This post has been sponsored by Scotch-Brite . All thoughts and opinions are my own.
While this year has brought on many firsts and hardships for too many family and friends that we know, it’s also been a year of celebrating new relationships for our family. In the heart of COVID-19 quarantine last spring, we found ourselves social distancing with our new neighbors in the driveway more nights than not–spaced out 10 feet apart, bundled up in blankets, enjoying a beverage and chatting about the craziness of the world around us. Our neighbors moved in last year and while we knew each other, we really didn’t find time to “know” each other until we were really forced to for lack of any other available social interactions at the moment. Fast forward six months and our two families now do “family style dinners” several days a week and we are more often than not texting each other funny memes, asking for some of their farm fresh eggs from their chickens, or getting ready to run out and pick up the pizzas we ordered together. But with four kids and four adults regularly eating together also comes creating messes together. And today I’ll show you how I grab Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots Non-Scratch Scrubbers from Kroger to help me clean up even our biggest family dinner messes quickly.
Here’s the cool thing about our family style dinners–there are nights when I have a few things and my neighbor has a few things and together we make one epic dinner as a result. In the past we’ve provided burgers, she’s provided apples and a salad, and I had a bag of french fries on hand and we fed our two families together that way. Another week I’d made Homemade Meatballs and she’d just made homemade slider buns that day, so we added tater tots and a salad to the mix and together we had a complete meal! One time she’d made a huge plate of stuffed shells that was plenty to feed us all, so I provided garlic bread and salad and the whole meal was delicious. Just last night I made a big batch of chili and my neighbor brought cornbread muffins and delicious apple nachos for sides.
The point is, we find ways to complement our meals, add some diversity to our dinner ideas, and just give our kids a chance to play together and hang out and it gives us adults some time to enjoy each others company too. We’re both baseball families, so to say we have a lot in common is an understatement. After all of our meals though comes the fun part (or not so fun in some cases)….cleaning up!
I pick up Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots from Kroger and they are so great because the product does not trap food and dries fast, it stays fresher longer. The scrubbing power of the sponge helps get rid of stuck on food quicker and dries fast for a more durable, long-lasting sponge. The product comes in a 2-pack Non-Scratch variety, so it is safe on non-stick cookware. Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots are very effective at removing stuck on food. Even eggs and cheese don’t stick.
They’re so easy to clean with that I can even let my kiddos help me out with scrubbing (one of my daughter’s favorite things to help with) because food comes off so easily and less scrubbing is required.
Now that we have our cleanup method down ALONG WITH our delicious family style meals, dinner time is less stressful and so much more fun! If you have people in your life that you already see regularly, don’t be afraid to try out a family dinner night. The nice thing is that they can be spur of the moment, with items you have on hand, and it’s a great way to branch out on your regular dinners. It also gives kids more options than the traditional at home dinners because every mom or dad has their own unique touch on how to make a meal special or a side dish or recipe that’s a staple in their family that maybe your family hasn’t tried before!
Here’s some of my favorite Family Style Meal Ideas:
- Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
- Crockpot Pizza Ravioli
- Walking Tacos
- BBQ Ranch Pulled Pork
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Homemade Meatballs
Head over to Kroger and grab your ingredients for your family style meal along with a pack of Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots for easy clean up!
You’ll thank me later!
