The Family Dinner

I recently had the chance to get a copy of The Family Dinner thanks to thanks to the Hachette Book Group and The Product Review Place.

Details …
The producer of An Inconvenient Truth, Laurie David’s new mission is to help America’s overwhelmed families sit down to a Family Dinner, and she provides all the reasons, recipes and fun tools to do so.

Laurie David speaks from her own experience confronting the challenges of raising two teenage girls. Today’s parents have lots to deal with and technology is making their job harder than ever. Research has proven that everything we worry about as parents–from drugs to alcohol, promiscuity, to obesity, academic achievement and just good old nutrition–can all be improved by the simple act of eating and talking together around the table.

Laurie has written a practical, inspirational, fun (and, of course, green) guide to the most important hour in any parent’s day. Chock-full chapters include: Over seventy-five kid approved fantastic recipes; tips on teaching green values; conversation starters; games to play to help even the shyest family member become engaged; ways to express gratitude; the family dinner after divorce (hint: keep eating together) and much more. Filled with moving memories and advice from the country’s experts and teachers, this book will get everyone away from electronic screens and back to the dinner table.

My Thoughts …
While this is a cookbook, it is also a book. The author gives you great tips on how to eat healthy and get your family back to the dining room table.
Eating together as a family is a big deal to me. Growing up, we didn’t eat in the living room in front of the TV or off in another room. We ate at the table … even if you were the only one eating at that point in time. I now wonder how my mom managed to get dinner on the table for us on top of everything else but she some how put out a tasty meal for us kids and our dad when he was home from travel. Now that we have to do this for our kids, I am even more amazed at her accomplishment of keeping us at the dinner table even now as adults in her house.

One of my favorite early tips in this book was one I shared already. You can find my original post here on Blueberry Water. What is Blueberry Water you ask?

Pictured: Blueberry Water (Oh and it is near impossible to take a picture of a glass of water!)

What’s up with the blueberry water?
It is how I have increased my water drinking the past few weeks. The recommendation is to put fruit in your kids’ water to encourage them drink it. What is good for kids must work for me too, right? Well I gave it a try and I am addicted. We have a huge stash of frozen blueberries but they are pretty cost effective to buy too if you don’t have a stash like us. Drop 4-8 blueberries in your glass and fill it up with water. Once you drink the water you can enjoy the blueberries. Don’t try to steal them out like my kids do … wait! I find I can get two glasses out of the 4-8 blueberries I drop in my glass. I love my “colored” water too. Who, doesn’t like purple water? =P Other fruits recommended are … any berries, the typical lemon (you must be tired of that like I am though!), lime, and orange rounds.
If you try this, let me know how it works for you. Maybe it is a good water drinking tip for you too! Cheers!

You can buy this book new on Amazon! If you need a focus your family back to the dinner table then this might be the book for you!

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in support this review. No other compensation was received. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.