Fixing Dinner

Last updated
Fixing Dinner
Created bySandi Richard
Starring Sandi Richard
Country of origin Canada
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
Network Food Network Canada

Fixing Dinner is a Canadian food reality television series, which aired on Food Network Canada and AmericanLife in the United States. Host Sandi Richard comes "to the rescue" of a family that can't cope with making healthy, fresh dinners, and teaches how to counteract their lack of time. [1]

The show follows a standard format - first, a 'help us' video is shown, detailing the problems the family faces. Sandi comes to their house to discuss the situation in more detail, and to inspect the kitchen. She identifies the most stressful or time crunched day of the week, labeled 'Fright Night'. She returns several days later with a menu plan of a month's worth of meals. Magnets symbolizing the various family members and the foods they will cook are placed on the fridge as she introduces this week's menu.

A shopping trip follows, with Sandi recommending various prepared or partially prepared foods as time savers (such as store-bought sauces, precut vegetables). In some episodes, a brief overview of how Sandi has reorganized the kitchen is shown.

Then Sandi proceeds to walk each family member through the meals they are preparing this week. The family is left alone to handle 'Fright Night' according to her plans.

To conclude the show, Sandi returns a month later to find out how the monthly meal plan has worked. Families always claim improvement on the problem Sandi was sent to solve. Common problems are too much fast food, lack of time to prepare dinner, one member of the family being solely responsible for meals, lack of variety, picky eaters and disparate schedules. Before the credits begin, she always ends with the phrase, "Fixing dinner isn't just about food, it's about family".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foodservice</span> Catering industry

The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home. It includes restaurants, grocery stores, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many other formats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Room service</span> Hotel service

Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end hotel and resort properties. It is uncommon for room service to be offered in hotels that are not high-end, or in motels. Room service may also be provided for guests on cruise ships. Room service may be provided on a 24-hour basis or limited to late night hours only. Due to the cost of customized orders and delivery of room service, prices charged to the patron are typically much higher than in the hotel's restaurant or tuck shop, and a gratuity is expected in some regions.

<i>Garfields Thanksgiving</i> 1989 Garfield TV special

Garfield's Thanksgiving is a 1989 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast November 22, 1989 on CBS and was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program at the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards. The events of the special take place during the second season of Garfield and Friends. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video. On overseas DVD copies of Garfield's Holiday Celebrations, this special is replaced with Garfield in the Rough.

A personal chef is a chef who is hired by different clients and prepares meals in the clients' home kitchens, based on their needs and preferences.

Mary Ann Esposito is an American chef, cookbook writer, and the television host of Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito, which started in 1989 and is the longest-running television cooking program in America.

<i>Jamies School Dinners</i> UK television series

Jamie's School Dinners is a four-episode documentary series that was broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 23 February to 16 March 2005. The series was recorded from Spring to Winter of 2004 and featured British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver attempting to improve the quality and nutritional value of school dinners at Kidbrooke School in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Oliver's experience on the series led to a broader national campaign called Feed Me Better, aimed at improving school dinners throughout Britain.

Super Suppers was a US food preparation franchise operation based in Fort Worth, Texas. It specialized in providing space for families to prepare meals ahead of time for freezing and cooking at home. Once at 165 stores, the franchise ceased operations in 2011; currently six independently owned stores exist and are entitled to use the Super Suppers name and visual branding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kūčios</span> Traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve meal

Kūčios or Kūtės is the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Lithuania, held on December 24. The meal is a family occasion which includes many traditions of both pagan and Christian origin. Some traditions are no longer widespread and usually Lithuanians just enjoy dinner with relatives and friends while the main events and festivities are left for Christmas Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masbia</span> Network of kosher soup kitchens in New York City

Masbia is a network of kosher soup kitchens in New York City. Its three locations in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Borough Park and Midwood, as well as the Queens neighborhood of Rego Park, serve over 500 free, hot kosher meals nightly. Masbia is the only free soup kitchen serving kosher meals in New York City. The organization receives 10% of its budget from government aid, relying heavily on private donations of money and food to meet its $2 million annual operating budget.

Restaurants fall into several industry classifications, based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing, as well as the means by which the food is served to the customer. This article mainly describes the situation in the US, while categorisation differs widely around the world.

<i>Dinner: Impossible</i> US television program

Dinner: Impossible is an American television program broadcast by the Food Network and initially hosted by Robert Irvine. The first episode aired on January 24, 2007 and the last episode aired in 2010. Food Network began airing the eighth season on March 3, 2010.

<i>This Christmas</i> (2007 film) 2007 American Christmas comedy film

This Christmas is a 2007 American Christmas comedy film produced by Rainforest Films and distributed by Screen Gems. Written, produced, and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II, it is a Christmas-time story that centers on the Whitfield family, whose eldest has come home for the first time in four years. The film is named after the 1970 Donny Hathaway song of the same name, which Chris Brown covers in the film. The Whitfield family overcomes many trials and obstacles during the Christmas season.

<i>Penny Wisdom</i> 1937 film

Penny Wisdom is a 1937 American short comedy film directed by David Miller and produced by Pete Smith. In 1938, the film won an Oscar at the 10th Academy Awards for Best Short Subject (Color).

<i>Hells Kitchen</i> (American TV series) American television series hosted by Gordon Ramsay

Hell's Kitchen is an American reality competition cooking show that premiered on Fox on May 30, 2005. The series is hosted by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who created and appeared in the British series of the same name. Each season, two teams of chefs compete for a job as head chef at a restaurant, while working in the kitchen of a restaurant set up in the television studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prison food</span> Meals served to prisoners

Prison food is the term for meals served to prisoners while incarcerated in correctional institutions. While some prisons prepare their own food, many use staff from on-site catering companies. Some prisons support the dietary requirements of specific religions, as well as vegetarianism. Prisoners will typically receive a series of standard meals per day from the prison, but in many prisons they can supplement their diets by purchasing additional foods, including snacks and desserts, at the prison commissary with money earned from working in the prison or sent by family and friends.

"Amy's Baking Company" is the 16th episode of the sixth season of Kitchen Nightmares, and the 82nd episode of the series. The episode first aired on May 10, 2013, and centered on Gordon Ramsay attempting to help Amy and Samy Bouzaglo, owners of Amy's Baking Company in Scottsdale, Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bang bang chicken</span> Chinese chicken dish

Bang bang chicken, also known by variant names such as bam bam chicken or bon bon chicken, is a popular chicken dish in Chinese cuisine. The name bang bang chicken is derived from the Chinese word for stick, bàng (棒), referring to the baton or cudgel traditionally used to tenderize the meat.

Meal preparation, sometimes called meal prep, is the process of planning and preparing meals.

Victorian cuisine is the cuisine that was widespread in Britain during the Victorian era.

References

  1. Robin Summerfield, "Fixing Dinner". Calgary Herald , May 19, 2004.