As a full-time blogger and social media manager, I’m so grateful for technology. I can be running errands, at the park, grocery shopping and still have the option to be on my phone checking in with clients, tweeting, replying to emails, updating Facebook and more. Technology allows me to take pictures and videos of my kids and then share them instantly with friends and family online or through a text. I can listen to my favorite song wherever I am – or bring up the Frozen soundtrack for my kids – and I couldn’t get through a workout without my phone.
BUT….I don’t want my kids growing up thinking that it’s okay to always have your head into a phone or a tablet. Sometimes, you have to disconnect to reconnect with your loved ones. One very important rule that my husband and I have is there are no phones or tablets allowed during family meals. We have a ritual that as soon as we are at the kitchen table, that we go around and each one of us tells the rest of the family what we did that day, starting from when we woke up. It’s something that my son has become so excited about and he’s even started doing it away from home! At Easter, as we sat around the table with our extended family, he wanted everyone to go around and tell him about his day. I love that we are starting a new family tradition with him and that he knows that meal time = family time.
I’m excited to be sharing the message of Disconnect to Reconnect with you. It’s a movement to get families to unplug at the table for at least one meal, once a week, more often than not. Thanks to Smuckers, you can take the pledge for your family at the PowerofFamilyMeals.com. Ditch the phones and reconnect with you family during meal time. Start a new tradition like we did with telling about our day. Maybe you could each share a special memory, ask questions about their favorite books, movies and activities or make up a silly story as a family!
Something we like to do is have breakfast for dinner {as many families do!} so I thought I’d share a new recipe that I made up inspired by the delicious waffle sandwiches at Walt Disney World.
Honey Peanut Butter, Apple and Banana Waffles
Ingredients
– 4 Waffles
– Smuckers Apple Jelly
– JIF Honey Peanut Butter
– Apples
– Bananas
Directions
– It’s really your choice on how much you want to load up your waffles with! Spread Honey Peanut Butter and Apple Jelly on waffles.
– Place sliced apples and bananas on waffles and make a sandwich!
YUM! It was a big hit with all members of my family and it”s just SO easy to make!
Join me in taking the pledge to Disconnect to Reconnect with your family during meal times! You’ll also find some great recipe inspiration there for your next family dinner!
Win It!
Thanks to Smuckers and the Power of Family Meals, I am giving away an AMAZING “Breakfast for Dinner” Prize Pack!
This prize pack includes:
- Presto Jumbo Cool Touch electric griddle (1)
- 7-piece kitchen utensil set with stand (1)
- Family Talk conversation game (1)
- Smucker’s Strawberry Natural Squeeze jam (1)
- JIF Creamy Peanut Butter (1)
- JIF Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (1)
- Folger’s Classic Roast (1)
- Hungry Jack Breakfast Syrup (1)
- Hungry Jack Complete Pancake and Waffle Mix (2)
- Martha White Banana Nut Muffin Mix (2)
- Crisco No-Stick Cooking Spray (1)
- Martha White All-Purpose Flour (1)
Enter the Rafflecopter form below.
Disclosure: I received compensation for this post but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I love pancakes for dinner! That griddle would be amazing!
This is a great prize AND a great way to get families together without technology!!
I love breakfast for dinner!!!
We love to have Taco Tuesday… but that can mean any kind of mexican – burritos, enchilada, nachos, tacos, tostadas! Build your own is a favorite here.
I love to make from scratch biscuits and eggs.
we like french toast ! 🙂 lots of sugar and strawberries
i love to cook lasagna for the family
Our favorite breakfast is pancakes and bacon!
It’s a toss-up between breakfast for dinner (always a favorite) and build-your-own-taco night. Love that your new family tradition has already really resonated with your son!
I like an egg as a snack at night! I can;t believe how many folks in England eat omelets for dinner, or tea as they say!
Mitch
The family really likes spaghetti…so I think that’s a favorite to cool OR “fancy chicken” with artichokes and capers!
We really like anything that can be grilled. It’s fresh and healthier and satisfies all of our taste buds. I agree that family dinner time should a technology-free zone!
My favorite meal to cook for the family is Lasagna
I TOTALLY agree with you on this pledge! I don’t want my son to think technology comes before him. I love our meals together, and I try to make sure I have time to even sit with him at breakfast before I have to drop him off at daycare.
I love cooking up a great breakfast. This looks yummy!
What a great prize! Having a meal together as a family without technology distracting everyone is so important but is becoming more and more difficult. I love making breakfast. We enjoy omelets in my house!
I love cooking so I don’t really have a favorite meal to cook. My kids absolutely love breakfast any time of the day though. Eggs or omelets, sausage or bacon, hashbrowns, pancakes
I love making peanut butter, banana, honey and wheat germ sandwiches. One of the many things I miss now that my daughter went gluten-free.
What a fabulous prize pack! We always make the effort to disconnect from technology before we sit at the table as a family. It’s so important to give your undivided attention especially to the little ones.
It is amazing how much technology can connect us and disconnect us all at the same time. I think it’s super important to remember to ‘disconnect to reconnect’ often in our daily lives!
breakfast for dinner= FABULOUS.
and we have no electronics at the meal table. period. no phones, no tv, no radio. nothing. just people actually talking. and i won’t have it another way. i love it.
I love to cook chicken pasta for the family! 🙂
Thanks for the chance !
The best thing I make is crunchy chicken. Its chicken drums with butter, corn flakes cereal and Parmesan cheese on top! Its great.
I agree, no phones at mealtime! Your waffles look yummy!
My absolute fave mealtime is breakfast. I do the works, pancakes, omelets, muffins, bacon, english muffin and fresh fruits. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Thx for the giveaway AND the recipe! Printed it out 🙂
I think our favorite is build your own taco nights. Its fun, messy and a great time. We all make something different and we all enjoy it.
My favorite meal to cook for the family is brunch (because it means it’s a lazy day!). This prize pkg. looks great, thanks for hosting.
I love to cook a big breakfast with my family. Everyone helps out. It’s a bit crazy in the kitchen but everyone has fun and the food is so yummy!
I love to cook dinner, especially meatloaf. I find that its the most welcome meal at our house.
My favorite meal to cook has always been breakfast. On the weekends, I make it a big one, with bacon, sauasage, eggs, hasbrowns and pancakes or french toast.
I love to cook breakfast (and dessert!) But I try to limit the number of times I cook dessert! 😉
My favorite meal to cook for my family is, by far, breakfast for dinner. A close second is chicken nacho night.
I love breakfast food! The pbja looks tasty! But mostly only for breakfast or brunch. My Mom often did pancake dinner, I just can’t get into it.
My family loves my chicken noodles and taco/burrito night is a big hit too.
My favorite meal to cook for my daughter and grandkids is baked wild caught salmon, sweet potatoes, and kale sauteed with onions and garlic. They love it.
We love pancakes, bacon and eggs … that is what I love to cook for our family
Our favorite meal to cook as a family is pizza. It is one of the few things where the kids can actually help without potentially ruining dinner.
I enjoy cooking spaghetti and meatballs! The family loves it and it is easy!
My favorite meal to cook for the family is shrimp scampi.
Our favorite meal is cheese enchiladas.
Being a blogger too, i could not agree more!! NO electronics at the dinner table (or any meal in my house)
My children are huge fans of beef pot roast and love to help me make the meal.
Our favorite family meal is spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread,
callawishes(at)hotmail(dot)com
Great giveaway! I love cooking pasta for my family! It’s easy and we all love it!
My favorite meal to cook would be spaghetti for lunch and pancakes for breakfast.
Funny you should ask that about favorite meals. We just bought a waffle maker and have been eating a ton of waffles lately!
I love making french toast, and fettuccine alfredo!
Those waffles look so good! My favorite meal to make is buffalo chicken pasta.
I LOVE my griddle! My favorite thing to make is plain old pancakes with Nutella and strawberries.
we love cooking together. cookies are or favorite
My, oh my, do these look scrumptious! While it is just me and my husband, we love spending quality time in the kitchen together!
What a great message and reminder for all bloggers! Thanks for the amazing giveaway too!
We love family taco night, everyone piles on their tacos how they like it!
I love the “disconnect to reconnect” campaign! We try to keep distractions minimal, but with the nature of my husband’s job, he always has to be ready for a call or email. It’s so great that you are teaching your children the importance of family time at such young ages – it will stick with them for life! Our favorite family meals are Sunday breakfast and weekly Pizza Hut. Simplicity always 🙂
I don’t think I have a favorite meal to cook for my family! What a great giveaway!
My kids love pancakes! I could really use a griddle. My son had breakfast for dinner for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I think he’s hooked.
I love making a big Sunday Dinner!
my favorite thing to cook is Manicotti
I love making homemade lasagna using cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
I enjoy bbqing for my family esp flatbread pizzas.
My big daddy burgers! My family LOVEs them!
I love to fix a great big breakfast on Sunday mornings before church for my family!
Love making Lasagna for Dinner.
We love having anything Mexican and spaghetti is a favorite.
I would have to say lasagna
My favorite meal to cook for my family is my homemade lasagna. Everyone loves it and they all eat lots of it,
i love to make homemade spaghetti.
Everyone here loves a great cookout…hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob. Yum.
Stirfries are a quick, easy, and delicious meal that we love 🙂
i love making lasagna for my family.