Dinner time!

My boys are watching a football game at the moment, a grand final or something. Boys and their football!  I am going to use this time to make something for dinner and then we're going to get ready for the last term of the year; we have to get uniforms ready, shoes polished, bags packed and so on. The last term is always a busy one so now that I am on leave I am going to make sure that the term is as stress-free as possible for Mr Attorney, Maddy and Big Al. I am especially looking forward to being home to greet the kids every afternoon! I also plan to cook a lot more, so we will be eating lots of healthy home-cooked meals.  I can't wait to sit down every night to a family dinner so we can bond, relax and communicate together.

The website "Health.com" has a fantastic article on family meal times called 8 Reasons to Make Time for Family Dinner and it is really worth reading. Sarah Klein suggests that family meal times can lead to happier marriages, improved children's health, stronger family ties, higher self-esteem in adolescents, better grades for young students and, in these uncertain economic times, it can put a bit of extra cash in your pocket because you aren't eating out as much. So, over the next few months I am sure I will be blogging about healthy and yummy recipes, funny dinner conversations and, by the end of the term, I will be boasting about Big Al's improving Maths grades, Maddy's success in her piano exam and how fit and healthy Mr Attorney and I are! So to start the ball rolling here is a recipe for Low-fat pasta boscaiola .

Image from www.nestle.com.au

Here's to the family!

Best wishes,
Natasha In Oz.

Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible -- the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.Virginia Satir-Family Therapist