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YOURDINNERTABLEMIGHTBE THE KEY TO A HAPPIER FAMILY The family dinner is a staple of years gone by. These days, the only time you see a family sit together and break bread seems to be at Thanksgiving. This is a shame, because regular family dinners are incredibly important! It’s a time to bond with your loved ones that can have a positive impact on your kids’ lives. A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that kids who regularly partake in family meals are less likely to experience depression or engage in drug use. Furthermore, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University determined that kids who eat family meals five to seven times a week bring home better report cards. Be Flexible About Mealtimes Dinner doesn’t have to be at 6 p.m. on the dot. If Kamala has a karate tournament in the evening or Peter needs to stay late at school for art club, why not break out the healthy snacks and make dinner happen a little later or earlier? Plus, the meal you share as a family doesn’t have to be at dinnertime. If there’s time in the mornings, sit down for breakfast. If you have the opportunity on weekends or during a school break, grab lunch together. Call All Hands on Deck Mom or Dad shouldn’t be expected to cook by themselves for every meal. This is family time, after all, so call in the kids! Make sure their tasks are age-appropriate — leave sautéing vegetables to the high schooler and let your first-grader set out the cups instead. This is the perfect opportunity to teach kids valuable kitchen skills and to take some of the burden off your plate. Plus, if your kids are picky eaters, inviting them to be part of the cooking process can make themmore inclined to try the finished product. Don’t Stress Yourself Out It’s okay if you’re too busy on a Monday to cook dinner. There’s always Tuesday. Or you can take a trip to your favorite family restaurant. Family meals should be fun, and that can’t happen if you’re stressed. Don’t feel pressured to make each meal perfect or to prepare a three-course dinner every night. Chicken and rice can get the job done as long as you’re all sitting around the table as a family. Even when schedules are busy, you can make family dinners fit into your agenda with these tips.
E U G O J X R R W Z R S O S S C N N A A J I A E W A C E B H N P I X S M H B I W O L O T A B K R L U C K M W N O R M E M L E P R E C H A U N C L G M R Q N S O C P G L O R H L F U O O I W X E Z S I E B E O O O C J F V X G D L S Q F W P O U K S V V Z M C L O U D T M K I D D W A O C B Q D P D A W E M J Q A O M G J D L V D E D A I Q O L N B R W O B N I A R N L L B R B C E Z O E K Y C I K I F Q L L F E U S V B H M R O T S J P Y M N S A B O A P Z A E Z
BLOOM CLOUD DANCE FLOWER GREEN
GROW LAMB LEPRECHAUN
MADNESS MARCH RAINBOW RAINCLOUD SHAMROCK
SPRING STORM
BLOOM CLOUD DANCE FLOWER GREEN
LION LUCK
COLCANNON When you think of St. Patrick’s Day cuisine, corned beef and green beer are probably the GROW LAMB LEPRECHAUN
3 pounds potatoes LION LUCK MADNESS MARCH RAINBOW RAINCLOUD SHAMROCK SPRING STORM
first things that come to mind. This year, consider adding colcannon to your March 17 menu. It’s basically mashed potatoes on steroids, and it’s utterly delicious.
INGREDIENTS
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1 pound cooked bacon, chopped into small pieces 4 scallions, finely chopped
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups hot milk
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No matter how hectic your schedule may be, making family meals a priority is always worth the investment. Who’s in the mood for meatloaf?
1 head cabbage, cored and shredded
Parsley, for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS 1. Steam potatoes for 30 minutes. Peel skins and mash flesh thoroughly. 2. Chop 1 stick of butter into small cubes and add to warm potatoes. Once melted, slowly add milk, stirring constantly. 3. Boil cabbage in water. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to tenderize. 4. Add cabbage, bacon, and scallions to mashed potatoes, gently stirring to combine. 5. Serve garnished with parsley and a pat of butter.
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