Sunday Dinner

Growing up, my mom handled the dinners during the week, but on the weekends, if my dad was in town, he was usually in charge of the cooking. Sunday meals had a tendency to alternate between a vat of his chili or his chop suey (no, we never called it stir fry, and yes, we had a burnt orange electric wok!).

Trying new recipes is great, and I'm all for it, but it can be an endless parade of one-hit culinary wonders. Finding a rhythm in menu planning and providing meals that family and friends can look forward to isn't boring or monotonous; if the meal is good, it creates tradition and memories. And it makes it a heck of a lot easier to plan a family meal knowing you have a few constants in your corner.

So, try a few chili recipes- zero in on one that works for you and you have an instant hit on your hands. Plus, it feeds a crowd, so you could always invite friends over to join. Add homemade corn bread (so easy to make with corn meal, don't do the "box mix"), chopped onions, grated cheese, some sour cream, and maybe a simple salad and you'll have quite the crowd pleaser, and a new Sunday night tradition!