The Innovative Dad
A psychologist’s blog about raising and educating children through the lens innovation.
Rosh HaShanah Menu Plan
The arrival of the Jewish high holidays each fall means lots of cooking. While aspects of the holidays reflect themes of justice and repentance, there is also a theme of joy and happiness at the start of a new year. Menus reflect this desire to start the year off on...
Menu Plan – Week of August 29
The start of the school year and the quickly approaching fall Jewish holidays means simpler meals and raiding the deep freezer. There will be plenty of cooking this week, just not for eating right away. For a long time, our deep freezer was a place where dishes went...
Parents Plan and Kids Laugh: Adventures in Time Management
In a household with two professional parents and four kids, planning and time management are incredibly important. Knowing who needs to be where with what and when as well as what needs to get done and when it has to be done is key to keeping our family functioning....
Menu Plan – Week of August 22: Wait, No Leftovers?!
For a busy family, leftovers are a necessary and functional part of our meal planning. Guaranteeing that there are leftovers is usually relatively easy as meal prep often includes doubling recipes. The benefit is one or two nights a week where dinner can be quickly...
Menu Plan – Week of August 8: What about Lunch?
If you have been looking at these meal plans for the last several weeks, you have probably noticed that lunch is not included on them. The absence is intentional. It isn't that we don't eat lunch; we certainly do. We've just figured out some strategies that help us...
Menu Plan – Week of August 1
Someone once said that no plan survives encounter with the enemy. While this was probably intended as a reflection on the challenges of planning for war, I've frequently noticed that this also applies for my meal planning efforts. In our case, however, it's not enemy...
Enchiladas
Ingredients Mexican rice - we make our using this recipe in the Instant Pot. Refried beans - also an easy dish to prepare in the Instant Pot. No overnight soaking of the beans! Enchilada sauce Cheese - we use a blend of shredded cheese but you can add mozzarella,...
Menu Plan – Week of July 25
This week, when I asked my kids for input into what we should eat, I was met with a table full of blank stares. Needless to say, this wasn't encouraging. Clearly, a dose of inspiration was needed. One of my kids grabbed a kid-friendly cookbook and started calling out...
Instant Pot Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients 2 tsp chopped garlic 6 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil 5 tablespoons chili powder (add more if you like it spicier or reduce for a milder flavor) 2 cans diced tomatoes, including liquid (avoid using seasoned cans) 1 can tomato paste 2 teaspoons of...