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


Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Quick and Easy Dinner ideas

Quick and Easy Dinners Ideas- Jill Carpenter
COLD CEREAL! My kids favorite usually more a summer thing, but when dad's gone I have no problem saying yes to easy dinners like a bowl of cereal!
Breakfast foods. Favorites are Egg Burritos or pancakes. German pancakes take about 20 minutes.
Salads, but thats not always practical for everyone in the family.
Taco’s (I make double or triple batches of meat when I make it then freeze it for nights when we don't have time to cook. Makes taco's happen in a flash).
Panko Chicken (Costco Baked and ready in 25 minutes) were with noodles or on top of salad.
Spaghetti and Meat sauce. (Brown hamburger, mix in with your favorite sauce and serve)
Chicken tenders, steamed veggies, and toasted bread
Hamburgers
Bake Potato (microwaved) with Chili and cheese
Nacho’s (canned refined beans, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados and tomatoes)or sometimes I just warm the beans first then make a seven layer dip.
Chicken nuggets and veggies sticks, steamed veggies or sliced fruit. For grown ups toss them sliced on top of a salad with our favorite combos depending on our mood (Asian, Chef, Chopped, etc)

Stir-fry or Curry Chicken and Vegetables over rice.
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