The benefits of a home-cooked meal shared by family at the dinner table can scarce be overestimated in today's busy world. Author Janet Peterson takes aim at our scattered modern lives by encouraging us to come back to the heart of our homes-the kitchen. With 280 recipes for traditional, comforting, and fast family meals, there will be no excuses left for not bringing everyone together around a hearty plate of food.

Research has shown that time together as a family is vital to the overall well-being of children, especially when it comes to developing healthy eating habits, building communication skills and self-esteem, and forming relationships. Get committed to making family time a priority!

Family Dinners features 280 recipes, plus valuable tips for saving time during meal prep, money at the grocery store, and your own effort by getting your family in on the cooking and cleaning. Make dinnertime the highlight of the day for everyone involved.

Family Dining Tips:
Make sure dinnertime belongs only to you. Let the answering machine respond to phone calls, turn off the television, and put away the newspaper.

If your children are grown or older, turn dinnertime into a forum for discussion of current issues and happenings in the area and around the world.

As a family, volunteer at a local soup kitchen or food bank. This will help family members to appreciate dinner at home even more.

Hold a "crazy hat dinner." Invite each family member to wear their favorite or funniest hat to the table.
Discuss books during mealtime. Ask family members to share their current and longtime favorites.

Time-Saving Tips
Instead of cooking meatballs in a skillet on top of the stove, place them on a greased broiler pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

If a piece of eggshell falls into your mixture, dip a larger piece of shell into the bowl. It adheres instantly.

Undiluted cream soups or cheese soup make easy sauces for vegetables or pasta.

Type your basic shopping list on the computer. Keep a copy in the kitchen to add to during the week. Add specialty items for particular recipes.

Use instant potatoes to thicken soups and stews.

Spiral Bound, 322 pp. Index