Starting A New Family Tradition

Today's families are all so busy. Dad seems to always work late. Mom shuffles the kids to dance classes, hockey practice, baseball and soccer games, dentist or doctor after school. Maybe everyone sits around the table for family dinner on Sunday evening, but generally there is one or two missing due to studies at another home or whatever reason. How many times in the last two weeks were everyone together and actually had a chance to talk with each other and catch up? Why not begin a new family tradition and set one evening aside every week - come rain or shine - where the family sits down together for dinner. You can eat out or opt for delivery.

The only way to get a complete buy-in to the idea is to make sure you choose a restaurant or type of food everyone likes. The natural choice for kids of any age is Italian - or pizza! No one will want to miss this opportunity and it will soon become a weekly habit. However, you have to select a gourmet pizzeria that not only has great pizzas for sit-down dining but also has fast and accurate delivery for those evenings everyone wants to stay inside.

One thing is for certain. Not all family members will like the same item so you have to find a pizza restaurant that has a menu with a great deal of diversity. Teenage girls are always on diets, so sometimes all they want it a big salad. The right pizza place will have gourmet, filling salads like a Greek salad filled with Spring Greens, Romaine Lettuce, Feta Cheese, Tomato, Black Olive, Red Onion, Cucumbers and Pepperoncini. Or maybe she would like Spring Greens, Romaine Lettuce, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, Red Onion, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, and Bacon.

Young boys seem to like mac 'n cheese as much as they like pizza, so your pizzeria must have a good selection of pasta. Anyone in the family could select chicken Alfredo with Grilled Chicken tossed with a Creamy Mushroom Alfredo, Parmesan Cheese and Penne Pasta. And who doesn't like traditional beef lasagna with yummy layers of pasta, Ricotta cheese, mozzarella, ground beef and scrumptious marinara?

On to the pizza! Dad is usually the hungry carnivore and his pizza of choice will be a meat-lovers' special complete with pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon and mozzarella. Sometimes after a really hard day at work he ups his pizza to include pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, gyro, deli ham, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions, black olives, meatballs and mozzarella.

Mom likes just about everything and can have a white pizza with grilled chicken, mushrooms, Alfredo sauce, garlic, parmesan and mozzarella. Or she may want something a little more out of the ordinary such as a taste of Tuscany with grilled chicken, basil pesto, fresh tomato, black olives, mozzarella and parmesan.