July 2011
It's Mother's Day; Of Course You Should Make Her a Meal!
May 2011
No matter how much times change, when we think of nurturing, we still tend to think of our moms. And so, on the day set aside to honor our mothers, we turn the tables, taking care of them. It's the busiest day of the year for restaurant reservations, and it's second only to Christmas for giving gifts.
Emotional Benefits of a Simple Meal
April 2011
There's an old phrase that has expanded to mean any basic need — knowing where your next meal is coming from. We could add that it's also helpful to know who will be providing the meal, when we will eat it, and who will share it with us.
It Isn't Really About the Fork
March 2011
If you ever find yourself applying for a high level job, the odds are that at least one of the meetings will take place over a meal. Although the event may seem casual, you are probably being watched to see if you pass "the dinner table test."
Food, Security and Love
February 2011
The first cookbook for Italian housewives was published more than eighty years ago. Even though it is over a thousand pages long, it has remained popular ever since. The name of this book? The Talisman of Happiness.
Helping Your Family to be Healthy, Happy Eaters
January 2011
What an enviable problem we have. Our world is full of too many wonderful things to eat. Over time, each of us has worked out ways of maneuvering through this minefield of plenty.
Many Hands Make Memorable Meals
December 2010
At holiday time we have more of everything — more time, more company, more things to eat and, perhaps as important, more expectations. We expect to eat the special foods that signal "holiday." Luckily, there are more people available to share in the work. When we spend time together preparing the foods we remember, the celebration can be that much richer.
What is Your Mealtime Holiday Tradition?
November 2010
Holiday rituals and traditions help to anchor us in time. Although we talk about how things stay the same, how we "always" do whatever-it-is, we are actually highlighting the ways that things continually shift. We may eat the same special holiday food every year, but it may taste different — our preferences have altered, somebody new has made the traditional dish, the key ingredient isn't even available.
Fitting "Together Time" into the Family Schedule
October 2010
Let's talk about squeezing the most out of small bits of time. It's an easy way to reinforce your family's identity, up its fun quotient, and amplify its sense of purpose. You can do this with modest homemade adventures — the kind that do not require a big commitment of time, energy, or money.
Celebrate Family Day: Benefit from Eating Meals Together
September 2010
There's much to celebrate, as Family Day marks its tenth birthday (this year, it's Monday, September 27.)
Back to School Tips for Family Meals
August 2010
Congratulations! This is an excellent time of year. Along with resolutions and hopes, new notebooks and clothes, we also have calendars with bright empty spaces. This is the time to schedule in family meals.
Family Meals Get Easier With Practice
July 2010
Much of the power of family meals comes from the simple fact that they happen more or less every day. It's the continuity, not the complexity, that counts.
Outdoor Mealtime Ideas
June 2010
Maybe some ancestral memory still speaks to us. Just the fact of eating in the fresh air gives us a sense of satisfaction, of connection to the place where we are. Here are some ways to get the most out of your fresh air fun.
Getting Comfortable in the Kitchen
May 2010
All this encouragement to provide family meals is terrific. But what if the kitchen is foreign territory to you? How about if you don't own the right equipment, or stock essential foods and flavorings? Or if your stocks of knowledge and confidence are as empty as your shelves?
Mealtime Excitement
April 2010
Family meals are about consistency and change. They work their magic because we know what to expect. We have our places at the table, we have our favorite foods. Those things bring comfort in an uncertain world.
Trying New Foods
March 2010
Long long ago, it made a lot of sense to be reluctant to try new foods. When our ancestors were cautious about the roots and berries they came across, they saved themselves from discomfort, sickness, and worse.
How To Make Meals Easier
February 2010
In a word, planning and help. (Okay. That's two words; just the kind of sneaky double duty you want to get from the work you put into your daily meals.) There is also a third concept that surrounds the other two – know thyself.
Incorporating Healthy Foods into Your Family's Diet
January 2010
Here is a situation where doublethink helps. While of course you are aware of which foods are more or less "healthy," it's best to try not to think of them as being good or bad, cure-alls or disasters.
The Holidays Are Family Time
December 2009
Holidays bring together an assortment of family members, and sometimes they can seem very assorted indeed. Still, it’s just this kind of mixing and matching that strengthens family bonds, and lets us truly connect.
Giving Thanks for Family Meals
November 2009
Many people count Thanksgiving as their favorite holiday, maybe because the concept is simple: gather together with family and friends to share good food and good times.
Making Time for Meals
October 2009
If you want to see your values written out in black and white, just have a look at your calendar. What gets written in first? What appears again and again? What happens with such regularity that you never even think to write it down?
Family Day — in your family
September 2009
Americans have been celebrating Family Day — A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children (this year Monday, Sept. 28) for more than a decade.
Back to School, Back to Basics
August 2009
Take advantage of your calendar’s empty spaces to help prepare for the coming year.
Getting the Neighborhood Together
July 2009
A neighborhood picnic takes advantage of summer. And the benefits last throughout the year.
What Is More Fun Than A Picnic?
June 2009
Moving your meal outdoors puts everything in a new light.
Celebrating Mom with a Family Meal
May 2009
No matter how our lives change, when we think of Mom we are most likely to think of nurturing and caring. So when we want to thank her, it's natural to turn the tables and feed her for a change. And nothing nourishes like a home cooked meal that everyone can share.
A Little Planning Can Put You Way Ahead
April 2009
How to eliminate that uneasy moment when, driving home, or standing in the middle of the kitchen floor, you ask yourself, what in the world can I make tonight? If you organize your meals by the week or the month, you will just check your calendar and answer yourself with smug assurance. Even if you aren’t the kind of person who thrives on a if this is Tuesday it must be meatloaf routine, some advance planning will give you better results from less effort.
Eating Richly in Lean Times
March 2009
A generation ago, Julia Child taught Americans to cook, and eat, all manner of elegant French dishes. Every once in awhile, an interviewer would gather up the courage to ask her how, in her world of exotic ingredients and complex preparations, it might be possible to stay on a budget.
Cooking With Your Kids
February 2009
Whether you find meal preparation a chore or a joy can depend on if you have help. And yes, if that help comes in the form of a very young child, it may be theoretical at best. But sharing this daily activity can make both of you feel better. In time, your offspring's contribution will actually mean less work for you.
Balancing Busy Schedules and Family Meals
January 2009
If you want to see a family's values spelled out in black and white, take a look at their schedule. Whether it's electronically organized, or scrawled on notes on the refrigerator door, the way we plan our time lets us know who we are.
Giving Thanks for Family Meals
November 2008
A recent news story announced that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving may no longer be the busiest travel day of the year. But what has replaced it? The preceding day – Tuesday – because people are looking to extend their Thanksgiving holiday.
Family Meals Are a Gift We Give Ourselves
October 2008
When you are rushing through the supermarket tossing groceries in your cart, you might be forgiven if you are not thinking of mealtimes as a great pleasure. But it's the running around that allows us to sit still. It's the prep work lets us relax into the luxury of not doing anything (for a few minutes anyway) beyond eating and enjoying one another's company.
Back To School
September 2008
This is the time of year when parents, as well as children, are full of enthusiasm and hope. We adults cram things into the family calendar, trying to get the most for everyone.