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The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time
The producer of An Inconvenient Truth , Laurie David's new mission is to help America's overwhelmed families sit down to a Family Dinner, and she provides all the reasons, recipes and fun tools to do so.
Laurie David speaks from her own experience confronting the challenges of raising two teenage girls. Today's parents have lots to deal with and technology is making their job harder than ever. Research has proven that everything we worry about as parents--from drugs to alcohol, promiscuity, to obesity, academic achievement and just good old nutrition--can all be improved by the simple act of eating and talking together around the table.
Laurie has written a practical, inspirational, fun (and, of course, green) guide to the most important hour in any parent's day. Chock-full chapters Over seventy-five kid approved fantastic recipes; tips on teaching green values; conversation starters; games to play to help even the shyest family member become engaged; ways to express gratitude; the family dinner after divorce ( keep eating together) and much more. Filled with moving memories and advice from the country's experts and teachers, this book will get everyone away from electronic screens and back to the dinner table.
Laurie David speaks from her own experience confronting the challenges of raising two teenage girls. Today's parents have lots to deal with and technology is making their job harder than ever. Research has proven that everything we worry about as parents--from drugs to alcohol, promiscuity, to obesity, academic achievement and just good old nutrition--can all be improved by the simple act of eating and talking together around the table.
Laurie has written a practical, inspirational, fun (and, of course, green) guide to the most important hour in any parent's day. Chock-full chapters Over seventy-five kid approved fantastic recipes; tips on teaching green values; conversation starters; games to play to help even the shyest family member become engaged; ways to express gratitude; the family dinner after divorce ( keep eating together) and much more. Filled with moving memories and advice from the country's experts and teachers, this book will get everyone away from electronic screens and back to the dinner table.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2010
22 people are currently reading
927 people want to read
About the author
Laurie David
22 books28 followersFor over a decade Laurie David has brought her passion and advocacy to a variety of important issues from global warming to America’s overconsumption of sugar to regenerative agriculture and the dangers of social media.
Laurie executive produced the Academy award-winning An Inconvenient Truth and other socially relevant docs including Fed Up, The Biggest Little Farm and most recently, The Social Dilemma.
Laurie has also written several cookbooks including The Family Cooks and The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids One Meal at a Time. Both books focus on healthy family dinners and importance of enjoying home-cooked meals together. She also coauthored the children’s book The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming, which has been published in over ten languages.
Laurie has received numerous awards and honors, including the Producers Guild of America’s Stanley Kramer Award, a Humanitas Prize Special Award and a Gracie Allen Award. Laurie’s environmental work has been honored with the prestigious Audubon Society’s Rachel Carson Award, the Feminist Majority’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award, Bette Midler’s Green Goddess Award and the NRDC Forces for Nature award.
She lives in Massachusetts on a regenerative farm with her husband, a few cows, a flock of sheep and a dozen chickens. She grows lots of food including a lot of sweet potatoes. She expresses her daily frustrations on twitter. You can follow her @Laurie_David
On Twitter @Laurie_David
Laurie executive produced the Academy award-winning An Inconvenient Truth and other socially relevant docs including Fed Up, The Biggest Little Farm and most recently, The Social Dilemma.
Laurie has also written several cookbooks including The Family Cooks and The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids One Meal at a Time. Both books focus on healthy family dinners and importance of enjoying home-cooked meals together. She also coauthored the children’s book The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming, which has been published in over ten languages.
Laurie has received numerous awards and honors, including the Producers Guild of America’s Stanley Kramer Award, a Humanitas Prize Special Award and a Gracie Allen Award. Laurie’s environmental work has been honored with the prestigious Audubon Society’s Rachel Carson Award, the Feminist Majority’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award, Bette Midler’s Green Goddess Award and the NRDC Forces for Nature award.
She lives in Massachusetts on a regenerative farm with her husband, a few cows, a flock of sheep and a dozen chickens. She grows lots of food including a lot of sweet potatoes. She expresses her daily frustrations on twitter. You can follow her @Laurie_David
On Twitter @Laurie_David
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
November 26, 2011
When I first began reading this, I got irritated. Just like I get irritated every time someone says that my children are going to be prison-bound emotional basketcases if we don't eat every single dinner together. I like the idea and I wish that that was the reality of my world, but it's not. So, I've resigned myself to making the most of the meals we do eat together, including breakfast.
But I quickly got over my initial defensive reaction. This book is full of delicious sounding recipes and many tips for family dinners that anyone, (yes anyone) no matter their circumstances, can apply to their meal eating. No more rushing through dinner or getting up every 2 minutes for us! It also has a whole section of eating as a family if you are a divorced and/or blended family which I appreciated.
My only quibble is that it should be called "The Family Meal" :-)
But I quickly got over my initial defensive reaction. This book is full of delicious sounding recipes and many tips for family dinners that anyone, (yes anyone) no matter their circumstances, can apply to their meal eating. No more rushing through dinner or getting up every 2 minutes for us! It also has a whole section of eating as a family if you are a divorced and/or blended family which I appreciated.
My only quibble is that it should be called "The Family Meal" :-)
November 4, 2010
This book is so much more than a cookbook! There are lots of tips to keep your family happy during your nightly family dinner. The book features fun, full color photos along with personal stories, games, recipes, and quotes from celebrities. Honestly, how can you not love a book that quotes "Leave it to Beaver"?
" 'Wally, there's nothing old-fashioned about politeness.'
-Ward Cleaver to his son at dinner" (p23)
There are lots of unexpected chapters in "The Family Dinner," including a section on staying green called "Your Green Table." The chapter features lots of environmentally friendly tips for parents and kids. Other interesting chapters are about giving thanks for our many blessings, and conversation starters. There's even a section called "Dinner After Divorce."
And or course, there are lots of family friendly recipes! I know my boyfriend would love the "Caesar Pita Pizza Pies" (p124), a yummy mix of a Caesar salad and pizza. And the very first recipe in the book looks like a show stopper-"Gary's T-Night Tacos" (p9)- and they're meat-less!
I've really taken a few of the tips to heart. I think a meal with no cell phones would be fantastic. It's hard to do but, I think it's worth it to give family undivided attention for that designated time.
Bottom Line: I am so impressed with this book and diversity it offers. This book is going to be on the shelf in my kitchen for along time. I think it would also make a wonderful and thoughtful gift for a special family.
sent by publisher in exchance for honest review
reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com
" 'Wally, there's nothing old-fashioned about politeness.'
-Ward Cleaver to his son at dinner" (p23)
There are lots of unexpected chapters in "The Family Dinner," including a section on staying green called "Your Green Table." The chapter features lots of environmentally friendly tips for parents and kids. Other interesting chapters are about giving thanks for our many blessings, and conversation starters. There's even a section called "Dinner After Divorce."
And or course, there are lots of family friendly recipes! I know my boyfriend would love the "Caesar Pita Pizza Pies" (p124), a yummy mix of a Caesar salad and pizza. And the very first recipe in the book looks like a show stopper-"Gary's T-Night Tacos" (p9)- and they're meat-less!
I've really taken a few of the tips to heart. I think a meal with no cell phones would be fantastic. It's hard to do but, I think it's worth it to give family undivided attention for that designated time.
Bottom Line: I am so impressed with this book and diversity it offers. This book is going to be on the shelf in my kitchen for along time. I think it would also make a wonderful and thoughtful gift for a special family.
sent by publisher in exchance for honest review
reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com
November 12, 2010
This is much more than a cook book and a terrific reference for a young family. Includes recipes young kids would not only enjoy eating, but helping to prepare as well. Has many suggestions for making the family dinner enjoyable, educational and engaging. My own kids, who are in their 30s, cried when I finally got a much needed new dining room table because they claim they grew up at the old one. I take that as a supreme complement.
January 23, 2013
Go this one from the library and liked it so much I bought a copy for me and a friend. Just a good reminder about the importance of family dinner and nice reminders about things we can be doing to engage over the nightly meal ... My favorite so far is asking everyone at the table to try to mimic someone else at the table laughing. Logan can laugh like dad. Who knew? We were all laughing. That's a great way to spend the dinner hour!!!!
February 13, 2012
I had to renew this one from the library the full three possible times because it had great recipes. The best part is that the author gives ideas for making large meals, then tweaking the leftovers from them just enough a day or two later to make a completely new meal in no time at all.
I think I'll even check this one out again next week, just after I returned it, as there're still some good-looking recipes I haven't even gotten to yet.
I think I'll even check this one out again next week, just after I returned it, as there're still some good-looking recipes I haven't even gotten to yet.
May 5, 2019
Enjoyed reading about family tradition dinners in other families. Great chapters on table games and conversation. Recipes were ok. The big push for eco/vegan felt preachy.
November 13, 2012
I really liked this book, enough so that I bought a used copy of it for future reference (I initially checked it out from the library). I know the importance of the family dinner already, so I didn't really need to be persuaded about that, but I was looking for suggestions on how to make it happen more often and to make it a richer experience. The adults at our house are usually tired and stressed out at the end of the day, and while I generally make dinner at home and we all eat together (if my husband can get home from work in time), we often end up on the couch in front of the TV. If we do manage to eat at the table, it is like pulling teeth to get any meaningful/thoughtful conversation going. What I liked best about the book was the idea that dinner conversation can be fun, not grueling. =]
Laurie David gives some excellent ideas about questions you can ask or things you can read (like poetry or a provocative news story from the paper) during dinner that can start conversation rolling and they were all, pretty much, appealing and things I think my guys will find fun or interesting. She also encourages you, since you are all around the table chatting anyway, to just follow up dinner with some kind of game, board or otherwise. Well, duh. I hadn't actually thought of that, but obviously I should have. It definitely seems more possible if I can get everyone while they are already together before they can escape to their respective screens.
Beyond that, she had some great ideas for making at least one dinner each week a little extra special. She based the idea on a Shabbat gratitude dinner, and in my mind it roughly translates to something like a Thanksgiving dinner, but on a smaller scale. It reminded me of Sunday dinners we used to have at my grandparents, but with more conversation and with a greater emphasis on the good in our lives. It seemed like an excellent way to encourage dinner to be more leisurely and to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to recognize the importance of things they might otherwise take for granted and to express their gratitude for them. I can totally see us doing that every Saturday or Sunday when we can take the time to invest a little more in preparation.
Tied into the idea of gratitude is the idea of saying grace. The author does a great job providing multiple examples of blessings or gratitudes or graces that you could use at the table. My husband is not a fan of organized religion, so saying grace isn't something he's ever been comfortable doing, but when we talked about her suggestions, he was enthusiastic about the idea. It's another way to remind our family that we are very fortunate and to say thank you for all the good things we have, including the dinner at our table.
Additionally, Kirstin Uhrenholdt, who wrote the recipes for the book, also had some good ideas for ways kids can participate in the prep for dinner, the actually cooking, and the cleanup - something we struggle with. I am not sure how many of the recipes we'll actually use, but the ideas behind them were helpful.
I definitely finished the book feeling that daily dinner at the table was worth the effort to get everyone away from the TV, and that without much extra effort, it could be way more fun for everyone than it has been lately. I am inspired!
Laurie David gives some excellent ideas about questions you can ask or things you can read (like poetry or a provocative news story from the paper) during dinner that can start conversation rolling and they were all, pretty much, appealing and things I think my guys will find fun or interesting. She also encourages you, since you are all around the table chatting anyway, to just follow up dinner with some kind of game, board or otherwise. Well, duh. I hadn't actually thought of that, but obviously I should have. It definitely seems more possible if I can get everyone while they are already together before they can escape to their respective screens.
Beyond that, she had some great ideas for making at least one dinner each week a little extra special. She based the idea on a Shabbat gratitude dinner, and in my mind it roughly translates to something like a Thanksgiving dinner, but on a smaller scale. It reminded me of Sunday dinners we used to have at my grandparents, but with more conversation and with a greater emphasis on the good in our lives. It seemed like an excellent way to encourage dinner to be more leisurely and to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to recognize the importance of things they might otherwise take for granted and to express their gratitude for them. I can totally see us doing that every Saturday or Sunday when we can take the time to invest a little more in preparation.
Tied into the idea of gratitude is the idea of saying grace. The author does a great job providing multiple examples of blessings or gratitudes or graces that you could use at the table. My husband is not a fan of organized religion, so saying grace isn't something he's ever been comfortable doing, but when we talked about her suggestions, he was enthusiastic about the idea. It's another way to remind our family that we are very fortunate and to say thank you for all the good things we have, including the dinner at our table.
Additionally, Kirstin Uhrenholdt, who wrote the recipes for the book, also had some good ideas for ways kids can participate in the prep for dinner, the actually cooking, and the cleanup - something we struggle with. I am not sure how many of the recipes we'll actually use, but the ideas behind them were helpful.
I definitely finished the book feeling that daily dinner at the table was worth the effort to get everyone away from the TV, and that without much extra effort, it could be way more fun for everyone than it has been lately. I am inspired!
June 22, 2012
I love this book so much I'm not sure where to start. It is beautifully, interestingly designed—the quotes and interviews catch your interest and make it easy to keep reading, and the lovely photographs suck you right in.
But the real point here is dinner. I was worried that this book wouldn't have anything new for me since my family already has dinner together every night. But there was plenty of inspiration for me. If you went by everything this book has to offer, you'd be having a well-balanced, fun, environmentally responsible dinner every night, accompanied by engaging, educational conversation, fun games, and dessert.
But don't worry. Laurie David isn't trying to make you do any of those things. Mostly she just wants you to get the family together every day and sit down to dinner together (no electronic devices allowed!) and actually pay attention to each other.
The Family Dinner starts out with the statistics about how much better kids do when they have regular family meals—some reasons it's important to bother. Then we go through ten simple steps to successful family dinners, setting the table, a few chapters on recipes (including fast recipes and recipes kids can make), making green choices in the home, ideas and inspirations for dinner conversation and activities, ideas for dinners with extended family and after divorce, and giving thanks. Oh, and dessert. Can't forget that.
So basically, wherever you are on the spectrum of family dinner, whether you eat in the car on the way to soccer practice or whether you have a formal meal with candles every night, this book has something for you. It is simply packed with great ideas.
I was inspired on several points upon reading this book—there were a few really fun recipes, like teapot soup, that I want to try. I'm also inspired to get together a more regular menu. I like cooking quite a lot and am always trying new things, but Laurie David emphasizes the strength of routine and tradition and there's something to be said for that. I also love the conversation and game ideas (most of which will have to wait until my kids are a bit older). And I love the idea of always having one conversation going at the dinner table, so everyone is involved. There were also some fun table-setting ideas that I want to try.
If everyone had family dinner as Laurie David describes in this book (which is a pretty tall order but still a noble aim), our children would be more caring and polite and smart and cultured. Reading this book was a huge inspiration to me and it's earned a permanent spot on my bookshelves. Whenever I feel burned out about dinner in the future, all I'll need to do is pull out this book and open it up at random, and I'll be ready to go again.
A review copy of this book was provided through the GoodReads First Reads program.
2012 update: This book is just as inspiring the second time around. The recipes I've tried have turned out nicely, too. I love that it includes so many meatless options.
But the real point here is dinner. I was worried that this book wouldn't have anything new for me since my family already has dinner together every night. But there was plenty of inspiration for me. If you went by everything this book has to offer, you'd be having a well-balanced, fun, environmentally responsible dinner every night, accompanied by engaging, educational conversation, fun games, and dessert.
But don't worry. Laurie David isn't trying to make you do any of those things. Mostly she just wants you to get the family together every day and sit down to dinner together (no electronic devices allowed!) and actually pay attention to each other.
The Family Dinner starts out with the statistics about how much better kids do when they have regular family meals—some reasons it's important to bother. Then we go through ten simple steps to successful family dinners, setting the table, a few chapters on recipes (including fast recipes and recipes kids can make), making green choices in the home, ideas and inspirations for dinner conversation and activities, ideas for dinners with extended family and after divorce, and giving thanks. Oh, and dessert. Can't forget that.
So basically, wherever you are on the spectrum of family dinner, whether you eat in the car on the way to soccer practice or whether you have a formal meal with candles every night, this book has something for you. It is simply packed with great ideas.
I was inspired on several points upon reading this book—there were a few really fun recipes, like teapot soup, that I want to try. I'm also inspired to get together a more regular menu. I like cooking quite a lot and am always trying new things, but Laurie David emphasizes the strength of routine and tradition and there's something to be said for that. I also love the conversation and game ideas (most of which will have to wait until my kids are a bit older). And I love the idea of always having one conversation going at the dinner table, so everyone is involved. There were also some fun table-setting ideas that I want to try.
If everyone had family dinner as Laurie David describes in this book (which is a pretty tall order but still a noble aim), our children would be more caring and polite and smart and cultured. Reading this book was a huge inspiration to me and it's earned a permanent spot on my bookshelves. Whenever I feel burned out about dinner in the future, all I'll need to do is pull out this book and open it up at random, and I'll be ready to go again.
A review copy of this book was provided through the GoodReads First Reads program.
2012 update: This book is just as inspiring the second time around. The recipes I've tried have turned out nicely, too. I love that it includes so many meatless options.
Read
January 7, 2017Nothing to say to your family? This is the book for you.
More money thansense time? Step right up!
I got this book for Christmas a few years ago and I gave it away, but I borrowed a copy the other day to see what, if anything, it did well.
It has a nice picture of things in a fridge with some of our neighbor's jam in the mix.
The pictures are nice... unfortunately the recipes are only so-so. I tired two of them, and they were okay by me, but not great, and no one else in my house would even taste the results. So much for family friendly (my husband and children are not very adventurous eaters... yet).
But seriously, if you can only stare at each other in stony silence when your phones are put away, there are some dinner-conversation prompts in here. My earlier review (see below) still holds.
previous review
I have skimmed through this book a few times since I got it for Christmas almost a year ago. There are probably some good recipes here, and I liked a few of the ideas, but it's poorly organized (shrimp cakes in the slow cooking section?) and visually hard to read with its many-colored multiple fonts and scattered tip boxes.
What really put me off, though, was the serious rich-people bias. Laurie David, when pressed for time just hired someone to do the cooking for her. Great. So not my reality. She could have drawn some examples of family dinners from the less affluent as well as (or even instead of?) herself and the Kennedys. I do think it's good that she had a section on divorce, though, which is one way of addressing the diversity of families' situations.
I'm not throwing the book away yet, but I am moving it out of the kitchen.
More money than
I got this book for Christmas a few years ago and I gave it away, but I borrowed a copy the other day to see what, if anything, it did well.
It has a nice picture of things in a fridge with some of our neighbor's jam in the mix.
The pictures are nice... unfortunately the recipes are only so-so. I tired two of them, and they were okay by me, but not great, and no one else in my house would even taste the results. So much for family friendly (my husband and children are not very adventurous eaters... yet).
But seriously, if you can only stare at each other in stony silence when your phones are put away, there are some dinner-conversation prompts in here. My earlier review (see below) still holds.
previous review
I have skimmed through this book a few times since I got it for Christmas almost a year ago. There are probably some good recipes here, and I liked a few of the ideas, but it's poorly organized (shrimp cakes in the slow cooking section?) and visually hard to read with its many-colored multiple fonts and scattered tip boxes.
What really put me off, though, was the serious rich-people bias. Laurie David, when pressed for time just hired someone to do the cooking for her. Great. So not my reality. She could have drawn some examples of family dinners from the less affluent as well as (or even instead of?) herself and the Kennedys. I do think it's good that she had a section on divorce, though, which is one way of addressing the diversity of families' situations.
I'm not throwing the book away yet, but I am moving it out of the kitchen.
February 22, 2011
This is one of those books that are very pretty with lots of pictures, colors, insets and fonts. Would make a nice gift for a new bride or new mom. Many nice recipes and ideas to make meals special and easy.
My only beef is she shares how she struggled at one point in her life with finding time to cook dinner at night for family meals. Her solution was to hire a cook. Well, why hadn't I thought of that before? She also writes from a bit of a "green" perspective and encourages more vegetarian meals.
I also had to laugh at her chapter about family dinner after a divorce... I guess that family dinner ritual didn't work at keeping the family together, huh. But I do understand what she was getting at, that the family meal can be a ritual to help the family through tough times.
My only beef is she shares how she struggled at one point in her life with finding time to cook dinner at night for family meals. Her solution was to hire a cook. Well, why hadn't I thought of that before? She also writes from a bit of a "green" perspective and encourages more vegetarian meals.
I also had to laugh at her chapter about family dinner after a divorce... I guess that family dinner ritual didn't work at keeping the family together, huh. But I do understand what she was getting at, that the family meal can be a ritual to help the family through tough times.
August 16, 2011
Reinforced my hope that we can continue to have family dinner each night. It is hard to do each night sometimes the hardest thing Bryan and I do in a given day. I have already seen how important it is to the kids and how it centers us as a family. I completely now appreciate every night family dinners that I had growing up.
March 27, 2012
I happily stumbled upon this book at the library and fell in love with it. Beautifully designed with quality paper and creative content, this book cites all the facts you've heard about the importance of the family dinner, and provides helpful tips about how to help incorporate it into your busy life. Ideas, recipes, conversation topics, celebrations-- this book is an inspiration!
September 7, 2016
Notes:
truly disappointing
font size is absurdly small, maybe 8 or 10 point
text boxes and quotes visually overwhelm most pages
preachy with no research backing up her supposed truths
pushing a vegetarian/vegan mindset (soy is healthy; meat will kill you)
has recipes but is mostly a poor food info book
truly disappointing
font size is absurdly small, maybe 8 or 10 point
text boxes and quotes visually overwhelm most pages
preachy with no research backing up her supposed truths
pushing a vegetarian/vegan mindset (soy is healthy; meat will kill you)
has recipes but is mostly a poor food info book
February 16, 2014
Delightful combination of cookbook, inspiration, games and stories. Love this book!
August 23, 2015
Quite a few great recipes (meat and dairy free, for us) and lots of great ideas for connecting....questions, quotes, short articles, ideas for games. Great book.
August 6, 2016
A fun skim-through for recipes & ideas on how kids can be involved in cooking. Losing stars for propaganda
September 22, 2017
Excelent!
Tus book inspire me to cook healthy and delicious food. Also I have learned funny games for after dinner moments.
Tus book inspire me to cook healthy and delicious food. Also I have learned funny games for after dinner moments.
May 16, 2020
This book is so disorganized, you can't cook from it. It is an elitists vanity project that claims to want to help families have dinner together, but offers little to no practical advice. Kirstin Uhrenholdt's recipes look interesting and I would love to learn more about simple Danish cuisine. Unfortunately, Laurie David's lectures, anecdotes, "tips," and name dropping are so smothering one cannot enjoy the food.
TLDR: If the advise to just hire a personal chef if you don't have time to cook doesn't put you off, this book might be for you. If that's the case you may also want to get a hardcopy because the ebook is over 6,000 pages.
TLDR: If the advise to just hire a personal chef if you don't have time to cook doesn't put you off, this book might be for you. If that's the case you may also want to get a hardcopy because the ebook is over 6,000 pages.
February 5, 2022
In theory I'm not against rich well connected people writing books about their own small hobby horse. We all know somebody who's really good at something and could give all of us tips. They're not going to get a book but the well-connected version of them can. Sure. I'll read about your expertise and family dinners!
Unfortunately I didn't see any expertise here. Some small tips and fun ideas scattered throughout but not very helpful overall it's comprehensive but superficial. It feels more like a produced segment on Good morning America. Lots of little quotes and heartwarming bits but not much to actually do.
Unfortunately I didn't see any expertise here. Some small tips and fun ideas scattered throughout but not very helpful overall it's comprehensive but superficial. It feels more like a produced segment on Good morning America. Lots of little quotes and heartwarming bits but not much to actually do.
October 30, 2020
I didn't realize this was a recipe book - I thought it was more about dinner and ideas on making it more meaningful. It mostly just said it was important and then gave recipes and some game ideas to keep people sitting around the table. The recipes didn't look that great. But I do think eating dinner together is important!
October 10, 2020
Half recipes and half advice about how to connect as a family.
My biggest takeaway were the bits on quick games and conversation starters for family mealtime. I’m going to use many of those!
My biggest takeaway were the bits on quick games and conversation starters for family mealtime. I’m going to use many of those!
May 29, 2022
A wealthy celebrity tells people how to do family dinner. No thanks.
November 7, 2010
I'm a mom who firmly believes in the family eating together. We sit down at the dinner table together at least four days a week; usually more. Generally speaking dinner is something I can put together in 30 minutes, or it is something from the crockpot. Since I get home at 5:30 on a day when my husband picks up the six year old, complicated recipes are not on the agenda. Since I'm feeding kids, "strange" food is generally not welcomed. I was hoping The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time would have some recipes I could add to my collection. Honestly, I didn't. The food tended toward gourmet ingredients, exotic vegetables, and, a mortal sin at my house, lot of seasonings and sauces. Organic meat is specified,along with fresh herbs and flavored oils and vinegars. However, many of the recipes could be prepared in about thirty minutes.
Even though the recipes from The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time won't get a lot of play here, I still enjoyed reading the book which not only included recipes but also a lot of advice and information on how to make dinner time family time, which, when a family is apart all day like mine is, is important. I enjoyed reading the section about the Shabbat Dinner. A woman who was Jewish, though not necessarily terribly religious, decided that she was going to start the weekly tradition of a Friday Shabbat dinner. The family had to be there; the dinner included Blessings over the candles wine and challah, Gratitudes (everyone says something for which they are grateful), Highs and Lows (everyone shares high and low points of the week) and Tzedaka (everyone throws loose change in a box; when full they decide on a worthy cause to which to contribute it). She even discusses how she has managed to do family dinners even after a divorce.
The book included conversation starters that may even get teens talking. It gives advice about stocking a pantry and about getting kids involved with cooking. It even suggests letting grandparents in on the action. To prolong the evening of togetherness, after dinner games are included. I'd like to than Anna at Hachette for sending me a review copy of this book.
Even though the recipes from The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time won't get a lot of play here, I still enjoyed reading the book which not only included recipes but also a lot of advice and information on how to make dinner time family time, which, when a family is apart all day like mine is, is important. I enjoyed reading the section about the Shabbat Dinner. A woman who was Jewish, though not necessarily terribly religious, decided that she was going to start the weekly tradition of a Friday Shabbat dinner. The family had to be there; the dinner included Blessings over the candles wine and challah, Gratitudes (everyone says something for which they are grateful), Highs and Lows (everyone shares high and low points of the week) and Tzedaka (everyone throws loose change in a box; when full they decide on a worthy cause to which to contribute it). She even discusses how she has managed to do family dinners even after a divorce.
The book included conversation starters that may even get teens talking. It gives advice about stocking a pantry and about getting kids involved with cooking. It even suggests letting grandparents in on the action. To prolong the evening of togetherness, after dinner games are included. I'd like to than Anna at Hachette for sending me a review copy of this book.
June 27, 2013
I was raised that if you didn't sit at the table, you didn't eat. That was the time that my parents to connect with us kids after a long day of school and work. I hated it! I'm not sure if I hated the fact I had to eat at the table or the fact I had clean-up chores. But those talks with my parents and communicating with my parents always stuck with me.
When I had my own kids, I scoffed at family dinner. We ate in the living room in front of the TV. But, as my kids grew and went to school, all of that changed. When I came home from work, I'd make dinner and expect everyone at the table. I then turned into my parents. ha! I would have one child set the table, and another clear the table. I thought it helped build responsibility and I was teaching them little things along the way. Then, my kids grew older and dreaded family dinner.
However, I'm the boss and although I let them eat whenever during the week now, Sunday is Family Dinner in my house. No exceptions!
You say you don't have time to cook? You have time to be on the internet, you have time to cook. There are a lot of healthy meals out there that have a low prep and cook time. My family knows they eat their best meal on Sunday, and I really should do it every day because it is awesome, but scheduling conflicts don't allow for that, so my Sunday is my compromise.
But Family Dinner is a wonderful book full of anecdotes and quotes from celebrities, writers, authors, and child-care experts. Along the way of the easy to read pages are beautiful and glossy photographs that I vow will make you hungry!! There is a section to get dinner out fast, then there is a section for those that cook it today, eat it tomorrow. There is lots of Did You Know? which I found educating and even about reading while at the table. This book is a real find and a must own for any home!! Get your kids involved with dinner, it really is the best time in the world to sit around the table with your family. TV and Computers will wait, but your kids will be grown before you blink. Treasure every moment!!
When I had my own kids, I scoffed at family dinner. We ate in the living room in front of the TV. But, as my kids grew and went to school, all of that changed. When I came home from work, I'd make dinner and expect everyone at the table. I then turned into my parents. ha! I would have one child set the table, and another clear the table. I thought it helped build responsibility and I was teaching them little things along the way. Then, my kids grew older and dreaded family dinner.
However, I'm the boss and although I let them eat whenever during the week now, Sunday is Family Dinner in my house. No exceptions!
You say you don't have time to cook? You have time to be on the internet, you have time to cook. There are a lot of healthy meals out there that have a low prep and cook time. My family knows they eat their best meal on Sunday, and I really should do it every day because it is awesome, but scheduling conflicts don't allow for that, so my Sunday is my compromise.
But Family Dinner is a wonderful book full of anecdotes and quotes from celebrities, writers, authors, and child-care experts. Along the way of the easy to read pages are beautiful and glossy photographs that I vow will make you hungry!! There is a section to get dinner out fast, then there is a section for those that cook it today, eat it tomorrow. There is lots of Did You Know? which I found educating and even about reading while at the table. This book is a real find and a must own for any home!! Get your kids involved with dinner, it really is the best time in the world to sit around the table with your family. TV and Computers will wait, but your kids will be grown before you blink. Treasure every moment!!
April 15, 2016
I hadn't heard of Laurie David before, but it seems as if she is a famous environmentalist. This beautiful book is one of her solutions to climate change. She believes caring, involved, articulate citizens are necessary to address this issue. The way to create such a citizenry? Family dinners! The book is filled with delightful anecdotes, recipes, and even research to help families bring this tradition back.
Even though we already have family dinners in our home, I found this book to be an invaluable resource to make this time more meaningful and fun. The book also helped ground our meals in purpose and vision. I am now able to see more clearly what we are actually accomplishing (and hoping to accomplish) by investing in time together at the table.
Before reading this book, our family dinners were daily occurrences, but often they did not optimize the opportunity of having time together. My husband and I would be trying to tell each other about our day, and our kids' constant interruptions felt trying. Now I see what was probably already obvious to every other family: The children need to be included in conversation! The ideas for fun family engagement are endless and exciting. In fact, there were so many good ideas that they necessitated the creation of a spreadsheet to make sure we rotate through all of them regularly. Ever since I caught the vision of this book, my husband and I save our one-on-one conversations for other time and reserve meal time for one conversation that includes everybody.
I feel almost evangelical zeal about this topic and will be gifting this book to loved ones.
Even though we already have family dinners in our home, I found this book to be an invaluable resource to make this time more meaningful and fun. The book also helped ground our meals in purpose and vision. I am now able to see more clearly what we are actually accomplishing (and hoping to accomplish) by investing in time together at the table.
Before reading this book, our family dinners were daily occurrences, but often they did not optimize the opportunity of having time together. My husband and I would be trying to tell each other about our day, and our kids' constant interruptions felt trying. Now I see what was probably already obvious to every other family: The children need to be included in conversation! The ideas for fun family engagement are endless and exciting. In fact, there were so many good ideas that they necessitated the creation of a spreadsheet to make sure we rotate through all of them regularly. Ever since I caught the vision of this book, my husband and I save our one-on-one conversations for other time and reserve meal time for one conversation that includes everybody.
I feel almost evangelical zeal about this topic and will be gifting this book to loved ones.
December 8, 2010
I really enjoyed this book not only for the great recipes but for all of the great advice on how to get your kids and family involved with cooking and with conversations at dinner time. At my house we always sit down to dinner together. There are a few exceptions but for the most part we strive for family dinners. This is not only a great way to make sure we are all together everyday but also a wonderful way to find out how the kids day went, what issues they might be having and gives me the opportunity to give advice and for the most part we just have fun.
In my house conversation at the dinner table comes easy but for the families that struggle in this department then the Family Dinner is a great book to have. Not only for the wonderful recipes but for the great ways they show and tell you how to start conversations with your kids. These recipes also gives you great opportunities to cook with your children as well.
I have made a few recipes out of this book and they have easy to follow instructions and they turned out great. This is a nice recipe book to add to any ones collection. This book is more then just a cook book it is so much more. Packed full of advice and great recipes I would recommend this to everyone.
* I have been provided a complimentary copy of The Family Dinner for review from Hachette Book Group threw an opportunity from Book Blogs. By receiving a complimentary copy it in no way obligates me to write a good or bad review. I am an honest reviewer and my reviews are based on my own opinion and only written by me.*
January 22, 2011
If you have a family - any kind of family: kids, grandparents, a spouse - you need to read this book.
I originally picked up this book thinking that it was another "foods your kids will eat" cookbook. I was pleasantly surprised that it was so much more. The actual recipes are only about 1/5 of the book's concent, but the other 4/5 of information is stuff that every family needs to read and use. With info like setting the table, music to listen to while cooking, Meatless Mondays, conversation starters and lots and lots of ancedotes that really reinforce the benefit of eating as a family. The Maya Angelou story is especially touching and nearly made me cry.
I'll admit that we backslid on our eat-at-the-dinner-table habits. Reading this book got us to turn on the dining room lights again. The most simple suggestion - place a pitcher of water at the table with dinner - was initially controversial with our kids. ("You want us to drink what?") But it was a small step in the right direction.
Post reading, we've really embraced the philosophy of The Family Dinner: Each child has a job (building responsibility) from setting the table to getting the cups, we all say a blessing together (thankfulness and reinforcing our beliefs), we all get a turn to discuss our day (building relationships) and each child gets a little spotlight time, even our 2 year old, who's answer to every question is "yes".
This one little book has changed the lives of 5 people. I hope that one day, my children will be able to write and tell stories similar to the ones in this book.
I originally picked up this book thinking that it was another "foods your kids will eat" cookbook. I was pleasantly surprised that it was so much more. The actual recipes are only about 1/5 of the book's concent, but the other 4/5 of information is stuff that every family needs to read and use. With info like setting the table, music to listen to while cooking, Meatless Mondays, conversation starters and lots and lots of ancedotes that really reinforce the benefit of eating as a family. The Maya Angelou story is especially touching and nearly made me cry.
I'll admit that we backslid on our eat-at-the-dinner-table habits. Reading this book got us to turn on the dining room lights again. The most simple suggestion - place a pitcher of water at the table with dinner - was initially controversial with our kids. ("You want us to drink what?") But it was a small step in the right direction.
Post reading, we've really embraced the philosophy of The Family Dinner: Each child has a job (building responsibility) from setting the table to getting the cups, we all say a blessing together (thankfulness and reinforcing our beliefs), we all get a turn to discuss our day (building relationships) and each child gets a little spotlight time, even our 2 year old, who's answer to every question is "yes".
This one little book has changed the lives of 5 people. I hope that one day, my children will be able to write and tell stories similar to the ones in this book.
December 19, 2010
"Food has to be sacred. There is something very unique about sharing the nourishment of food with your loved ones. I fear we are forgetting that." -Dr. Mehmet Oz
"Family dinner opened for me an interest in the world. Every meal I got to hear my parents and siblings discussing cultural and political affairs that I don't think I would have been exposed to if not at dinner. For me it shaped my ideas for my future." -Rabbi David Saperstein
"There is something mystical and sacred about the preparation of the meal. The meal itself becomes a celebration of working together." -The Reverend Ed Bacon
"If we want our kids to lead healthier lives, we should eat with them more often." -Miriam Weinstein
"The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you." -John E. Southard
"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." -Epictetus
I loved this book! There are so many recipes I want to try, but as evidenced by the quotes above, this is much more than just a cookbook. It's about the importance of family dinner. It's a lesson I've needed. I still need to make more changes, but I have already gotten so much better at cleaning off our table so we actually sit to eat dinner there rather than on the couch in the living room. The resource guide in the back is amazing, and one I will definitely turn to more as Brayden is older.
"Family dinner opened for me an interest in the world. Every meal I got to hear my parents and siblings discussing cultural and political affairs that I don't think I would have been exposed to if not at dinner. For me it shaped my ideas for my future." -Rabbi David Saperstein
"There is something mystical and sacred about the preparation of the meal. The meal itself becomes a celebration of working together." -The Reverend Ed Bacon
"If we want our kids to lead healthier lives, we should eat with them more often." -Miriam Weinstein
"The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you." -John E. Southard
"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." -Epictetus
I loved this book! There are so many recipes I want to try, but as evidenced by the quotes above, this is much more than just a cookbook. It's about the importance of family dinner. It's a lesson I've needed. I still need to make more changes, but I have already gotten so much better at cleaning off our table so we actually sit to eat dinner there rather than on the couch in the living room. The resource guide in the back is amazing, and one I will definitely turn to more as Brayden is older.
April 29, 2011
This book has a wealth of information. But it might have just a little too much to actually be useful. Maybe if you didn't have any other recipe books or sources about organic food, etc, then it would be useful. But it is so broad in scope and covers so many areas that it is just a little overwhelming. I kept finding cool parts but because of the way it was (dis)organized, couldn't find them again. So it's not really great for reading straight through, but neither is it great for quick reference. I finally decided that it would be useful as a coffee table type book. It has a lot of introductory information to healthy cooking, etc that might make it a good wedding gift; but because of the focus on family dinners, it might be better for families who already have children? I don't know, I read through most of this before giving up in despair. There are great suggestions for ways to make family dinner more fun; and there are discussions about the author's journey and the journeys of others toward having a family mealtime; and there are random tasty-looking recipes. But I guess I just thought it was all too diverse to actually be very useful in daily life.
Bottom line: This book is so beautifully laid out that I wanted to love it, and I wanted to give it to someone else who would love it. But I couldn't imagine how it would actually be useful to me or to others in daily life settings.
Bottom line: This book is so beautifully laid out that I wanted to love it, and I wanted to give it to someone else who would love it. But I couldn't imagine how it would actually be useful to me or to others in daily life settings.
January 17, 2011
I liked this book a lot, and I believe firmly in eating together every night as a family, a tradition that is fading in our over-scheduled lives. I do have two gripes, however, with this book. From my perspective as a vegan, her chapter on "meatless Monday" irked me. She does a fantastic job of listing all the reasons why we shouldn't be eating meat- from health reasons to environmental, but then says as long as we don't eat meat one day a week, we are doing ok, and that most people aren't willing to give up meat. Sure, one meatless day a week is an ok starting point, but it's not enough to make a difference, either in our health, the factory farming industry, or the environmental damage it causes. Giving up meat, for even seven days a week, doesn't have to feel like such a sacrifice, which I feel is what the author implies. I do, however, appreciate the vegetarian (and even a couple vegan) recipes she included and was pleasantly surprised by them- I don't expect to see vegetarian recipes in a cookbook unless it's specifically labeled that way.
My second gripe is much smaller- I like having pictures to go along with every recipe. Otherwise though, I very much enjoyed this book and will be recommending it.
My second gripe is much smaller- I like having pictures to go along with every recipe. Otherwise though, I very much enjoyed this book and will be recommending it.
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