Sometimes knowing that other women, mothers, sisters, friends, and care takers just like us face the same battles of what to make for dinner. Be it our task/chore/burden/or hobby of what to make for our families to eat each day sometimes it just seem easier to bear when you have a good recipe recommended from a "GIRLFRIEND"; they provide us with the boost to get over the lack of motivation or stumbling blocks in our way and get dinner on the table!


The number of those who report that their “whole family usually eats dinner together” has declined 33 percent. This is most concerning because the time a family spends together “eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children’s academic achievement and psychological adjustment.”

Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children’s smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks Good, Better, Best (Nov. 2007)

Two researchers at the University of Minnesota investigated the potential benefits of family mealtimes on children and found that families that dine together tend to have healthier, more well-adjusted children. Their studies indicate that the more often children and teens west with their parents—and the happier, more structured these mealtimes are—the more the children gain these benefits:


Better Nutrition

Better language and literacy

Fewer Eating Disorders

Fewer risky behaviors


The national center on addiction and substance abuse at Columbia University (sept 2005) found that compared with teens who dine frequently with their families (Five to seven dinners a week), teens who have fewer than three family dinners per week are:

Two and a half times likelier to smoke cigarettes

More than on e and a half times likelier to drink alcohol.

Almost three times likelier to try marijuana


“….Mealtime becomes a way for families to bond. To show children they have access to a caring adult.” (The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner p. 11)


So as Women, Sisters, Daughters, Wives, Mothers, Grandmothers we can not put a price on the work that we do. Dinner hours and menus can be daunting at times and others it feels like a breeze. As we gather together and share in our love for caring for our families and enjoying the connections we have with them as we sit around the dinner tables of our homes. I hope that each of us can step back occasionally on those hard mommy days and “Believe in what we are doing! Believing in who we are and that we can make a difference one meal at a time.

~ Jill


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Tuscan-Style Chicken Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Tuscan-Style Chicken Sandwiches
1 1/4 lb. (about 6) boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper (from a jar), cut into bite-size strips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons pesto (See Homemade recipe below)
Foccia (Italian flat bread) or Torta bread
Tomato Slices
 1. Place chicken thighs in 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with garlic, roasted pepper strips and salt.
 2. Cover; cook on Low setting for 6 to 7 hours.
 3. Just before serving, remove chicken from slow cooker; place on large plate. Shred chicken with 2 forks; return to slow cooker and mix well.
 4. In small bowl, combine mayonnaise and pesto; blend well. Cut focaccia into 6 wedges; split each in half. Spread cut sides with mayonnaise mixture. With slotted spoon, place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto bottom half of each focaccia wedge. Top each with tomato slice and top half of focaccia.
Makes 6 sandwiches
Make the Most of This Recipe With Tips From The Betty Crocker® Kitchens
Ingredient Info
Focaccia is a flat, round Italian bread with a dense texture that slices perfectly for sandwiches. Look for focaccia in the grocery store's bakery or deli, or stop by an Italian bakery.
Kitchen Tip
Freeze any remaining pesto to use on pasta or crostini, or to add a flavor-boost to sauce, soups, eggs and rice. Drop pesto in 1- to 2-tablespoon portions onto a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet; freeze until firm. Transfer the frozen pesto portions to a food storage freezer bag. Remove only what you need, then return the resealed bag to the freezer.

Jill's HOMEMADE PESTO
1/2 cup pinenuts*
2.5 oz Fresh Basil
1 clove garlic
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Place in a food processor and processes all ingredients until texture is smooth and creamy.


*I have also used almonds, but the texture never turns smooth and creamy. It has bits of nuts in it, but still has a nice flavor. I have read that you can also make pesto with peanuts as well. I personally love the pinenut texture best.
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