Why Family Meals Matter

Why Family Meals Matter

While many families gathered around the Thanksgiving table this week to enjoy a delicious meal and share stories, think about this: The family meal is a dying tradition the rest of the year. In the past 20 years, the frequency of family dinners has declined 33 percent according to the meal planning service, The Six O’Clock Scramble www.thescramble.com. In 1970, Americans spent 26% of their food budget on eating out; by 2010, that number had risen to 41%. During that time, rates of obesity in the United States more than doubled. Many of you may say, “But I have no time to

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Getting Things Off My Chest: The Sixth Sense in Flavor

In the world of cooking and gustatory pleasure, the sensation of taste can be categorized into five basic categories: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. The latter is a Japanese term for a savory, stimulating sensation that is meaty but not in the “red meat” meaning of the word. Umami fills your mouth with pleasure. I like to experience all five senses when I eat and I hope to convey them as I improve my cooking ability. But I think I have identified a sixth sense. It’s why homemade dishes you remember as a child tasted so good and why I can’t seem to

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Inspiring Women on Fearless Fabulous YOU!

Each week I interview inspiring women and experts in health and wellness on my Monday night radio show, Fearless Fabulous You! on W4WN- the Women 4 Women Network. W4WN.com Usually I file show information on this website under my “Radio Show” link but starting this week I want to bring my fabulous guests front and center as an addition to this blog to share their stories. Here are my guests for Monday November 3: Regina Ragone, Food Director, Family Circle Magazine.–Teaching Families the Importance of Smart Nutrition and Healthy Cooking Regina Ragone MS, RDN, is Food Director of Family Circle magazine, where she

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The Tears of the Clown

It’s hard to think that the person laughing the loudest may be masking the sound of his teardrops. But that’s what I thought when the news broke about the tragic death-by-suicide of the talented comedian and actor Robin Williams. Reports say he was battling depression and had dealt with substance abuse for years. The man with a hundred funny faces and boundless kinetic energy on the stage of life could no longer face his audience of demons. Why it is that so many genuinely funny and talented entertainers who made us laugh out loud for all the right reasons leave

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