Family Dinners= Less Risky Behavior in Teens

Just google these words and see how many have picked up on this. ABC News quoted William Doherty, a professor of family social science at the University of Minnesota, "Family meals are the strongest factor that we've come across in any activity that families do...It really tops them all as a predictor and contibutor of a wide range of positive behavior." As a devotee of team cooking through a cooking co-op for 25 years for my husband and 3 children, now 26, 22, and 16- I have the experiences and track record to say this is so true. Plus, for 25 years, I have clipped articles on the importance on dinner for 25 years and the University of Minnesota's studies were cited over 20 years ago in "Bottom Line" documenting the importance for families to regularly eat meals together. The benefits of dinnertime- a time to celebrate the day, time to come together and just be together, less risky behavior, eating less processed food impacts obesity, and less bing-eating and/or purging. All for a fraction of the cost of eating out or ordering pizza. This is why I started this web-site and have been blogging over 100 times. Go back and read my chats with Ginny and start team cooking. Never in history has there been an easier time to cook. You can do it!

The Time for Team Cooking is Now

School is in full swing, and now is the time to fire up your burners, get serious about cooking for a night to eat for a week. Sharing the resposibilities of putting a home-cooked dinner on the table regularly will save you money, calories and improve your health- mentally and physically- as you will eat more fruits and vegetables, cut down on processed foods, and free up time to excercise and enjoy time to talk with family/ friends. Tamar Adler describes her philosophy in "An Everlasting Meal"- "...what we eat and how we eat is linked to our happiness." She champions us amateur cooks. And she believes that "...cooking well is built upon a deep, preservation impulse." In the last 2 weeks, I have had the most memorable meals with family and friends. What we ate and how we ate it brought so much joy, my 16 yr. old son lit the candles last night even though his sister and boyfriend had retured to NYC. The candles signified good food and joy. I have discovered the Barefoot Contessa has some fabulous recipes that are easy and quick. Conversation is so easy with good food. The settings of West Traverse Bay, Notre Dame, Chicago, and Lexington, KY with friends, family and food taught me much about many topics and brought much happiness.