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It has been a trying week as we’ve been dealing with our latest power blackout here in Northern California. Of course, living with no power for five days is a small price to pay, especially when compared to our neighbors just a few miles north – and our southern California neighbors — who are dealing with wildfires. 

I call it ‘camping, but in a big house,’ because I’ve had to resort to some ingenuity when it comes to cooking what we have on hand. We had a bit of warning that the electricity was to be turned off for a few days (of course, didn’t realize it would be nearly 5 days), so when I went shopping prior to losing our power, I had to think about what to buy, and what to prepare – it’s a process that I already do on a week-to-week basis, but this time was a bit different.

I mentally took stock of what I could prepare  – pizza on the grill, pasta, a frittata, fried rice . . . and then headed out to shop. 

On the Grill or Stovetop

The lights turned off early Saturday evening, but we were prepared with our weekly Saturday night pizza. We usually grill our pizza, so the only difference this week is that Greg had to prepare the pizza in the kitchen using a headlamp – while the hungry family sat in the dark, playing board games. He then headed out to the deck to grill it up!

By morning, we were all chilled from lack of heat in the house, so we all hurried to the kitchen to prepare hot chocolate and coffee. Our daily ritual is top-of-the-stove Chemex pour over ( or a Melitta pour over depending on how many cups we desire). I am also relieved that I could also brew in our Alessi moka pot, when we needed the extra shot of espresso in the late afternoon. 

Luckily I had the foresight to grind several pots worth of coffee, as our burr grinder is electric. I am seriously thinking about a Handground precision coffee grinder for all future blackouts, so that I can grind as needed, by hand, for fresher coffee on my blackout mornings.

Eat the Fridge

“Use up the milk,” was my mantra on Sunday morning – so, it was cereal for breakfast, and warmed milk for the hot chocolate.

Next up was a perusal of items that needed to be consumed soon – those that wouldn’t stay fresh too long without refrigeration (although I was tempted to leave them outside the fridge as our house was getting colder by the minute). Eggs for breakfast – or an evening frittata might do, and for lunch, it was the leftover squash risotto heated on the stovetop, and yogurt in between.

Proper Food Temperatures

By Sunday evening, I had pulled out my food thermometer to measure temperature inside the fridge and freezer, so I could continue my blackout eating plan for the following day.

 Temperature was holding at a cold enough temperature – perhaps bolstered by additional bags of ice in the freezer. 

Your refrigerator should be 40°F/-15°C or below for safe food storage. Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure the temperature is right.

One the last day of the blackout, it was time to prepare the whole chicken. Admittedly, I had never before prepared a whole chicken on the stovetop, often preferring to crisp the skin in the broiler, then placing it in a copper pot in the oven. This time around, I nestled it inside my Le Creuset pot, added a bit of homemade stock from the freezer, a few spices, then set to medium to cook.

That evening, we ate the chicken with the lights on, as our electricity was restored! The house was warming up, and so were our moods. What made it even better was that everyone was home and gathered around the table . . . things were back to normal.

You don’t need a blackout to think about what’s in your fridge. Make it a habit on a weekly basis to use your leftovers, and determine which foods may go bad soon, it will help save the planet and your wallet. Check out Stop Food Waste for tips on how to reduce food waste.

The post In-the-Dark Meal Planning appeared first on Family Eats.

Baby Green Limas are a new addition to our pantry.

When looking to fill your kitchen pantry with versatile, convenient, economical, nutritious and tasty options, beans are an ideal choice. A variety of beans offer you so many options for meal prep, as you can add beans to soups, salads, chili, side dishes . . . delicious, creamy and flavorful.

Although the nutritional profile of a bean varies depending on variety, most beans are a good source of potassium, a great source of protein, are low in fat, and high in fiber. Break the canned beans habit, and turn to dried beans, because this versatile kitchen staple, which for the most part dried beans are cheaper than canned varieties. And, cooked dried beans have a better texture and flavor than the canned varieties.

Meatless Monday 

Beans are an essential for our Meatless Mondays, and recently, through a Slow Food/Camellia Brands promotion, I received my choice of beans for experimenting in the kitchen. I thought I’d choose a bean that I don’t usually use – Green Baby Limas.

For these Baby Limas I simply rinsed and sorted the beans, placed them in a pot with water and spices, and brought it just to a boil for a few minutes. Then I reduced the heat, covered and simmered for an hour. NOTE: Allowing beans to boil can make them mushy and fall apart. Remember, you want to get a slightly chewy texture and if left to boil, they’ll lose that great texture.

I started with a delicious Indian inspired side dish (Lima Bean Curry), and also used the baby limas for making our family-favorite bean dip –swapping limas for the white beans, adding a bit of crumbled feta, then stuffing it into toasted pitas. We’ve since added them to soup, burritos, and salads.

Do I Pre Soak?

This is a simple step, it just requires a bit of planning ahead. The night before you’re going to enjoy the beans, place the beans in a pot and cover with water. Place the pot in the fridge overnight and leave them there until you’re ready to use.

If you forget to do this, simply quick soak the beans by placing beans in a pot, covering with water and bringing up to a boil. Turn heat off and let for 30 minutes in the hot water. Drain the beans and then prepare your recipe. Oh, and once your finish cooking your beans, don’t discard the cooking liquid – it is seasoned and is ideal for using in stocks and stews. You can even use for braising or in pasta sauce.

Fill Your Pantry

Filling your pantry with a variety of food, simple to prepare, healthy, versatile – that is what makes beans the perfect choice for filling your pantry. Make the most of all that beans have to offer and start planning to add beans to your weekly menu. Head on over to Camellia Brand website for some great recipes.

The post Dried Beans: A Pantry Staple appeared first on Family Eats.

At the heart of the Family Eats Four Pillars is Planning. It is an essential element to everything you tackle in the kitchen, from what to eat and how much you spend at the grocery, to frustration-free meal preparation and gathering together for mealtime. Without Planning, your efforts to Purchase, Prepare and Partake (the other Pillars) are left to chance.

In this week’s installment of Ten for Tuesday, we offer up 10 Tips for Meal Planning Success.

1. Crack Open Your Cookbooks: I have a huge bookshelf filled with cookbooks, and I still find myself in a rut, preparing the same meals again and again. But, when I venture into my cookbook shelves for a bit of reading, I find lots of inspiration for new recipes that prove to be great additions to our list of favorite recipes. Take the time to revisit your cookbooks every time the season changes. Or, if you’re more adventurous, choose one new recipe to try each month.
2. Learn How to Make Sauces and Marinades: Investing the time and energy in learning how to make sauces and marinades will help you spruce up old recipes, leftovers, and the ubiquitous chicken you seem to always be preparing. With a good knowledge of creating these recipe-changing sauces and marinades, you’ll be more confident in the kitchen, and more excited about making mealtime more delicious. Read up about sauces in marinades in your cookbooks, take a local cooking class, or watch a video or two on You Tube. Your tastebuds will be happy you did.

   

3. Have the Right Tools on Hand: It may not sound like a tip for meal planning, but if you have the right tools on hand, it makes meal preparation go much more smoothly. Nothing is more frustrating than to find yourself in the middle of a recipe, and not have the proper tools handy for use. So go ahead, update your tools, and make sure they’re handy and ready for use . .  then get cooking.
4. Consult Your Weekly Schedule: I find that it is essential to check our family schedule before planning our weekly meals. This allows me to better plan each meal according to what is happening on that specific day. For instance, we don’t return home from gymnastics on Mondays until 5:30, which is when the kids are ready for dinner. For that night, I usually plan a meal that can be prepared ahead of time, and kept warm until we arrive. Other nights, if one of us is out of town, or heading out for a business dinner, I alter the amount of food I prepare that evening (which also helps save time and money).
5. List your Family Favorites: With a big family like ours, someone is always declaring that they don’t like what I’ve made for dinner. While I can’t accommodate every taste on each night, I do know which meals are the most liked by the most members of our family. By asking everyone what their favroite meals are, I lessen the stress of hearing the complaints, and at the same time, everyone feels as if they have a say in what is being served throughout the week.
6. Know How Much You’ll Eat: Knowing how much meat your family will consume at dinnertime,  or how many apples you will go through in a week, will help with your planning for shopping. It will also help cut down on food waste, and be helpful in planning leftovers.
7. Plan Your Weekly Meals: Now that you know your weekly schedule, and the favorite family recipes, it’s time to plan your weekly meals. That includes planning lunches, snacks, and leftovers. As I plan, I keep in mind how long meals will take to prepare, and match the easily prepared ones with busy evenings.
8. Have a Stocked Pantry: A well-stocked pantry filled with rice, beans and other grains along with other essentials including pasta, dried fruits, and nuts will give you the versatility to create many meals and snacks throughout the week.
9. Make a Shopping List: Create a shopping list according to what you will be preparing that week. Don’t forget to include any items that you may be running low on in your pantry, and also check to see if you have any leftover fruits, vegetables, or herbs in the fridge that can be used for the weekly meals. Be sure to stick to that list when you head to the store.
10. Ease the Burden: Get everyone involved in the weekly meal planning, purchasing and preparing. If you all take part in this weekly event, you’ll be more likely to gather together to enjoy mealtime together. That’s what the Family Eats Four Pillars are all about.

You can enjoy our previous Ten for Tuesday post, Ten Summer Recipes.

The post Ten Tips for Meal Planning Success appeared first on Family Eats.

Last week it was all about Sunday Meal Prep as I readied to leave for Cleveland. I prepped the meals, snacks and in-betweens for the family, so all they had very little prep, and mostly just heat-and-eat meals while I was away. (you can read my Sunday Meal Prep post here).

This week, it is all about what I call Eating Down – the process of eating what we have in the house, and buying very little so that when we leave for a trip, we don’t have a fridge full of food that will go bad. So, as I readied to leave town with the family, I focused on  preparing meals from what I already have on hand. What helps me be successful in this effort is my pantry, which is stocked with a variety of grains, beans and other ingredients that help create meals that are exciting to the family.

Exhausted from my last trip and the busy weekend, I just didn’t find the energy to create a week’s full or recipes. Instead, I took a day or two to take stock of what I had on hand, and eventually came up with how best to use it before we headed out again. 

I began my weekly Eating Down menu with a whole chicken, which I bought and roasted, adding veggies and a starch which I had on hand. The chicken kept on giving after the first meal. Greg made broth after dinner, and I added the leftover chicken, along with any wayward veggies I had in the fridge – celery, carrots, and onions. To give it a bit more substance, I added some barley from the pantry. I made Roti Bread Buss up Shut) and we had a tasty and nutritious dinner the following evening, that everyone loved.

With some whole milk in the fridge, I made scones early in the week for breakfast and snacktime. I then used the remaining whole milk, along with the cheddar cheese for  homemade mac and cheese for dinner one evening, and the  kids finished it off for lunch the next day.

I had a healthy dose of bok choy on hand, so I sautéed it and added it to the leftover soup for lunch the following day.

By the time our lat evening in town arrived, I realized that  we did such a good job of Eating Down during the week, that there wasn’t enough food for a full meal, so we opted to order out Chinese.

For breakfast on the day we left, Greg made bacon eggs and toast – using up the last of the homemade bread, most of the eggs, and the bacon.

Road Food

To keep us from spending a fortune to feed six of us in the airport, or on the plane, once again, it was a decision based upon what was in the fridge and pantry.

Since the homemade bread was used up, we turned to the last few tortillas, and made rollup sandwiches, using the last bits of lettuce, lunchmeat and cheese. I packed up leftover take-out from the night before, and cut up apples that didn’t get eaten from someone’s lunch the day before and packed them in our Stasher Bags (our favorite bags for on-the-go).

Any leftover vegetables that I felt might turn bad before our return were promptly placed in our freezer bags to be used for homemade vegetable stock down the road.

By the time we were ready to leave for the airport, our fridge had very little excess in it – a bit of cabbage that would withstand the week away, some eggs to fortify us upon our return . .  Nothing else left to wilt, grow mold, or turn sour.

I make this process of Eating Down a habit whenever the family is headed out for vacation. But I also schedule an Eating Down week every couple of weeks, so that I can ensure there will be a lot less food waste. Here are a few ideas on how to make it happen.

Tips for Eating Down

Make soup your friend. A great way to add bits and pieces of leftover vegetables, and then dig in your pantry for grains to add.

Fritattas are a great way to use of the eggs, and those vegetables. Serve with a smattering of potatoes you may have on hand.

Leafy greens – saute bok choy, chards, kale and top with an egg, or add them to ramen for lunchtime.

Smoothies for breakfast or snack is a great way to use up fruit that may be just past its prime and no one will eat it

Muffins or scones – for using last bits of opened milk, apples that may be going soft.

The post Eating Down: Cutting Down on Food Waste appeared first on Family Eats.

Last week I was headed out of town, and I needed to take my meal planning to the next level. Usually when I travel, I make my usual weekly meal plans and leave the family with ingredients to prepare it, while also stocking the kitchen and pantry with items for snacking. Upon return, I often see remnants of take-out or restaurant visits because the craziness of kid activities and work made it nearly impossible to get the meal prepped and cooked in the evenings.

This time around, I wanted to set things up for success. There were a lot of veggies and fruits that needed to be eaten, and without my constant reminder (or preparing and putting it right in front of their faces), I was sure that they would be in the same spot as when I left 5 days earlier.

And, given the after-school activities, I knew that if I didn’t have heat-and-eat meals in the fridge, the family would probably eat around 8 pm, or grab some take-out instead.

I decided to put a Sunday meal prep plan in place. I’d bake a double batch of muffins that could be used for lunches or afternoon snacks. I chopped up carrots, used the remaining avocados to make guacamole, prepped a salad for easy grab-and-go. Then I got moving on making chili, chicken enchiladas and a pork ragu meat sauce for pasta. There would be enough for leftover on Thursday, and I’d be home Friday.

Other than starting off with a failure – the muffins were burnt to a crisp (oven temp went awry), my Sunday meal prep was a success. Once each meal was completed, I borrowed some post-it notes from Nicole and started tagging all the meals in the fridge, noting anything else that needed to be prepped for the meal (rice and black beans for the enchiladas, serving salad with chili, for example).

When I hopped on an early morning plane Monday, I was confident that I’d set the family up for success that week. Throughout the week I touched base with Greg, and he was grateful for the Sunday meal prep, as it made things so much easier on him – not having to prepare the meals I had planned. Upon my return, most of what I had prepped was used, and there was minimal spoilage.

I’ve been meal planning for quite some time now, but had yet to fully embraced the Sunday meal prep method – I’m a convert now!

A Few Tips for Sunday Meal Prep

• Create a meal plan for the week – including options for all day long, not just dinner.
• Prep veggies for the week: Cut up vegetables for easy snacking, for topping a salad, or for easy steaming or sauteing throughout the week.
• Make a bean dip, salsa, grain salad and muffins for lunches or afternoon snacks.
• Choose meal recipes that require minimal assembly for busy weeknights.

What are your favorite Sunday meal Prep recipes? Share them below and I may feature them on social media!

The post Sunday Meal Prep appeared first on Family Eats.

With a family of 6, we have a lot of food around here, and for my own sanity, I need it to keep it all organized so that we know what food we have – or don’t have — on hand.

I’m not a fan of food waste, and I’m even less of a fan of getting ready to make a meal and realizing that I don’t have an ingredient. That’s why I’ve been diligent with my pantry organization. The bulk food is moved out of bags and into glass jars, or my OXO POP containers. As for organization, I keep similar products together: cereal, grains, crackers, etc. I know which zone to search when I need an ingredient, and the family is pretty good at helping keep things organized in there.

But, when it comes to the refrigerator (and freezer) it has always been a ‘find a space and stick it there’ attitude. The result has led to a lot of frustration – lots of moving things around to find something, or lots of “Mom do we have any …?” I also find a lot of smashed, slimy or moldy food unearthed way past its consumable point.

I always want to keep a clean and organized fridge, but it doesn’t always turn out that way. Lately, I find myself ready to keep order in the fridge . . . but that’s because a new refrigerator just arrived! And with this arrival, I’ve challenged myself (and my family) to keep it organized.

A Clean Slate

This new refrigerator is a lot like moving – you start with a clean slate and create a new space.

Not only will things be clean (and I won’t have produce drawers with dried out and flimsy brown carrots, smashed and mushy cucumber pieces, moldy sour cream, seriously outdated condiments, etc. etc.) My hope is that if I start with a clean slate, and keep things organized, it will be much easier, and less demanding, to keep it clean.

With the arrival of a new fridge, I now have a reason to do a bit of organization in the refrigerator and freezer. And, this time around, I’m going to follow a few rules. Yes, there are rules when it comes to refrigerator organization, and the find-a-space-and-stick-it-there method is not a rule.

BUT, before I get to organization, I wanted to say this: For overall food safety, saving on energy costs, and cutting down on food waste, be sure to maintain your refrigerator temperature at 40 degrees F or lower, and set your freezer to none other than 0 degrees F.

Now, on to storage . . .

All Space Isn’t Created Equal

Refrigerators can be pretty high tech these days, but you must follow certain rules to take advantage of these advances in modern technology. Just because there is room to put the cheese on the top shelf, doesn’t mean you should. Likewise, storing the carton of milk in the door because it is easy to access, may not be the best place for it.

The key to refrigerator organization is understanding  your fridge zones: door, shelves, and drawers.

Door

The greatest temperature fluctuation occurs in the door, so pack it accordingly. The door is best for items that have natural preservatives in them, and are least susceptible to temperature changes – condiments, juice, and water (if you buy bottles). Because of temperature fluctuations, please don’t put eggs or dairy in the door. Eggs need consistent temperature making the middle shelves the best spot.

The Upper Shelf of the fridge is known to have the most consistent temperature, so storing your leftovers or ready-to-eat foods including salsa, deli meats, sodas or even herbs are ideally placed on these shelves. In general, the upper shelf is best for items that don’t need to be cooked.

The Middle and/or Lower Shelves are the coldest, so be sure to store dairy, raw meat, eggs and seafood on them. If space allows, place your milk on the lower shelf, and in the back – where it is coldest. The lowest shelf is also ideal for meat. For meat, it is best to assign a certain area of the lower shelves as the place to store it. Be sure to keep the meat in the original packaging, and place it on a plate to prevent any dripping. Remind yourself to frequently clean this section, you don’t want the raw meat bacteria spreading to other items you are storing.

Crisper: This is where moist conditions are maintained, and most refrigerators are equipped to allow the user the ability to control humidity in each drawer via a toggle switch, usually controlling a vent with a sliding door. When the vent is closed, you’ll have high humidity, and when open, low humidity.

The low humidity drawer is for items that rot (or ripen) quickly, including those ethylene-producing fruits and vegetables (with the vent open, gas can escape). While I don’t personally keep apples in the fridge, this is where they would go, along with cantaloupe, stone fruits, kiwis, and pears, for example. You can store an avocado in the crisper if you would like to ripen it slowly. When you anticipate needed one, just take it out of the fridge and let ripen on the counter.

The high humidity drawer is where you’ll keep your leafy greens, leeks, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, peas and peppers. The higher moisture content keeps these foods hydrated and crisp.

No Need to Refrigerate:

The refrigerator is the ideal environment for everything. Keep these out of the fridge – bread, onions, ripe avocados, tomatoes, bananas, honey, squash, potatoes and cake (it will be gone before it goes bad!).

Freezer:

The freezer has fewer rules, and beyond the obvious meat, ice, or fruits, the freezer is good for storing breads, tortillas, and while grain flours that are high in nutrients and oils (you don’t want them to go rancid).

Rethinking your Organization

Air needs to flow around the food in the refrigerator, so don’t pack it tightly. In the freezer, however, you can pack items closely – keep them organized and tightly to maximize energy savings.

In the fridge, to help reduce food waste, we look to a few essential items, that not only keep food fresh, but make it easy for organizing.  Joseph Joseph’s Dial food storage containers come with a clever contra-rotating dial in the lid which allows you to clearly date the contents either by date stored or use by date.

We also like using our Bee’s Wrap for topping bowls which don’t have lids (instead of plastic wrap), and we use for covering half-used vegetables such as onion, tomatoes, and peppers.

Stasher bags are perfect for preserving cut fruit or leftover pizza in the fridge, and even storing premade meals in the freezer, then reheating directly in the bag!

For any extra fresh herbs you may have on hand, chop them and mix with olive oil, then freeze in Zing ice cube trays, which feature silicone bottoms — simply push to release and add to your pot.

Once you realize that all space in the fridge isn’t created equal, you’ll rethink how you store certain items.

What are your favorite ways to keep order in the refrigerator? Share them below!

The post Fridge and Freezer Organization: A Zone Game appeared first on Family Eats.

We just returned from a 10-day camping trip visiting Great Basin National Park in Nevada, followed by Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon and Zion in Utah. (We also threw in one State park, Deadhorse Point State Park, for good measure.) It was an exhausting trip, filled with lots of hiking in the heat, followed by relaxing in the KOA pool upon return to the campground in the late afternoon.

Along the way we camped and prepared the majority of our food — a lunch out twice, and breakfast in Moab the morning after we were blown out of our tent and had to find a hotel.

Aside from where we were camping, and which parks we were visiting, I knew that food would be an important part of the trip planning. In fact, the kids were no different on this trip than they are at home — First thing in the morning they asked, “What’s for Dinner?”

The food we made on the road took a bit of planning, and some organization before leaving, but it proved to be an essential part of making this vacation successful.

Here are a few tips on how I made it all work out!

Make a Chart

To start, I made a chart – Mine was hand-drawn, but this could be in an excel file, which would make it easier to move meals around during the planning stage.

Included in the chart is the date/day of the week, then columns for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks. This is a great visualization tool so you can see if one meal provides leftover ingredients for the next; something that is essential especially when camping. You want to use up all the food you have, and not throw away anything.

Decide on the Menu

Next up is deciding on the menu. Gather some of your favorite camping meals, favorite recipes made at home, and new ones you want to try. Keep in mind that you will be making these meals on a camp stove or over a fire, after a long day of hiking, playing in the sun, etc., so your choices should definitely not be too complicated to make. Also, when deciding on which meals to make, take into account where we would be for the day. For instance, a long hike with lunch out on the trail, meant that I had to be able to serve something that wouldn’t get smashed in our day packs, so I opted for salame, crackers, nuts, dried fruits, and the like. Other days we knew we could head back to our car between hikes, we kept our lunch in the cooler – meaning sandwiches were an ideal choice. Be flexible with the menu; you may even decide on changing it up later in the planning process.

Our choices included:

Breakfast – zucchini bread, blueberry muffins, cereal, oatmeal, eggs and sausage, breakfast burgers

Lunch: sandwiches, salame, burritos with leftovers

Dinner: tacos in a bag, hot dogs, hamburgers, barbecue pork sandwich, Pasta Carbonara, Spanish Rice with Ground Beef, pizza on a bagel (a way to maintain our pizza night tradition, without the fuss of making a full pizza), barbecue chicken,  and chicken burritos (leftovers).

Dessert: S’mores in a Cone (place all ingredients in a sugar cone, wrap with foil and heat over the campfire), and Camping Donuts,

Snacks (at campsite, and on the hike): mozzarella and tomatoes, chips and salsa/guacamole, raisins, carrots with white bean dip.

Create a List of Staples/Ingredients Needed

Once your camping meal matrix is complete, make a list of the ingredients needed, including staples such as spices and condiments. My goal was to purchase most of our food and take it with us, but I also realized that it would be nearly impossible to lug everything around for 10- days, worrying about keeping the cold items cold enough to keep them from spoiling. With this in mind, I planned for a time in my meal matrix when I could hit the grocery store to stock up on certain items – more milk, eggs and chicken.

Pre-Make Certain Items

There were a few things I decided to make ahead of time and freeze. I cooked the pork and shredded it, then froze it. I also baked zucchini bread and muffins to accompany fruit and yogurt at breakfast time. To further make things easier for transport, and cooking at the campsite, I reviewed the recipes and created the spice blends to be use, packing them in small containers, which were marked with the appropriate recipe.

Be Flexible

As it is at home, it is important to be flexible with mealtime. Things come up, your energy level is running low, and unforeseen incidents (like a major wind/sand storm in Moab), can cause you to make changes to your menu planning.

In the end, I think everything we prepared was welcomed positively by the family. I have to admit, I am happy to be back in my own kitchen.

The post Summer Camping: Planning appeared first on Family Eats.

When I was a kid, I loved stationary. My favorite was a gift from my Aunt Jan, a deep pink paper decorated with white polka dots. I used it often as I wrote letters to her when she lived in Boston, or to my grandma when she was away visiting her siblings in Pennsylvania.

Forty-five years later, I have a desk drawer filled with stationary, in addition to “Thank You” cards, and invites. I still hand-pen letters and ‘Thank You’ cards (and have my children do the same), but for everyday invites, I turn to technology. It’s quick, affordable, and efficient for my needs.

I like to create something a bit more personal and memorable than a text or a group email.  That’s why online ‘invitations’ are a staple in my life. They go hand-in-hand with so many of our family celebrations and even our casual get-togethers. Whether it is dinner with friends, birthdays at the beach, or even ‘major’ events, like graduations, these digital invites are ideal for my budget and allow me to send beautiful invites when I have a tight time frame.

There are many digital invite platforms out there to choose from. Lately I had the opportunity to start creating with Paperless Post. (I was gifted coins to give it a try!) In the past I had received invites via Paperless Post, but have rarely used it. Last week I started fiddling about with invitations for events that are on the near horizon – an elementary school graduation, a birthday and a house party – and I found the process to be quite fun!

Paperless Post was filled with options, helping me reimagine my invitations with customizable options that ensured my invite would be unique.

How Does it Work?

Paperless Post has a collection of beautiful designs for free, but with the purchase of ‘coins’ you can take your design to a new level. (Coins are the currency they use to price the premium design options.)

In addition to premium card designs, Paperless Post also has premium add-ons, including envelopes, liners, stamps, postmarks, logos, and backdrops, all of which require coins. As you go through the customization flow, the cost of your card per recipient appears at the top right corner of the page. In the end, the total cost of an online card depends on which premium content you use and the number of email addresses you are sending your card to. It can range from 0 to 13+ coins per guest, depending on the selections you make.

Elevating the Experience

Paperless Post has partnered with several world-famous designers and lifestyle brands, including Kate Spade New York, Oscar de la Renta, Jonathan Adler, and Rifle Paper Co. Using Paperless Post designs are truly a way to elevate the occasion.

Ours are mostly cocktail party or dinner invites, and Paperless Post has proved to be a great way to set the mood for our gathering. Typically as I plan for our parties, my focus is on creating the experience for the party – choosing the right beverages and food for the occasion. I am finding that it is just as important to the planning process to pay attention to the invitation. Not only does it catch the attention of those who are invited, but it also proves to be an easy way to manage the guest list. With the RSVP option, I know who is able to make it – and, if I want to resend a reminder, or add a bit more about the gathering to our invite list, the process is simple.

I know that going forward, I will turn to Paperless Post to help me with all my invite needs. And. I’m even tempted to use it for sending digital greeting cards – as I am always behind in buying and sending cards to friends and family.

Head on over to Paperless Post and give it a try. You’ll see how easy it is to elevate your next gathering to a new level.

The post The Party Invite appeared first on Family Eats.

One thing I learned this last week is that you can’t mess with tradition.

For a brief moment, our annual Pumpkin Carving Party was to be cancelled. But once the kids got wind of the cancellation, they revolted.

“You can’t cancel our pumpkin carving party, it’s a tradition!”

“What? How can you do that? The party is sooooo fun!”

“Please, please, please don’t cancel.”

Clearly, Greg and I had to rally and wrap our heads around how we were going to make this happen.

Our 15-year-old Tradition

There was so much backlash from the kids, that Greg and I had to leave the room to discuss the fate of the party. We could still hear them through the closed door.

The Everage Family Pumpkin Carving Party is a tradition that has been around since 2003, when our oldest was only a few months old. Back then, living in Santa Monica, we welcomed our immediate neighbors, who also had little ones — leaving us ‘adults’ to do the carving.

Through the years, we’ve maintained that tradition, even as we moved to Northern California. It is a party that grows in numbers as the kids grow older. It’s changed from a time when I made most of the food served, to a fun potluck for the 50 or so friends who make it over.

As the kids grew, our schedules became hectic, and we juggled as we tried to align when we are all free for the party, in the hopes that our friends are as well.

This year was the same; we scheduled the party in between soccer, dance and swimming, only to find out 6 days before the party that we had 2 soccer tournament games scheduled during the party time.

The easiest fix was to start the party a bit later, but we were dealing with an early sundown, and a party held outdoors at the community center cabin down the road meant we would have to deal with 36 kids, with knives, at a party that started in the dark.

We needed a new plan — and quickly.

The Party

In the end, we switched the party to a slightly later start — giving us time to carve before the sun went down. We also decided to welcome our guests to our home, to take advantage of our backyard. In between the soccer games, we took the time to set up decorations and lighting outdoors, finished the treats I was making, and readied for the guests to arrive.

Now that we are on the other side of the party, we are so happy we didn’t let this opportunity pass. More than 50 friends gathered under our tree and carved up pumpkins, enjoyed a potluck dinner, and celebrated this annual tradition with us.

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