Day 227: Do You Give Without Realizing It? Small Acts of Giving Count too!

It struck me today that I do something almost every single week to give and I don’t even think twice about it. Do you do something in your life to give without realizing it? Do you do something that seems so small you think it could not count as a give. It’s the simple things that make such a difference. Small Acts of Giving Count. It only takes one person to create positive change in the world and by giving something simple it may inspire another to give as well.

Day 227: Give 227

I like to call this the Friday night special! Every Friday night I cook a special dinner for my family. Some people do it on Sunday nights but for our family it has become tradition to have a “Grandma’s Dinner” every Friday night. At just around 5 pm my mother-in- law drops in (she lives just a few blocks down the street), my mother comes up from her suite downstairs, my husband comes home from work and we are guaranteed sit and have a meal together. With life so busy and everyone running at top speed in different directions some days we forget how important it is to sit together as a family and share a meal. Some of my fondest memories as a child are sitting around our big family dining table (6 kids in our family) and eating one meal all together. I learned so much as we debated world issues, shared stories and challenged each other at every turn. It helped to build my character,it taught me to have a voice and stand up for what I believe in. Great life lessons that have stayed with me my entire life.

I never thought of Friday night dinners as a “give” until yesterday. I put a lot of thought and effort into each meal I create to make it special and yummy! I also realized the importance of the dinner together for all us – especially my son. It gives my son a chance to interact and have time with both his grandmothers, it gives us all a chance to catch up on each others lives, it gives a sense of family and tradition. I also try to go out of my way to make something different and tasty each time. I will do one more give to along with this and give you one of my favourite fish recipes that is easy and soooo tasty.

Just remember not all “gives” have to be huge. You don’t have to give money or hours of volunteer time. It can be as simple as giving a gesture of love to your family.

White Wine & Dill White Fish in a Garlic Butter Sauce

4 pieces of your favourite white fish ( I used Basa for this recipe)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white wine
1 cup fresh dill
1/2 squeezed lemon
1 tsp garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large frying on pan a med/high heat, melt butter. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add lemon and wine. Cook for 2 minutes to meld the flavours. Add dill, salt and pepper and stir. Add fish and cover. (no flipping needed. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes until fish is flaky. (do not cook to death – fish should be soft!)

You should have a nice sauce to pour over top of the fish. I served with a potato carrot mash and a fennel, beet & leek compote. (let me know if you want either of these recipes and I will shoot them over). Healthy and delicious for the entire family! Even my 3 year old loved it.

As a mom I do a lot in my day to give to everyone I love and this type of giving is just as valuable as any other more traditional giving. Even if you don’t think you have done anything remarkable in your day to give back, you mostly likely have without even knowing it.

I would love to hear your every day give! Send us a note, make a comment, tweet or facebook. It’s time to recognize the small acts that make such a difference.

Time Commitment: 1 hour to make dinner

Cost: Cost of food