Family Tradition- Family Appreciation Night

     I think its important to begin your own personal family traditions. One tradition we started in 2012 was Family Appreciation Night.  My husband and I have been to a fondue restaurant in Downtown Chicago often. Its a nice experience but can get pretty expensive, over $250 if we get a full four course meal and wine. It's something we thought the kids would enjoy but we needed the price to be family-friendly for our family of 5. So that's how fondue became a part of Family Appreciation Night.

 

     Family Appreciation Night happens once a quarter and along with our family activities for the night, we have Fondue.  As a family, we purchase gifts for each other- there may be a theme or a scavenger hunt. More importantly we share why we love and appreciate each other.

     It's great because I can control the recipe and keep myself on track still. We fill up on veggies and fruit like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and apples. We also have crusty toasted french bread in moderation. The indulgence is the cheese. We LOVE cheese. The meat of the night is usually a fish or poultry. Last time, we roasted the duck prior to starting our cheese pot. This was much simpler since we did not have to clean the cheese pot for the next course. All in all, the meal is not too bad on the diet or these hips. 

 

Neither my kids or hubby are big chocolate eaters so I have yet to do a chocolate fondue at home.
Something to try with the girlfriends one night I suppose!!