Book Review: The Hour the Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal

Family meal time. 

It’s something that is not as common as it used to be.  With most families having two working parents, children in school and involved in a handful of extracurricular activities, it is easy to see why this is becoming a lost tradition. 

I was asked to review the new book, The Hour the Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal authored by Les & Leslie Parrott with Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna.  Les and Leslie Parrott are authors of the book, Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, along with many others.  Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna are the co-founders of Dream Dinners, a company that allows you to prepare make ahead freezer meals for busy families on the go at their numerous locations. 

The book is well written and is a very quick and easy read.  The authors discuss the merits of a family meal time and why it should be a priority in every family.   Of course we all know that having a family meal is important, but do we all know why it is so important?   The book was very well researched citing numerous statistics and research findings.  One that struck me to the core was this:

…study after study shows that the more often families eat together, the less likely the kids are to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders, become overweight, and consider suicide—and the more likely they are to eat their vegetables, know which fork to use, learn big words, do well in school, feel that their parents love them, and delay having sex. 

Seriously?  What could be more convincing?  That pretty much sums up the tremendous value of a family meal time.  I could have stopped reading the book right there--that was all the convincing I needed!  However, I did agree to review the book, so I thought it only fair to read it in its entirety.  

A family meal time doesn’t guarantee that you won’t encounter any of these challenges as your children grow older, but it does show that if children are given a solid foundation at home, the less likely they will engage in questionable activities; and the more likely they will be emotionally stable.  

The authors also discuss the art of conversation and how to engage your children in discussions that will actually have them participate.  Of course, this is something I have yet to encounter, as our little Peanut is only three, but is something good to remember as she starts to get a little older.  For now though, she is still our little chatterbox!  

I found the book to be a real delight as it had so many interesting little tid bits and facts surrounding meal time, conversation making,  and family values.  There is even a chapter focused on manners and etiquette at the dinner table.   Did you know that the salt and pepper should always be passed together?  They are not to separate!  Although nowhere near perfect, I consider myself to be fairly polite, but I never knew that!  I’ve certainly made a mental note of it now!

In addition, the book includes a dozen recipes and they each include a color photo.  We all know I have a weakness for great recipes.  I look forward to trying most of them out--and the sooner, the better!

I also appreciate the last chapter, with advice for the reader on starting a fix and freeze it group.  It may not seem like a hard thing to start, however Stephanie and Tina break it down into several steps that make the task seem very manageable and easy to accomplish.   While we are not at the stage where our Peanut is involved in a myriad of activities, I know I will be using these tips in the future as she becomes more socially active.  

Last, I really like the analogy the authors use about prioritizing family meal time.  You’ve probably heard the story about the presenter who fills a gallon size jar up to the top with large rocks.  He asks the crowd if the jar is full.  Most say yes, but he then he pulls out some gravel and starts filling in the spaces with gravel.  He asks again if it is full.  Most have started to catch on at that point.  The presenter then starts filling in the smaller holes in the jar with sand and finally fills up the remaining space in the jar with nearly a quart of water.  The moral of the story is not that you can always fit more in, but rather had you started filling the jar with the sand or water; you would have never fit in the big rocks.  

Family meal time needs to be a big rock.  

Well, you know what I mean.  This is the attitude we need to have about family meal time.  Often times, a family meal is an afterthought, something that is squeezed in if and when it works.  But rather a family meal needs to be a top priority.  If it is a permanent fixture in your family’s schedule, then everything else should fall into place around that.    

Of course, it may not always look the same during the different seasons in your family’s life.  Maybe a family breakfast is what works for your family.  This is often the case at our house.  Being in the restaurant industry, about three quarters of the shifts that Hubs works, he works late.  But when he works late, he is home in the mornings and we always eat breakfast together.  Instead of us recapping at the end of the day like most families, we recap at the start of the morning.    Hopefully this won’t always be the case, but for now, it works.  And it works well.

 

If you get the chance, I encourage you to pick up copy of The Hour the Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal.  If a family meal is something you desire for your home, this may be a great first step.

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book to facilitate this review.  The opinions expressed in this post are solely my own. 

 

Tried It & Loved It: Soft White Wheat

I am officially a wheat grinder.

Yes, I know. 

One of my closest friends, that was her joke, in terms of this new world of whole foods.  It's one thing to be avoiding processed foods and trying to eat better--but wheat grinding?  Well, you've officially gone over the edge.  I still laugh about it, because I never thought I would go there.  And here I am. 

A few months back, I twisted Hubs' arm convinced Hubs to let me spend the last bit of our tax return on a wheat grinder.  Previously, I had been purchasing hard white whole wheat flour (King Arthur's) and it's off the charts expensive.  I mean, it is still just flour, so it's not like you are purchasing flawless diamonds, but it terms of cost just for flour--it's pricey.

Grinding your own flour is less expensive because wheat berries are less per pound as compared to flour (at least any kind of whole wheat flour that I've seen) and one cup of wheat berries will yield anywhere from 1 1/3 to 1 3/4 cup of flour, depending on the variety of wheat berry you use.  I've also heard that grinding your own flour is better for you, as a lot a nutrients oxidize within just a couple days of the flour being ground--but I've also heard that isn't true, so?  With the health benefits, I guess you'll just have to make your own call.  

As I have delved into this whole foods thing, I've learned a lot about flour.  First, when you buy whole wheat flour at the store, typically it is made from hard red wheat berries, giving it the darker color.  There is also hard white wheat flour, which is made from hard white wheat berries.  These are a lighter color and don't have the strong bitter flavor that traditional whole wheat has.  In most grocery stores, I've only seen the King Arthur brand selling white whole wheat flour, which is made from the hard white wheat berries.

I've come across a lot of testimonies that swear if you grind your own wheat and use hard white wheat, you can't tell the difference between freshly ground white wheat flour and all purpose flour.  Snicker, snicker.   Well, maybe they can't, but I still can.  BUT before you write it off completely--while I can still tell a difference, hands down, freshly ground flour is better.  It just tastes fresher.  I am sure that is so incredibly helpful.  But think about asparagus or broccoli--fresh is always better than frozen, right?  How about store bought bread compared to homemade bread, fresh from the oven?  Fresh is better.  Heck, even Krispy Kreme doughnuts are way better all piping hot, compared the ones that were made 24 hours before. 

Then about a month ago, I discovered soft white berries.  These are different from their hard white wheat cousins.  I read that they provide a lighter texture more suitable for baking goodies like muffins, scones, cakes, and cookies.  So I thought I'd try some and I ordered some through my whole foods co-op.

They changed my life. 

They are aaaa-mazing!  With these, I can't tell the difference.  Neither can Hubs.  After doing a little more research, I haven't found that the nutritional value between hard white wheat and soft white wheat is hardly any different either.  I think the protein value is like a gram higher per serving in the hard white wheat, and the iron value is slightly higher in the soft white wheat.  The textures of the flours (hard white wheat versus soft white wheat) are very different as well. The soft white wheat is just a lighter and fluffier flour.  I figure, as long as it's a whole grain, I am not going to sweat the slight difference in nutritional value--it's still whole wheat and if it tastes better, then I am all for it.  You have to pick your battles, right? 

While I haven't done a side by side comparison of bread qualities from both the hard white wheat and soft white wheat (yet), from what I understand, hard white wheat is more suitable for yeast breads and soft white wheat is more suitable for quick breads that use baking soda/baking powder for leavening.  While I do bake my own bread, I still tend to do more quick breads like muffins and biscuits, so my pantry will be stocked with more of the soft white wheat berries, but I know I will still continue to use the hard white wheat berries as well. 

So for the one, maybe two of you who might be considering a grain mill (wheat grinder), I say go for it....but that's just my humble opinion. 

Family and Pictures ( ♥ Plus My First Ever Giveaway! ♥ )

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥   This giveaway is now closed.   ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

Since life is back to some semblance of normal after our visit home last week (tying up loose ends with our rental) I have had some time to pull together a new post....other than the recipes and such that I already had scheduled to go.

Before we made our trip back to HomeTown, Hubby's parents were here for a visit and we were able to spend several days with them.  Peanut, of course, was in her element.  She has always been interested in the "hands off" cell phones, but she now has an idea of what texting is (thanks to Daddy) and even recognizes Daddy's alert tone when he has a new text.  "Oh, Daddy's text!" she exclaims when his phone goes off.  I say this all the time--but even our kids (meaning all of us 30 somethings) are just growing up in an entirely different technological world than we did.   They'll never know life without web cams, cell phones, iPads, instant pictures on the digital cameras, etc.  It's just crazy isn't it?

Anyhow, Peanut is obsessed with cell phones and texting--and she quickly snagged Grandma's cell phone and attempted to text away and was obsessed at looking at Grandma's pictures on the phone too.

I found a recipe online to make play dough, so I made some of that for Peanut while my in-laws were here.  Peanut hasn't stopped playing with it since--she probably asks to play it with at least three times day.  She loves it and I love that it's not flaky like the brand name stuff.

Grandma also fixed Peanut's hair in braids which I thought were pretty cute.  I don't ever have enough patience to fix her hair that way--probably because the Peanut sits much more still for Grandma than she does for me.  

Peanut was also sure to be polite and offer her Grandma and Grandpa tea....

she drinks with such gusto.  We'll have to work on that and remembering "pinkies out" later.

I am kind of bummed that I didn't have more than a few good shots with Peanut and her grandparents.  As I have mentioned before, I try to avoid using the pop up flash on the camera if and whenever possible.  It just doesn't make the greatest photos.  While I am by no means an expert in photography and I still have a LONG way to go to even call myself a "photographer," I have learned a few things in the last few years as I have tried to improve my photography skills.  I try to do these whenever I remember (but sometimes even I forget!):

1.  Use natural light or take advantage of all the lighting from the room--avoid using that flash whenever you can.  I have been known to turn on every light in the house when taking photos at night, just to avoid using the flash.   I shoot mostly in manual mode--the flash doesn't even come on when doing so.  Adequate lighting is essential!  However, if there still just isn't enough light in the room, with my Nikon, I have learned a little trick.  I set my aperture and shutter speed in manual mode, then I switch over to the auto mode to get the flash to pop up, then I switch back to the manual mode and shoot my pictures.  This allows my camera to adjust the flash strength so it's not so bright.  It lessens the intensity of the flash and allows for more natural photos.  That way it doesn't give the really bright faces and really intense shadows in the background.

Peanut at 7 months old. 

Sigh.









2.  Especially when you have little ones--get down on their level to shoot the pictures whenever possible.  It makes the picture more "real."

Much more natural without the flash, don't you think?










3.  Learn how to use your camera in manual mode.  For reasons, see # 1.  This does take a LOT of practice--believe me, I am still working on it, but I think my photos have gotten better over the last several years and that makes me happy to see the improvements I've made.  :)

4.  Last--and this one I have just realized in the last year or so.  Good pictures aren't always with everyone's faces.  The objects involved help tell the story too--this works especially well if you do scrap booking or photo books.   Of course your primary focus will be the faces of your children and the rest of the family, but a picture of the Easter eggs or a picture of the snow boots sitting on the front step scattered throughout help tell the story too!

Hopefully some of these tips will help you in taking even better pictures too!

Now....for the giveaway!  The fine folks over at CSN Stores have offered to give one of my lucky readers $35 to use at any of their 200+ online stores.  If you remember in January, I did a review on some of their great bakeware they carry in their Housewares section 7and I am completely in love with my new baking pans.  CSN Stores offers a variety of different items--from furniture to appliances to shoes.  They even offer tools for that special man in your life.  But who are we kidding?  Right, ladies?  ;)

To enter to win, just leave a comment telling me what you would like to purchase!  Make sure to leave your email address in the comment so I can get in touch with you if you win.

For extra entries (leave an additional comment for each):

#1.  Become a follower (in the column on the right) and leave a comment telling you are/or have become one.

#2, #3, &  #4.  Blog, Facebook, or Tweet about the giveaway and be sure to leave the link in your  additional comment. 

This giveaway will be open until 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday, March 16, 2011.  The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced on Thursday, March 17, 2011. 

*****

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by CSN Stores.  The opinions expressed in this post are solely my own. 

Valentine's Gift Ideas

Can you believe that Valentine's Day is just less than a month away?  Where do the days go?  I was looking around at Overstock.com and they have some wonderful gift ideas just in case you might need a few to give the love of your life!

With spring just around the corner, how about these cute sunglasses?  I love the mulberry pair!   Or if jewelry is more up your alley, I thought these earrings were just too pretty!  And every girl needs a right hand ring, don't you think? Or maybe you like the more practical side of things and want something like a new camera.  I know camera accessories are always high on my list!

The nice folks at Overstock.com have agreed to offer my readers a special discount!  The discount code is:  ?121745?, good for 10% off Overstock products (excluding movies, books, and electronics).  This discount code never expires, however, please be aware that it can only be used once per email address.  If you are interested in electronics, you can use 202234 - which is a free shipping promo code for electronics.

Have fun shopping! 

Disclosure:  All the ideas and opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a discount code.

CSN Review: New Bakeware

Several weeks ago, I hinted that CSN Stores had asked me to participate in a product review with them.  Of course, I jumped at the opportunity and I went straight for the kitchen items. 

With my newest obsession--delving into the world of whole foods and just getting back to basics, I have read that aluminum is not that great for you.  Consequently, we now use aluminum free baking powder and aluminum free deodorant in our household--much to my Hubby's exasperation.  No, he really is supportive in all these changes, but he LOVES to tease me about turning into a hippy.  Little does he know that I am sure I have only scratched the surface--I SO haven't even come close to reaching crunchy status. 

That said, I have been wanting to replace some of my aluminum bakeware and CSN Stores provided a wonderful opportunity!  Several months back I started looking for stainless steel cookie sheets and muffin tins (just when I was out and about--I wasn't exactly on a mission) but I haven't found any stores here in SmallTown that carry stainless steel bakeware.  Everything is either aluminum or has non-stick coating (like Teflon--and don't even get me started on the dangers of Teflon.  It really makes you think, is any modern convenience without consequence?)

Anyhow, back to my new kitchen items...

CSN Stores carries a wide array of different bakeware and one of the neat features is that you can sort products by the type of material the product is made with.  Perfect!  I simply searched for items that were made of stainless steel and their site did the work for me!

I chose to purchase both a stainless steel muffin pan as well as a stainless steel jelly roll/cookie sheet.  My new items came last week, and I have been very happy with my choices.

I was curious to see if there was any difference in baking quality and I haven't seen any at all.  If anything, they bake even better than the aluminum pans I was using previously!  Both pans bake very evenly and both have nice smooth surfaces that my goodies didn't stick too. 

I have been thrilled with my purchases and I will definitely be using CSN Stores again when it comes time to replace some of my other bakeware.   Their site if definitely worth checking out!





Disclosure: This post is sponsored by CSN Stores.  I received both baking pans to facilitate this review.  The opinions expressed in this post are solely my own. 

Coming Soon!

When the kind folks at CSN Stores contacted me and asked me to complete a review for them, I jumped at the chance!  CSN is comprised of over 200 websites, including everything from luggage stores to furniture and fashion.  CSN also carries tons and tons of wonderful kitchen items, and we all know that having fun in the kitchen is very near and dear to my heart. 

Please check back soon and I'll let you take a peak at what I was able to review!