Meaningful Family Time

I read a Dear Abby article last week. (Yes, I do indulge in some Dear Abby). The writer inquired about the etiquette for cellular phone use in restaurants after watching a mother and two boys continuously texting throughout their meal.  The writer thought it was rude. Now I have learned to accept cell phone use in restaurants and I prefer the texting because that means I don’t have to listen to one-sided details about someone’s recent sphincter malfunctions and laundry mishaps. (I just tried to make a joke here, but I don’t think it worked out).  On to the story… This article made me a little sad mostly because I don’t envision this as quality family time.  Maybe the family in question do have different outlets to spend time with each other, but so much research suggests that quality conversations while eating is a great strategy to address health especially in the family.  I know that teenagers often seem to prefer conversations with peers, but when they grow up, they will remember and appreciate conversations and quality time with family members. How many of us enjoy getting together with families and/or friends to eat, drink and be merry? 

For as long as I remember, my mom would come home and make dinner and my sister and I would stand on the couch cushions so that we could talk with her while she cooked.  I can’t remember all of the conversations, but there would be laughter and good quality time.  We would watch and learn from our mom and I think this really led to my passion for cooking and family meals.  I remember doing this with my aunt and my grandma too.  My mom never looked up recipes. She cooked up what she knew and she would conjure up some really good, hearty, budget friendly meals.  And I have a hunch that our taste preferences for all sorts of different foods developed because of these fun conversations that we had.  Both my sisters and I have a cornucopia of food preferences and most of them are healthy.  We were lucky. Our mother and other family members enjoyed cooking and we also had the opportunity to watch food come from the garden to the table when we stayed with my grandparents.  I would really love to see this with other families who may not have the direct resources to do this.  I hope to help provide the resources.

A couple of classmates and I are finishing up a grant proposal to request funds that will expand an elementary school cooking program to middle school students.  This program currently teaches students to cook multicultural and nutritious meals in the classroom.  Local growers bring produce for these cooking classes as well as provide the school cafeterias produce to prepare adapted recipes for the entire school twice a month.  For the middle school, we want to tailor the recipes to take shorter prep time so that they can prepare them quickly.  Additionally, we will also have lessons in meal planning, label reading, and how media and peer influence deter teens from healthy dietary behaviors.  The curriculum will also meet other New Mexico academic standards.  The key to this program is that these students will cooperate together, have quality conversation that will encourage their thoughts and eat what they created.  They have something very useful that they can be proud of and to bring home to share.  Families are busy, but we can set up a system that establishes healthy relationship building and hopefully brings families together even if it is just to check in.

Recipe this week is…

All-purpose Five Veggie Marinara Sauce

The limits to this recipe are your imagination. I like to use different veggies in this sauce, but I stick with the same ones a lot of the time.  The recipe I am providing is just to get your brain stirring because I really just throw it together without measuring and with some tasting.  It is low-fat, low-carb and very nutritious and versatile.  I freeze it in increments for a few meals or meal adaptions.

1 large #10 (12cups) can of pureed tomatoes

2 large chopped onions

3 to 4 tbls extra-virgin olive oil

2 little cans of tomato paste

8 minced cloves of garlic

2 green bell peppers (or other veggie, bell pepper prices are atrocious because of the recent cold snap)

3 zuchinni squashes, sliced or minced because this is often a veggie that make some kids turn up their noses

2 packages of mushrooms

½ cup of red wine (optional)

Salt to taste maybe start with 2 tsp and go from there, but not too much

2 tsp pepper

1-2 tbl Italian seasoning like a mixture of rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, marjoram, and thyme (whatever floats your boat)

Sautee onions in oil over medium-high heat until transluscent. Add garlic for about 15 seconds and then add other veggies and sautee until softened. Add paste and wine.  Mix together and then add can of sauce, salt, pepper and herbs and lower heat to simmer sauce for a little while, maybe 30 minutes.  Let cool slightly and either serve or freeze in smaller containers for other meals. I really hope this works out because I never measure anything for this sauce so I am guessing.   Our first meal with this sauce was a polenta lasagna. Use slices of polenta fried or baked with some olive oil instead of pasta. It is a whole grain.