times, we had Easter Sunday dinner with the kids at his desk.
It doesnât matter where you eat, as long as youâre together.
It also doesnât matter what you eat. You can serve a peanut butter sandwich and still have a great conversation. The best meal that I made for the kids was also the simplest: star soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Star Soup is so easyâitâs chicken broth with pastina in it. Salt, pepper, cheese. You serve it with grilled cheese on toast or on English muffins. The whole meal for the three kids probably cost under seven dollars and takes five minutes to make. And itâs still one of their favorite dishes. Whenever Christopher comes over, one of the first things heâll say will be âMom, Star Soup?â Even if itâs one in the morning, heâll ask and Iâll make it. Itâs a great-stick-to-your-ribs meal, and kids love it.
Our family always prioritized these family dinners. Even with the challenges of Alâs demanding job. But now, after thirty years of marriage, I can tell you that these meals became the glue that held us together and kept us connected.
Star Soup
This is so simple, but one of my kidsâ all-time favorites to this very day!
½ lb. âpastinaâ pasta, cooked and drained
1 can College Inn chicken broth (14½ oz.)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated cheese (optional)
Return the cooked, drained pasta to the pot and add the broth, salt, and pepper, and heat to desired temperature. DONE! I told you it was easy!
Albie is a grated cheese addict, so he always adds cheese to his soup; Lauren and Christopher are fine with it as is!
SERVES ABOUT 3 (HOW CONVENIENT!)
If your husband is a workaholic whoâs never home, or if youâre the one with the crazy schedule, youâre going to find the family meal difficult at first. Be prepared to eat whenever you canâif itâs breakfast at 5:00 AM or dinner at 3:00 AM , it can be done. Being tired all day is a small price to pay for showing someone you love them, and getting to hear about whatâs going on in their life.
I know that life is speeding up for all of us. Weâre bombarded from the minute we wake upâfrom our families, our friends, the TV, and all the social media we didnât even dream of ten years ago. Thatâs why itâs more necessary than ever to drop out of that madness completely, just for a half hour, once a day. Youâll learn more important stuff in that half hour with your kid or husband than if you spent the whole day on Facebook.
Ask Caroline
Caroline, my husband and I have grown apart over the years and have definitely become less intimate since the birth of our daughter a year ago. Heâs struggling to find his feet and get a job while Iâm running the house. I do feel like my love for him has lost some of its passion and weâre trudging along. Weâre under a lot of stress. Can you tell us how to find each other again and bring back the passion?
Donât get discouraged. You and your husband have a lot on your plate. Navigating your way through new parenthood is hard enough, but you guys have financial problems hanging over your heads. Realize that you have to work as a team. Thereâs no room for the blame game here. Be grateful for your daughter, and as long as your husband is actively looking for work, you need to remain positive and supportive. Itâs not unusual to feel disconnected right now, your roles have changed from partners to parents and you need to adapt.
Make an effort to reconnect with your husband. Spend time together without discussing the pressures of your life. You donât need to do grand gestures, just give your undivided attention to each other, hold hands, laugh and enjoy the simplicity of moments you share together. Believe me, a little bit of love and attention goes a long way. Marriage can be backbreaking work, but anything worth keeping usually is.
Everybody eat!