A few weeks ago, I was trying to plan a really nice Sunday for my kids before I went out of town the next day. The goal was obviously to spend quality time with them and charge up that battery before they would have a couple of days without me. I tried booking a pool, researched nearby boating areas, and looking into a few other ideas, but nothing was working out.

Besides trying to work around their various schedules and keep in mind a child with a hand injury, I wanted it to be something grander than what we’d do on a regular
Sunday. And then I realized I was falling into what I think of as the “reporting back” trap.

I was looking for something that had that fun factor, the kind of activity that my kids would be excited about and, ultimately, be able to report to anyone who asked what a cool trip they went on. You know, because we’re the kind of family that does cool things on a regular Sunday.

But the hours were passing in my day and the requests to just go play with friends were getting louder. I ended up taking a few kids out on foot, scooter, and bike to do errands locally, picking up ice cream on the way, and it turned into the nicest afternoon.

Reporting back comes up every vacation, every Chol Hamoed, and during those long days between school and camp. If we’re brutally honest, we’ll admit that we often plan activities with our kids during those days because people are asking us about it or giving us their feedback afterwards. But when we peel that back, we don’t really need a boating trip in order to bond with our kids and have a much-needed bonding time. Even when long summer days are on the horizon.

Enjoy your summer!

CHANIE NAYMAN
Food Editor, Family Table
Editor in Chief, Kosher.com

Go-Green Lunch Salad

• 1 sliced and roasted zucchini
• 2 scoops prepared tuna salad (I add scallions and spices to mine)
• 1 avocado, sliced
• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• handful snap peas, sliced
• 1 baby cucumber, sliced
• mixed greens

Creamy Dill Dressing

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• juice of 1 lemon or 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or 3 cubes frozen dill
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl or container. Mix together salad ingredients in a large bowl. Dress, toss, and enjoy!

Salad Tips

We have a big batch of salads in this week’s issue that will keep you going for a long time. Here are a few tips to help them stay fresh for just as long:

• If you don’t plan on using your lettuce right away, don’t cut it with a metal knife. Use a plastic lettuce knife instead. Metal encourages lettuce to start browning.
• Dress the bowl: Drizzle dressing around the bowl before you put in the salad components. Then toss the salad just before serving.
• Keep your lettuce as dry as possible. The drier the lettuce, the longer it will last in your fridge. Layer up paper towels!
• Keep other components fresh with a moistened paper towel. This works well with sliced vegetables like cucumbers.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 848)