Do you eat dinner as a family? We do, nearly every night. It’s important to me, and studies show that the benefits of eating as a family are huge. Unfortunately, with packed schedules and big work commitments, many families have abandoned the family dinner. It’s time to get back to it though.

I’ll be the first to admit that eating together isn’t always easy. Sometimes, my husband doesn’t make it home for dinner. Sometimes, I don’t. But on those days, we make an effort to sit down – whoever is at home – and eat together. What works for us may not work for you … the point is to make it work within the context of your own life.

Recently, I spoke with Jeanne Muchnick, author of Dinner for Busy Moms: Easy Strategies for Getting Food on the Table-Quick, which is coming out in April. Her book is a strategy guide for moms to help families eat together — even when life gets crazy. It explains how to pull together a meal easily and get everyone to the table. It’s a universal concept that reaches any mom struggling to get dinner on the table.

“The bottom line is to not make a mom feel guilty,” explains Muchnick.”Don’t over-schedule your kids so much. Plan to make plans … look at your calendar and try to be realistic about two or maybe three nights a week where you can sit down as a family.”

While I love to cook and do so daily, not everyone enjoys it … or has time to craft a homemade dinner nightly (I’ve been there!). So, what can you do? Muchnick says that moms need to play to their strengths when planning dinner. For instance, if the idea of preparing a main dish gives you the frights, then focus on the side dishes and pick up a rotisserie chicken. Likewise, you can focus on the main dish and go ultra-simple with the sides, says Muchnick. Read the rest of this entry…

Living a healthy life is a major theme in my life — and my family’s life — these days. It wasn’t long ago that I had a hard time meshing my recipe development and my desire to be healthy. In fact, I struggled with it for a long time. Wanting to create good, tasty, craveworthy recipes just seemed to clash with wanting to be thin and feel good. I couldn’t figure out how to make them work together …

But then a few months ago, I had an epiphany. Actually, it was more of a mind shift. I managed to shake myself loose from the idea that to be good, a recipe needed to be built without calories or fat in mind. Man, was I wrong. And once I wrapped my head around that, I was able to start developing, cooking and writing about foods the way that I really want to eat.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I have been thinking a lot about what to make and serve. Ultimately, I don’t want to abandon our hard-fought changes for any one day, so I am taking a healthy approach to the whole thing … even dessert. Read the rest of this entry…

Forgive me, I don’t have a great photo of this recipe. Sigh.

For Christmas, my husband got me something that I’ve been wanting for a long, long time: a point and shoot camera. I love my big Canon with its lenses and power and sharpness. But I wanted something that I could tote around everywhere and capture impromptu shots of the kids anywhere.

The only problem? I am completely inept when it comes to taking pictures with this camera. I can’t seem to get the hang of it to get brilliant, clear, in-focus shots … The photo below? Taken with the point and shoot (and thank goodness, since I hadn’t taken many shots of this dip!). Figures, I can handle a camera with about a billion settings, but the point and shoot eludes me. Am I the only one with this problem?

Okay, onto the dip. I love spinach artichoke dip, and have since my very first bite of it years and years ago. The combination of cheese, spinach and artichoke is just delightful — and perfect for a party. Last week, when I wrote about it for Tablespoon, I also decided that it would be great to make for Super Bowl Sunday. This healthier version was a huge hit — Paige, my two year old, couldn’t get enough of it (seriously, she kept asking for more … and licking it off the bread).

With ingredients that are a little lighter (reduced fat cheese, milk, etc), and a hearty dose of spinach and artichokes, this recipe is a little friendlier on your waist than some others … as long as you don’t eat it all yourself.

Looking for an appetizer for a crowd? This is fast, easy and won’t disappoint.

Read the rest of this entry…

A few months ago, I read somewhere that basically Brussels sprouts are the new black. While I agree that they are absolutely, positively delectable … I think this highly underrated vegetable has been getting its long-awaited dues for awhile now. People are recognizing how delicious a well-prepared sprout can be, and eaten them up. Literally.

Me? I love them and have for a long, long time. They are comforting, rich, warm … just delish. But here’s the thing, I am a teensy bit picky about my Brussels sprouts. They cannot be boiled. Or from frozen. They have to be fresh and either roasted or pan-fried. Call me crazy, but I just think they taste the best that way.

This particular recipe is an easy-as-can-be lunch for when you are short on time but want to eat something fresh, light and delish.  From the cutting board to the table in 20 minutes, I love to make this in the afternoon when Will is in school, Paige is napping and I have a few minutes to myself.

The combination is just wonderful. I got the idea to add gorgonzola cheese to the mix after seeing a recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese on Kalyn’s Kitchen.

What do you whip up when you get a few minutes to yourself?

Read the rest of this entry…

This post would be more accurately titled “Letting Kids Do the Cooking,” but I don’t want to interrupt the flow of this weekly feature (which I totally love, by the way). And besides, this was still cooking with kids, since I did all the prep work and set Will’s mise en place out for him. But he was responsible for the idea, the push and the actually making of the dish.

And that dish was delish. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the rhyme.)

Will was inspired by a photo of a fruit salsa that he saw. He immediately asked to make it. And while I wasn’t game for the actual pictured salsa (too many odd ingredients), I was more than happy to help him create his own version. We used frozen mango that we defrosted in a bowl for a few hours. The pineapple is from kid-friendly cups of pineapple that I keep in the cupboard. We always have red peppers on hand (everyone in the house eats them, YAY!)–same with the lime. And we just had to pick up the cilantro at the store.

The result? A kid-made, kid-friendly salsa that we devoured during the game last night. I love fruity salsas and this one, with its hint of citrus and whisper of cilantro is a perfect non-hot version.

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As parents, one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children is to raise them to be healthy in all elements of their life. We have the power to teach them about healthy eating, inspire them to be active and encourage them to live well.

First Lady Michelle Obama recently unveiled an official campaign to combat childhood obesity and although she met with criticism for sharing her family’s pediatrician’s words about her daughters’ body mass indexes, the message should be heard loud and clear. Parents need to take responsibility for their children’s behaviors and make small changes to ensure their kids grow up healthy.

Earlier this week, I had a chance to talk to Jacque Miller, a behavior nutritionist in Arizona who works with a childhood obesity program, about raising healthy families.

“I think the biggest things for the parents to know is that they are in charge of their kids’ health. The kids are not the ones starting the car and driving through (fast food joints) … Parents are the ones in charge of their family’s health,” says Miller.

So, what can you do? Here are some tips from Miller: Read the rest of this entry…

The Super Bowl has always been one of my very favorite events of the year. The array of appetizers, the cheering, the laughs … it’s just fun. Where other big party holidays have all sorts of pressures for gift giving, making it exciting for kids and having just the right loot on hand, Super Bowl Sunday is more laid back. It’s an easy-going party night in a world of high-strung parties.

But it’s not exactly the most waist friendly event of the year. Nachos, wings, pizza, lasagna … it can all add up fast. The good news? Your Super Bowl spread doesn’t have to derail your healthy lifestyle.

Instead, make some good choices when planning your appetizers … these ones are perfect for a healthier game day spread. Read the rest of this entry…

I have a big confession to make: I’ve been eating daikon radishes for more than 10 years but only recently learned what this delicious, crunchy veggie was called. In fact, I only learned daikon’s name by process of elimination, followed by research, after a friend asked me what it was at a restaurant …

In a way, it’s kind of good that I didn’t know what the daikon radish was when I first tried it because I might have been more reluctant to give it a shot. Really, it could have stopped me from enjoying this delightful vegetable. Yes, it’s true: Back when I was younger, I was admittedly less adventurous with eating.

Thankfully, I have wonderful friends who convinced me to try all sorts of new things. And most of the time, I ended up loving them. Except for the octopus … never again.

Anyway, this is about this beautiful, pearly colored radish. If you’ve never tasted a daikon radish before, then you don’t know what you are missing. It’s unlike anything else: a little sweet, crisp and with this amazing freshness to it. Oh, I can’t say enough good things about daikon radishes.

Looking for a great daikon recipe? This Easy Daikon Salad is so simple and only takes a little bit of chilling before it’s ready to enjoy. And enjoy you will! Try Daikon Salad alone, with shredded carrots and peanuts or even in a wrap with grilled chicken. It’s also delish served alongside dishes like pad thai or chicken satay.

So, how did the family like it? Well, Will adores it and could eat a whole batch himself (a boy after my own heart! I could too). However, Paige wasn’t a fan and my husband wouldn’t try it. But that’s okay: more for Will and I!

Are you a daikon radish fan?

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“Mommy, tomorrow is hog day!” Will told me excitedly last night.

Now, Will is a smart boy who tends to remember everything (no, really, everything … he brought up a great time he had with our cousins in the summer two years ago this past week. The boy is four and a half – how did he even remember that?). So, it was safe to assume that he heard about this hog day somewhere … the question was where and what exactly was it.

It took me a good minute or two before I put one and one together …. Groundhog Day.

Right. So, today is Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Great! Thanks, Phil! That means, according to the lore, that there will be six more weeks of winter. Oh yay. Just what I wanted to hear on this dark, dreary day. Aren’t you excited?

Eh, the weather might be a bummer, but this dip is bright and sunny and so, so tasty. Will said that it tasted like frosting and was yummy. I’m not sure about the frosting part (maybe a cream cheese frosting? Sort of?). Meanwhile, Paige, 2, couldn’t stop eating it. She would have licked the bowl, if I let her. (Don’t worry, I didn’t! I swear!) But, heck, I couldn’t stop eating it either.

It’s pretty simple to make (just three healthy ingredients!). I used a low-fat yogurt, but you could use full fat, Greek, whatever you like … Just add, stir, serve … does it get any easier? Plate it up alongside some sliced apples, mini waffles or whatever else you can think of and go to town with dipping. Or just grab a spoon and eat it … It’s really delish.

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I wish I could pinpoint the moment where my son first entered the cooking life in my kitchen. Perhaps we were whipping up pancakes for breakfast or maybe it was an evening where he used the salad whirler to drain all the water from the lettuce for salad. It’s become such an ingrained part of our daily life that I can barely remember a time when Will didn’t help.

Whatever the case, in his nearly four years in my kitchen, Will has learned to cut (a soft item like avocado) with a butter knife, use the food processor to make a quick and smooth guacamole and to operate the stand mixer. He understands basic safety rules and follows them. And he can suggest new pairings for foods with confidence. Did I mention that he’s only four?

Meanwhile, my two-year-old daughter really wants to contribute too and has to some degree. She can add ingredients, stir easy things and is a master at unloading the dishwasher (with my help, of course). She also understands the basic safety rules.

Safety is the cornerstone of indoctrinating your children to the kitchen and must always come first. So, before you start cooking with kids, make sure they know the basic rules of the kitchen. What are they? Read the rest of this entry…