don’t have anything to do with food. The current favorite is Talk Like a Pirate Night. As long as the kids are eating their food, virtually all normal table manners fly out the window. Cups are usually pounded on the table and forks are held in your fists not your fingers. Menacing growls, hooked fingers, and squinty left eyes abound. Conversation is quite hilarious. When my 4 year old son wasn’t eating his food I said, “Avast! Ye best eat yer food ya scurvy dog or I’ll have ye shackled and sunk to the bottom o’Davy Jones’ locker!” He responded with an “Arrr! Matey! Shimber me timbers!” and a big sloppy pirate bite of food. Come to think of it, it’s quite therapeutic.

I said this in my last post but I want to say it again;

Of course we want our kids to have table manners and we want them to eat what’s on their plate, but what is more important than table manners, and even more important than finishing every last bite is the ongoing character shaping experience of joy that is found in a family fellowshipping together. I want my kids to remember that our times at the table were times of joy. Times where we not only talk about God, but sing about Him. I want them to remember good food and good fun. When I’m an old man I want to hear them tell stories about their time around the table that causes us to laugh until it hurts.

I want to encourage you to think up a few of your own themed meals. Come up with them together as a family! Don’t let food become mere fuel. Make food fun! Make memories together around your table.

I would love to hear what kind of themed meals you come up with or ones you already have!