From Art Smith

Art Smith, famous for his appearance on Top Chef: Masters and for once working with Oprah Winfrey, knows the importance of family meal time.
In his book Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families – Even Yours!, he writes:

“Meals are important and shouldn’t be grabbed on the fly. Try to establish regular mealtimes so that everyone knows what to expect and when. It’s never wise to eat erratically.

“Plan to eat as a family as often as you can. It’s important for family life to gather the kids around the table for a meal. Turn off the television and let the machine answer the telephone.

“Keep the lines of communication open. Ask the kids what they want for dinner. Encourage everyone to share ideas and get excited about planning meals.”

I picked up Kitchen Life yesterday at the library. It's so good, I plan on buying my own copy. Some of his ideas of how to make home-cooked meals actually happen are similar to ideas I've already posted here on Celebrate Every Day. Some of Smith's other ideas are inspiring me to come up with other hints. Stay tuned.