10 ICONIC & FUN MEAL IDEAS TO PROMOTE FAMILY BONDING
Here are 10 epic and iconic recipe ideas to promote family bonding. Family bonding activities are essential to a healthy family atmosphere and most importantly, to creating memories that will last for ages. Try these fun recipes for lunch, dinner, or dessert. These are fun recipes for kids and are even fun to make with friends. Some of them are healthy recipe ideas and some are just good for the soul, but either way they are gooooood and perfect for family bonding.
Making Bread from Scratch
Don’t knock it until you have tried it. Many say that making bread at home is quite relaxing. Kneading the dough is a great time for you to converse and catch up on all that is going on with your children at school, or in general. You can decide to make bread in a bread machine or make bread at home on your kitchen table. Either way, you do not have to be an expert. If you are baking bread as a beginner, you can shop at your local grocery store for a premade bread mix (Much like a box of cake mix). Add water and eggs then start the kneading process right away! It is that simple. It will have your family totally impressed and most of all the smell of freshly baked bread is the best!
Make Handmade pasta
This is a fun family bonding activity no matter what age you are. Its great for toddlers, teens and even grandparents. One person can prepare the handmade pasta dough, then everyone else can take turns to crank the pasta through a pasta rolling machine. Don’t have one? No problem! Simply use a rolling pin to flatten the pasta dough, then slice into thin noodles. If you have young children, it might be worth investing in a Ravioli stamp maker or other handmade pasta tools. As a bonus activity for kids, this would be an excellent opportunity to review handmade pasta shapes while you use the ravioli stamps.
Homemade ice cream
Winter or Summer, decadent ice cream is always a pleasure to enjoy at any time! In my family, homemade ice cream has been a staple family bonding activity for generations. There are various ways that you can make the ice cream. Make homemade ice cream in a bag by putting all the ingredients in a small Ziploc bag, then placing it in a gallon sized bag with ice and salt. This method works great for toddlers. They will enjoy shaking up the bag especially if you put on music. If you prefer to make homemade ice cream with a machine, then shop around for an old school cranking machine (No one will forget the muscle it took to get the ice cream just right), which is guaranteed to create good family memories. If you prefer an electronic ice cream maker, then push start and set the timer. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, then use a food processor to blend your ingredients, then freeze. Have fun experimenting with homemade ice cream flavors by using an assortment of fruits and juices to blend. Once you have made the ice-cream, the possibilities are endless! A Homemade ice cream toppings bar, homemade ice cream sundaes, homemade ice cream sandwiches and the list goes on!
Cookie Decorating
Cookie Decorating is an all time favorite! Its simple, and everyone can do it. Load up on cookie decorating supplies and cookie decorating icing. Go down the baking aisle at your grocery store and grab sprinkles, icing tubes, candy you name it! If you are short on time and not in the baking spirit, we got you! Grab a premade box of cookies and start making memories. No need to have elaborate cookie design ideas, simply decorate to your hearts content. Let the icing be your guide. Play some music, chit chat, or add this on the tail end of dinner time, for a fun dessert activity.
Homemade Pizza - décor and theme ideas too!
Making homemade Pizza is done best when you recreate Little Italy at home! Now we’re talking! Grab the red and white checkered tablecloth, and candle for the table setting. Play soothing Italian serenades in the background while you and your loved ones decorate your pizza. For homemade pizza topping ideas the possibilities are endless! This is where the real bonding begins. Everyone chopping up the toppings and preparing them in little bowls; it’s the perfect family bonding set up. For those healthy eaters out there, use a whole wheat tortilla wrap for the crust. To top it off accompany your pizza with a homemade salad, bread sticks, wine, or sparkling cider. Want to go the extra mile? Throw your pizza on the grill outside just like the brick oven. This will surely be a night to remember!
Root Beer Float
The creaminess of the root beer float ice cream combined with the sweet, carbonated fizz makes the Root beer float an all time favorite. Get fancy with whipped cream, and a little cherry on top. Mix up the root beer float in a delicious swirl and opt to create root beer float popsicles! You will be forever loved when you surprise your family with this refreshing mid-day dessert.
Homemade Snow Cone
Do you remember the smile on your face as a kid when you were handed this ridiculously large snow cone with multicolored flavors painted in perfect rows? Or the infamous red lips, blue lips, or green lips, that you got after you finished the whole thing? Yessss! That is what we are trying to recreate! Blend ice in a food processor and make the flavored syrup with concentrated Kool-aid. Go online to purchase your very own Homemade snow cone machine. Once the ice gets perfectly shaved, and your have the perfect mound of shaved ice, add your homemade snow cone syrup to top it off! It will bring back the best memories for you and create the best new memories for your little ones.
Jell-O
As basic as it sounds, it makes for the easiest preparation and the most bang for your buck! There are plenty of ways to make simple Jell-O fun! Start off with candy molds to make fun Jell-O molds for the little ones to play with. You can make Jell-O with fruit, Jell-O with cool whip, Jell-O with whipped cream, and even cut out custom designs to use Jell-O with cookie cutters. Feel free to hide Swedish fish inside a light blue Jell-O packet to do an ocean theme.
Homemade rock candy with Kool-Aid
These take preparation and patience, but if you can pull this off, you will be such the cool Mom. Go online to purchase rock candy sticks. All other ingredients are simply sugar, water, more sugar, then just a lot more sugar…you get the point. Add Kool-Aid for flavoring and color. Your Kids will enjoy checking each day to see how the sugar crystals are forming. Take pictures as they grow! Your kids will have fun with this one!
Chocolate Fondue
This one goes beyond chocolate. With the right fondue set, you can create an entire fondue dinner! I like to jump right to the good part myself and go straight to the sweets. As a plus, creating a chocolate fondue night is a great add on to any movie night. Go online to get a Chocolate fondue fountain or a chocolate fondue set, then run to the store and grab a few ingredients. Don’t have one? No worries. It doesn’t have to be fancy. You can use any microwavable safe bowl as a chocolate fondue pot to melt your chocolate, then use wooden skewers or a good ole fork, to dip marshmallows, cake squares, strawberries, or Oreos. The possibilities are endless, so go for the good time! The family memory will be worth it! Don’t forget to take pictures!