Sept. 07--"If your minivan smells like French fries perpetually, it's time to slow down." So says Toni Garcia Carpenter, a mom and the author of "Domestic Commando, A Stay-at-Home (R)evolution."
Her message is pretty simple: If you and your family eat most of your meals on the fly and rarely sit down together, you're missing out on opportunities to improve your family dynamic, your health and financial welfare.
With school back in session for most kids, weekday and weekend routines will soon turn hectic with sports and other activities. But that doesn't mean family mealtime should suffer.
Carpenter's family of four ate at home. In fact, it wasn't until her children were older and spent time with their friends that she realized there are lots of families out there who don't share meals.
"We always ate at home," she said. "I always felt the food I prepared tasted better than what we got out, anyway."
But more than that, and to her surprise, she realized her kids came to enjoy and appreciate the time around the table the older they got.
Remember when Mom and Dad pestered us to come to the table to eat? They were on to something.
According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, or CASA, kids who frequently eat dinner with their families are less likely to become overweight or obese. They're less likely to try marijuana or cigarettes, or use drugs or alcohol.
Additionally, they get better grades and are more likely to open up to their parents about problems.
"Family dinners are a proven proxy for parental engagement in children's lives," said Lauren Duran, CASA's director of communications. "The communication that occurs over the course of a meal is critical in building a relationship...and to understanding the world in which their teens live."
But there's more. Beyond the benefits to the family, eating at home saves money. It could also improve your health since we tend to eat more nutritious foods when we're at home.
If you still need an excuse, Sept. 26 is National Family Day, created in 2001 by CASA to encourage families to sit down and eat dinner together.
The food itself is not important. You could make your famous homemade spaghetti and meatballs -- or have pizzas delivered -- it doesn't matter.
The important thing is to be together. Talk about your day. Ask your kids about school or their friends. The television should be off, but having some music in the background could add to the experience.
Henrico County resident Marni Cooper said eating together is a priority in her home. Her family is Jewish and they look forward to their Friday night Shabbat, typically at their favorite local pizza place.
"That mealtime is really important," Cooper said. "I think a lot of people are just disconnected these days."
For that reason, during their meals she and her husband put away their cell phones. She said she encourages her daughters to talk about their days by asking open-ended questions.
"There's something about being around a table," she said. "It creates an environment where kids feel comfortable talking."
At home, even if she's working in the kitchen while her kids eat at the table, Cooper said she's still able to interact with them.
"You're plugged into them, you're really having a conversation," she said. "It inherently creates a nice routine if you have dinner at home."
We all know, however, that dinner doesn't magically appear on the table each night. Eating at home requires some degree of planning, whether it's coming up with a grocery list of things you'll need for the week, or making meals ahead of time and freezing them.
In her book, Carpenter shares tips for keeping mealtimes as effortless as possible.
First and foremost, she said, enlist help as much as possible so that mom and dad aren't the only ones working in the kitchen. Kids can help out even with small tasks like setting the table or getting items out of the pantry.
One of her favorite strategies for keeping meals simple yet satisfying is the "bar" method -- pasta bars, potato bars, taco bars -- meals that involve one main dish or ingredient but have a variety of toppings that allow family members to eat what they like. (Hint -- remember that four-sectioned serving dish you got years ago and never took out of the box? Now you can use it.)
"The idea is you're not having to cook a three-course meal," she said, and the family is "enjoying it because it's interactive."
Simple dishes mean less clean-up, too. Another perk.
Carpenter also has a strategy that she calls four meals and a side.
When lean ground beef is on sale, she buys about six pounds. In one night, she'll make meatloaf, meatballs and hamburgers, which she'll cook and bake and freeze. The rest of the meat will go toward meals like tacos or chili. She only has to turn on the oven once.
"Got enough banked without making a huge mess in the kitchen," she said.
Henrico resident Alycia Wright said her family of five eats together almost every night. She buys pre-made meals at places like Trader Joe's that help reduce the dinner hassle at home. She said she can pick up healthful meals and vegetables and get dinner ready while her kids are working on homework or playing.
"It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life," she said, but it's important to take the time at dinner to talk to one another and just be together.
"There may not be another opportunity in the day when we're all together."
Mixed Bean Soup
Makes 4-6 servings
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can great Northern beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, grated
1 can tomato sauce (or diced tomatoes)
3 cups water or vegetable broth, plus extra water
½ cup penne pasta
Rinse and drain all cans of beans. Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Soften garlic in oil, being careful not to let garlic brown.
Reduce heat and stir onion into garlic. Immediately add beans, tomato sauce and water or broth to pot.
Over medium high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 60 minutes, adding water ½ cup at a time as needed. (This is thick like a stew so you're just adding water to keep it from scorching.)
When Northern beans are nearly dissolved, add 1 cup of water and the penne pasta. Return to a simmer, lower heat and cook covered until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
Toni Garcia Carpenter, "Domestic Commando, A Stay-at-Home (R)evolution"
Too Cool Macaroni Salad
Makes 6-8 servings
1 16-ounce box elbow macaroni
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2-3 spring onions (scallions) sliced
½ to ¾ cup mayonnaise (this is to taste)
1-2 teaspoons milk (optional)
¼ teaspoon celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes.
Add cucumber, scallions and mayonnaise to macaroni. Toss to coat and combine. Add more mayonnaise and milk if too thick. Add celery seed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
Toni Garcia Carpenter, "Domestic Commando, A Stay-at-Home (R)evolution"
Nana's Best Chicken Casserole
Makes 6-8 servings
1 large chicken (about 4 pounds) or 5-6 chicken breast halves (for convenience, a roasted chicken from the grocery store works well too)
1 stick butter, plus more for dotting
1 8-ounce package Pepperidge Farm Herbed Seasoned Stuffing
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1¾ cups chicken broth, divided
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350°. degrees.
Cook chicken, allow it to cool and remove meat from bones. Melt butter and mix with stuffing mix. Reserve one cup for topping later.
Spread remaining butter-stuffing mix in bottom of a 3-quart casserole dish. Place cooked, cut-up chicken on top.
Mix soup, 1 cup chicken broth and sour cream. Pour over chicken and stuffing.
Sprinkle reserved butter-stuffing mixture on top. Dot with butter.
Drizzle ¾ cup chicken broth on top to moisten. Bake at 350° degrees until hot, about 30 minutes.
Toni Garcia Carpenter, "Domestic Commando, A Stay-at-Home (R)evolution"
Beef Bar B Cups
Makes 4 servings
¾ pound ground beef
½ cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 can refrigerated biscuits, regular size (8-10 biscuits)
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400°. degrees.
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and drain. Add barbecue sauce and brown sugar. Place each biscuit in an ungreased muffin cup, pressing dough up the sides to the edge of the cup.
Spoon meat into cups. Bake at 400 degrees to 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with cheese and serve.
Toni Garcia Carpenter, "Domestic Commando,
A Stay-at-Home (R)evolution"
#5
Oven-baked Beef Patties
Makes 4-5 servings. recipes.
Preheat oven to 400°. degrees.
1 pound ground beef
½ cup packaged biscuit mix
1/3 cup tomato juice, V8 juice, etc.
¼ cup finely chopped green onion and Cubanelle pepper (optional)
1 slightly beaten egg
1 small clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon oregano, crushed
Dash pepper
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Shredded Romano cheese
Combine beef, biscuit mix, tomato juice, green pepper, egg, garlic, oregano, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
Shape into four patties and place in greased, shallow baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle each patty with a couple teaspoons of Romano cheese.
Toni Garcia Carpenter, "Domestic Commando, A Stay-at-Home (R)evolution"
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