The Importance of Family Dinners

"What did you learn today?"

"Nothing."
"Nothing? I find it hard to believe that you learned nothing during eight hours of school. Think about it for a bit and I'll ask you again later."

Sound familiar? This conversation was a common one in our household. It was a conversation my father would initiate; one that opened a discussion about the goings-on in his daughters' lives. It was also a conversation that likely might not have happened without regularly scheduled family dinners.

This is not my family.

Growing up, my family always ate dinner together. My dad would get home from work at about 6:00 in the evening, and ten minutes later we were all sitting around the table eating a delicious meal prepared by my mom. This daily tradition was consistent throughout my life, and I strongly believe that it contributed to my family's closeness. I mean, think back to all the television shows you've ever watched about families (because television is, of course, a direct reflection of real life). What do the Cleavers, the Waltons, the Bradys, the Tanners and the Cosbys (I could go on for days) have in common? Why they all ate dinner together, of course!

Silliness aside, many studies can attest to the importance of family dinners. For example, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse reports that teenagers who eat family dinners less than three times a week are twice as likely to use alcohol and tobacco, and one and a half times as likely to smoke marijuana as their peers who gather for a family meal between five and seven times a week. What's more, frequent family dinners increase the chances that children will eat healthier foods and perform better at school, and can also reduce the chance that children will suffer from depression or eating disorders. But family dinners don't just benefit children; they can even reduce the stress felt by working mothers (read more here).

Plus, they create some pretty wonderful memories.

Take, for example, the little traditions born around the table. Of course there was the aforementioned "What did you learn today?" question posed by my dad, but there was also the habit of saying grace. We had a book (cleverly titled Graces), that we kept near the dinner table and took turns reading from.

Graces by June Cotner

Sometimes we would substitute a written grace for a chance to come up with our own, go around and share something good that happened that day, or sometimes my dad would read something interesting he found in the newspaper. Though I may have occasionally rolled my eyes at this practice in the past, I now see the value in taking a moment to ground and center yourself before a meal, the moment that saying grace inevitably provides.

We also had some silly traditions that I remember fondly. At one point, I was given the ever-important title of light monitor which placed me in charge of dimming the lights to create the perfect ambiance. I took this task very seriously. My dad assumed the role of crust manager and would put out his hands to collect the uneaten crusts from my bread. Not so silly, but still memorable, was the task of setting the table (choosing the right placemat to complement that night's dinner was not always an easy task), and the ever-present reminder to "bus our dishes" when we were finished eating. Yes, our family dinners could be goofy, but they also taught my sister and I the importance of family communication, not to mention responsibility.

When I first visited the husband in Amsterdam after almost six months apart, we spent an entire month together. My fondest memories of this time are the evenings we spent cooking and eating. There were many. I think we cooked dinner just about every day that month with the exception of a few dinners out. We exchanged recipes, I did a lot of converting from cups and tablespoons to grams and milliliters (who am I kidding, I'm still converting measurements every time I try a new recipe), and we bonded as we ate a bunch of really delicious food together.

It was comforting to learn that his family worked in much the same way as mine. When he was growing up in France, his schools were excused for lunch. Yes, he had family lunches and family dinners. And, as I've experienced during my time at his childhood home, French family dinners can last quite a long time. From the aperitif to the meal itself,  plus the occasional cheese tray, dessert and digestive, I've spent a good three hours consuming one meal and enjoying the conversation that goes along with it.

It only seems natural to continue this tradition. In fact, the husband and I even worked in a line about sharing good food into our wedding vows. Each night, you can find us in the kitchen, sharing a homemade meal (with the exception of ordering the occasional pizza). It just might be my favorite part of the day as I catch up with my handsome husband over a delicious meal. I know it won't always be easy to keep this practice in action as we add to our family, but I'm confident that the benefits and memories will be worth the challenge.

One Pot Chicken & Chorizo

I've finally found it! That go-to recipe that takes nearly no time or skill to prepare, yet provides all the comfort and deliciousness of your mother's or grandmother's homemade fill-in-the-blank.

Seriously, all you need to make this dish are the knife skills necessary to slice chorizo and tomatoes. And the prep? Well, I've turned it into a bit of a race, but I can usually finish prepping this meal in the time it takes the oven to heat up. It's magical, I'm telling you.

So, without further ado, here it is. (You can thank me later ... and then I'll pass the thanks on to my good friend Jess who introduced me to this heaven on a plate).

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 sprig of rosemary
4 cloves of garlic (the original recipe says unpeeled, but I like to peel mine)
4 large chicken legs with skin on
150g (5oz) chorizo, cut into 5mm (1/4in) slices
Juice of 1/2 lemon
250g (8oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (I now realize I've somehow never seen or used this ingredient)
Baguette or bread with a crispy crust

Please bear with me, this is my first attempt at food photography.

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 200º C or 390º F.
• Drizzle the base of a casserole (that will hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer) with a little olive oil and scatter with the rosemary leaves and garlic cloves.
• Add the chicken and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Tuck the chorizo around the chicken.
• Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken and drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
• Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and mix well to coat the chicken and tomatoes with the oil.
• Cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and the tomatoes have softened.
• Scatter the basil leaves before serving (or don't, I don't feel this is necessary).
• Serve the chicken with tomatoes and use the bread to sop up the pan juice.

The last part of the directions is incredibly important! Dipping the bread in the pan juices just might be the best part of this dish (that or the chorizo. Or the chicken. Oh I give up, I just love it all). And because we can't get enough, we usually eat this dish with steamed broccoli and dip that in the sauce too.

Another thing I love about this recipe is how easily it can be modified to serve the number of people you're cooking for. As written, this recipe serves four people, but it can easily be cut in half for two. Though I must admit I've never ever ever done that because using four chicken legs means that both the husband and I get a delicious lunch the next day.

Let me know if you try this and what you think!

The recipe was originally found here, on www.easyliving.co.uk/recipes.