You’re set for your family game night.  You’ve picked out your board game. You’ve set the date and time – as well as the ‘no-devices rule’. But do you know that the family that snacks together will stay longer together during said game night?

Alright, I made that up. But people do linger longer when there are great snacks!

Whether your family likes sweet or savory, chewy or crunchy, I’ve got some ideas to make everyone munch a bit happier.

Set up a popcorn bar.

Pop some plain popcorn and fill a large bowl (or even a brown paper bag) with it. Add a large scoop of some kind so people can grab the popcorn easily and fill their own smaller bowls or lunch-sized bags.  Here’s where it gets fun.  Add some small bowls of various items including seasoning such as:

• hot sauce
• curry powder
• sugar and salt (think kettle corn)
• small candies including skittles, chocolate chips, etc
• grated cheese
• garlic salt

Use your taste buds and create seasonings and add-ons to create a one-of-a-kind flavor. (I love ‘everything bagel’ seasoning! My girls like a s’mores combination: with small graham crackers, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips.)

Energy Bites

There are a ton of energy bite recipes out there. Most have peanut butter in them and I love them all. But for something different, try this Coconut Lime Energy Ball, with just four ingredients.

• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup dates (if dry, soak them in warm water first until plump)
• ¾ cup coconut flakes, divided
• juice and zest from 1 lime (2 tablespoons juice & 1 tablespoon zest)

Put the cashews in a food processor and process until mostly broken down. Add the dates and process until they come together to form a dough. Add ½ cup of the coconut and the lime juice and zest and process until well mixed. Scoop out heaping teaspoons of dough and form into balls. (I like using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop for this.) Roll each ball in the remaining coconut. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pizza mini muffins

Pizza without all the drippy cheese and sauce mess? Yes, please. Even though these are only two bites and make a lot, you’ll see they are gone fast! (And of course you can substitute any pizza toppings you prefer for the pepperoni. Just make sure the items you choose are diced finely!)

• 1 10 oz can refrigerated pizza dough
• 20–25 pepperoni slices (finely diced)
• 1 jar pizza sauce
• Shredded cheese for pizza
• Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Roll out pizza dough and cut it into 24 even squares using a pizza cutter. Press each square into muffin cups. Cut pepperoni slices into small cubes using a knife and mix with small amount of pizza sauce in a bowl. You can add more sauce as desired. Add small amount of pepperoni and sauce mixture into each muffin cup. Top with shredded cheese.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until dough is a golden brown. Top with Italian seasoning and remove from pan to let cool.

Remember when families were encouraged to spend dinner together? After all, before the pandemic, we had busier lives. Those who worked tended to get errands and home-stuff done while students studied or went out with friends. There was simply less time to be together.

All that changed with COVID-19. Many are sick of looking at each other with nothing to do. And let’s face it: those family dinners are less of a thrill – and we’re left with less to talk about.

Enter the family game night. With a surge of more board games being purchased and played, it’s the right time to start a new tradition.

Planning for a family board game night isn’t difficult. But if you don’t know where to start, read on…

1. Clear all our schedules and make it an important date. Doing this sends a message to your family about your priorities. Even during a shelter-in-place, it may be hard to gather all the members for a night, especially if you have teenagers. Once you have set the time and date, stick to it. The last thing you want to do is to cancel the night because of some important appointments or deadlines you have beat.
2. Mobile devices (and other distractions) are off-limits. As difficult as it is not to be attached to the hip, turn off your cellphones and other devices. Make sure that there are no other things that need to be done, like homework and chores.
3. Vary the games. I love Scrabble, but playing it all the time can become boring for others. Also, make sure that games have a balanced combination of luck and strategy so that everyone can have a fair chance of winning.  Letting each person have a turn picking out a game for the night is a great way to compromise.
4. Snacks are a must! Playing and eating go hand in hand, I think. I suggest keeping away from messy things. (Who wants cheese puffs dust all over game pieces?) I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite snacks for a game night next time.