Mission: Dinner table

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
I have fed my family too many meals quick on convenience and lacking in nutritional value.
I have eaten too many of said meals on my knees in front of a TV show.
I have allowed my kitchen table to serve as a catch-all for clutter instead of a place of conversation.
But I am truly sorry for my sins and sincerely repent of them. 
(And here's how I plan to do better ...)
•••
I don't mind cooking. Really, I don't. That hasn't always been true, but lately, throwing a meal together hasn't seemed as challenging. 
It's probably because Miss E is eating table food now. Before that, all I had to do was thaw a cube of pureed vegetables or fruit — believe it or not, I made most of her baby food — and feed it to her while the Captain's and my frozen pizza cooked in the oven.
But mushed-up lima beans and applesauce don't cut it for her anymore, especially with a few pearly whites peeking through. And I just can't justify feeding my baby the same junk I tend to eat ... which leads me to believe maybe I shouldn't be consuming it, either.
This normally would have been enough conviction for me to change my ways. On top of it, though, I spent last weekend cooking with my grandmother. Well, she cooked; I mostly watched. 
She's not a measurement kind of cook — a splash, a tad, a pinch is more her method — and everything ends up plentiful and delicious. If we lived in a fairy tale, I'd be tempted to believe she has magic pots. But really, it's practice and understanding how flavors work together. 
•••
So that's why on Monday night, instead of being sacked out on the couch, I was monitoring several bubbling pots on the stovetop. It wasn't anything fancy, just spaghetti and meat sauce with garlic bread and salad, but it was fresh, hot and homemade. 
When I told the Captain we were going to eat at the table, he was understandably surprised. It had been an embarrassingly long time since we'd done that. 
Supper didn't last overly long; both of us were tired from working all day and Miss E was extra grouchy from growing teeth. But it was a start toward a tradition I hope will continue for many years. Studies show children whose families sit down for a meal together tend to have healthier weights and lifestyle habits as they grow up. 
The only downside to cooking at home I can sum up in one word: Dishes.