Introducing “The Family Dish” #MyShoppingCart (SPON)

I have some extremely exciting news that I am finally able to share with everyone. I was asked by Unilever (you know the company who has awesome brands such as Ragu, Lipton, Breyers, Skippy, Knorr, and more?) to be a contributor to a new website that they have called “The Family Dish”. The Family Dish is a site geared to having fun in the kitchen with great recipes, and also getting your children involved. The mission is to reconnect families through cooking.

I can remember watching shows on television where families are cooking meals together, talking, and having a great time. Not only does this make for a fantastic family time, but also, your children can learn to cook and learn all of those secret family recipes.

As it is a family usually doesn’t have much time to spend together why with moms and dads working, kids in sports and activities. Homework, housework, and yard work that just doesn’t leave a lot of time. I have always been a stickler that we (my family) eats dinner together every night. That way at least we have that 1/2 to an hour to talk, and know whats going on in each of our worlds. Now with working on this project with “The Family Dish” I can make the time last a little longer with them helping me to cook before the dinner as well.

I plan on rotating my crew of 4 kids and spending some individual time with each of them in the kitchen. On some days I will also work with them on a meal as one group as well.

So, come on over the www.thefamilydish.com and see what’s cookin!

The featured Mom contributors are , Linda Sellers (Short Pump Preppy), Jennifer Leet (The Dirty Shirt), Tracy Reinhardt (Crazy Suburban Mom), Liz Latham (Hoosier Homemade), Carol Cain (NYCity Mama), April Atwater (Simply the Sweet Life), Cheryl Sousan (Tidy Mom), Jennifer Schmidt (Beauty and Bedlam), Jill Ann Berry (Musings from Me), Lisa Douglas (Crazy Adventures in Parenting), Heather Durdil (Domestic Extraordinaire), along with myself will post video diaries and written posts on The Family Dish website showing their hands-on experiences turning cooking dinner time into quality time with their families.

To help get families started, www.TheFamilyDish.com features an exclusive cookbook with easy-to-prepare, family-friendly recipes from the Unilever Consumer Test Kitchens, and tips from the trusted brands supporting the program: Ragú® Pasta Sauce, Hellmann’s® / Best Foods® Mayonnaise, Knorr® Pasta and Rice Sides, Skippy® Peanut Butter, and Lipton® Recipe Secrets®.

Also fun for the whole family is a chance to win a Family Culinary Vacation to Orlando by entering “The Family Dish Contest,” which asks families to share their own experiences cooking together. From July 25 to August 30, 2010, families can enter “The Family Dish Contest” by visiting thefamilydish.com and uploading a video about their best experiences cooking as a family. Twenty semi-finalist videos will be posted on the site for public voting to choose a winner. Public voting will take place from September 15-30, 2010. Official rules are available at www.thefamilydish.com.

For more quick tips, recipe ideas and to find out what’s cooking in the Unilever Consumer Test Kitchens, follow Lauren, Anna Marie and their team on Twitter @KitchenDishin’.

Thank you in advance for visiting!

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure- This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in Unilever’s Family Dish Program. For more great ideas, go to www.thefamilydish.com.