Mix raw rolled oats, yoghurt and fruit. Spoon it into pretty glasses or mason jars. Pop them into the fridge overnight so all the flavors get to know each-other.

Good Morning! Today you have time to have breakfast in the sun or just toss a mason jar to-go into little hands and big hands as they run out the door.

Fresh and Fruity Summer Porridge (Bircher Muesli)

You need:

1 cup rolled oats (not “instant”)
3 cups plain yoghurt or kefir
3 tablespoons honey, maple or agave syrup
2 large apples (not peeled), grated
1 cup fruit like kiwi, raspberries, sliced strawberries or black berries

Optional additions:
1 tablespoon flaxseeds for health
1 tablespoons chia seeds for speed
A handful nuts for power
A pinch of cardamom, cinnamon or vanilla for joy

In the morning garnish with…
Fresh fruit for beauty

To make 4-6 servings:

Mix all the ingredients together, making sure that the apple is completely folded into the yoghurt (this prevents it from becoming brown).

Spoon the porridge into glasses or mason jars, cover and put into the fridge. Have a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, as the sun rises, garnish the porridge with a bit of fruit. Call the troops to breakfast.

Remember, it’s not always necessary to have deep, revealing conversations with each other. Just talk, about anything, and have fun! Here are a couple of story game suggestions to get your table talking:

Once Upon a Time: Start a story out loud and go around the table adding to it. Decide in advance how many times you’ll go around the table. The last person finishes the story and gets to say loudly, “The End!” Focus on crafting an entertaining story together, or have fun by trying to trip up the next person with unique and creative details. And not all stories need to begin “Once upon a time…” Be creative. How about: “A dog barked in the distance…” or “It was so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk…”

Telephone : An old stand-by. Start the game by whispering a multi-part story into one person’s ear. The more names, details and plot elements, the better. That person then whispers the story to the next person (at least what they can remember). The last person then tells the story out loud. It will likely be a much different and funnier story than the original.

I have a book just for my menus and shopping lists. It is red so it is easier to find. Inside it says “If lost, please return in exchange for good Karma.” I lose it often and usually get it back.

On the left side of each page I write the menu, and sometimes draw a little illustration of the finished plate at the bottom, mostly just to make myself happy, but sometimes it helps me see that I am missing a dish or garnish (more often I notice I have too much).

The right side I split into 3 columns, where I write down the ingredients I need in accordance to where in the store they are, grouping produce together (trying to keep the herbs with herbs, fruit with fruit), then a list of dairy, then dry goods and so on.

If there is a recipe I need on hand, I jot it down at the bottom of the page.

Finally after dinner I will often add a note, or happily drawn stars or a big X across the page. I might also note if there was a guest that had a favorite dish or an allergy I was not aware of.

This might be an extra step but it can all be done in less time that it takes to run from the cheese man to get the cheddar, back to the potatoes, down to the coffee and shoot… back to the cheese man for the Parmesan.

You probably already know the health and environmental benefits of reducing your family’s meat consumption. Going meatless once a week can reduce your risk of preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help limit your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.

But going meatless also benefits your wallet. Food prices are skyrocketing, with the sharpest increases in packaged items and meat, which require extra production costs like feed and transportation. Forgoing meat, even just once a week, is a great way to cut your family’s food budget.

Also, did you know 70% of total US healthcare spending is for treatment of chronic preventable diseases? Reduce your risk for these conditions with a healthier diet, and help to curtail healthcare spending.

For more information on the benefits, visit MeatlessMonday.com.

And here are a few suggestions for items to try on your Meatless Monday menu:

Chan Luu’s Tofu Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Angel Hair Pasta with Trees and Cheese

Orecchiette Pasta with Crisp Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Oven Grains, Greens and Cheese, Please

As always, we want to hear your stories about starting a Meatless Monday tradition in your house. What are your family’s favorite vegetarian dishes?

Open a copy of almost any fashion magazine, and you’ll come face-to-face with beautiful men and women (or girls and boys) in trendy clothes. Chances are they don’t look a lot like you and your friends. Many people see these photos and feel bad about themselves, wondering: How can anybody look this perfect?

Maine teenager Julia Bluhm felt bad when she saw these pictures, too -– so she decided to fight back. She took a stand by writing a petition addressed to the editor of “Seventeen.”

Visit The Huffington Post for more on Julia Bluhm’s efforts to get magazines to publish realistic photos of young people, because as she comments, “Nobody’s Photoshopped in real life.” And be sure to share the Questions for Discussion with your kids at the dinner table.

Click here to subscribe to receive HuffPost Family Dinner Table Talks by email every Friday afternoon.

Stir fry potstickers with bok choy and peas, toss them with a little sesame oil and hoisin sauce and you quickly have a weekday dinner.

You need:

1 pound frozen vegetable potstickers (Asian dumplings)
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
4 cups chopped bok choy (pea shoots, broccoli or asparagus would also be great)
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
2-3 tablespoons grape seed or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
¼ cup chopped herbs, like cilantro, mint or chives
Asian hot sauce (optional)

To make 4-6 servings:

Heat a large skillet on high, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil. Slide in the dumplings, using tongs to make sure they are not stuck together and arrange them so their pleats are up and “bottoms” are down. Let them sizzle, shaking the pan now and then, until the bottoms start to brown.

Carefully, but quickly, pour in the stock and cover the skillet with a lid. Simmer for 2 minutes then lay the vegetables on top of the dumplings, continue simmering under the lid for 2 more minutes, then uncover and cook until all the stock has evaporated, this will only take a few minutes more.

Once the stock has evaporated, the oil left in the pan should start to sizzle again. If the pan is too dry add another drizzle of oil. For the dumplings to regain their crunchy bottoms you don’t want to move them around, but let them sizzle for another minute or two. When they have browned, loosen them with a spatula and gently toss everything with sesame oil, and a drizzle of hoisin sauce. Sprinkle with the chopped herbs and serve with a side of extra hoisin sauce and a little hot sauce too, if you are a spicy kind of family.

Cook’s tip

Did you know that listening is helpful when you are cooking? Today while you are cooking the dumplings listen to the difference between the shrill splatter when you add the dumplings to the hot pan, and then the quiet simmering gurgle once you have added the stock.

Later notice how the sound changes as the stock evaporates from the pan and the sound becomes a quiet splattering hum, like rain on a pond, then as the pan dries, the sound will become a dry hiss, which once you recognize it will make you very uncomfortable as it is warning you that your dinner is about to burn.

Once you are familiar with these sounds, you will know, even if your back is turned to the stove, that it is time to lower the heat, or add a little oil or liquid. Your ears can save you before your nose tells you its too late.

Pick the one with the least ingredients, avoid the ones with sugar and corn syrup. Look for more tomato, less tomato paste. Stay away from the freckled dried herbs too. Just get plain and simple tomato sauce. Then stroll by the produce section and pick up some fresh garlic and basil.

Go home and get your sauce pan really hot and drizzle in a bit of olive oil, throw in the garlic and 20 seconds later, the moment the garlic is golden, add the tomato sauce. If you happen to have the rind of a Parmesan cheese, throw it in. If you have a chopped anchovy add it too, if you don’t, a splash of Asian fish sauce is a sneaky cook’s trick that adds “bass” to your sauce.

Let the sauce simmer while you boil your pasta water. If you care to, add a sprinkle of chopped capers and some red pepper flakes. Remove the Parmesan rind. Tear up your basil and fold it in. Taste your sauce…. it is yours now, give it a family name.

* Let the kids help pick the menu. Start with simple recipes featuring ingredients they like.

* Have all the ingredients ready to go. It’s easier if all your ingredients and utensils are laid out on the counter, ready for use. If your kids are young, chop and measure ingredients in advance and set out in little bowls.

* Have fun. When cooking with kids, it helps if you create a festive mood. Put on some music. Wear fun hats or aprons. When you approach cooking as creative and fun-filled, your child won’t think of cooking as a boring chore.

For more suggestions on how to make cooking with kids more fun and successful, see page 121 of The Family Dinner book.

Our friends at The Kids Cook Monday also have suggestions for Kitchen Tasks for Different Age Groups. Visit TheKidsCookMonday.org.

A 2010 study conducted by Scholastic and Harrison Group found that “nine out of ten children say they are more likely to finish books they choose themselves” — and one of the goals of Denver-based Burning Through Pages (a non-profit that helps kids join book clubs in their communities, and buys the books for them) is to get kids to read books they might not normally read in school. As BTP says: “It’s not what you read that’s important to us, it’s that you enjoy whatever it is that keeps you burning through the pages.”

Many parents today think their children are spending too much time texting or surfing the Internet, and not enough time reading. The same 2010 Scholastic/Harrison Group study confirmed some parents’ fears by reporting that “the time kids spend reading declines while the time kids spend going online … and using [cell phones] increases.” (It also reported that three-quarters of kids aged 9-17 agreed with the statement, “I know I should read more books for fun.”)

Visit The Huffington Post for more on the importance of reading and for discussion questions you can share with your kids at the dinner table.

Click here to subscribe to receive HuffPost Family Dinner Table Talks by email every Friday afternoon.

 
Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

You Need:

2 pounds ground organic turkey (or chicken)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 slices whole wheat bread, crumbled
3 garlic cloves minced
½ cup minced onion
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons olive oil to oil pan, hands and noodles
(If you happen to have paprika and crushed fennel, a teaspoon of each are optional, but tasty)

8 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
1 pound spaghetti

Garnishes:
A dash Parmesan cheese
A flurry of red pepper flakes
A sprinkle of parsley

To Make:

This is to make 28 medium sized meatballs, 1/2 for dinner today and ½ for tomorrow (yay).

In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs with milk, vinegar and crumbled bread until it is all a smooth mush. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Let the mixture chill in the fridge for 10 minutes so it can firm up a bit.

Meanwhile pour your tomato sauce into a large pot and start it simmering over medium heat. Oil a large baking sheet with a tablespoon of oil.

Take out the meatball mixture. Rub a little olive oil onto your hands, grab walnut sized handfuls of the mixture and roll them carefully into neat balls, then place them on the baking sheet about an inch apart.

Turn on your broiler and slide the meatballs onto the top rack. Broil each side until golden brown (this will take about about 5 minutes a side), flipping them half way through with tongs.

Take the meatballs out (they will probably still be raw in the centers, this is O.K.) Carefully slide the meatballs and their pan juices into the pot of tomato sauce.

Let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for ½ an hour, gently stirring once or twice.

Start water, salted like the sea, boiling in your big pasta cooking pot. Boil the pasta until al dente (the package will tell you how long), then drain it well.

Slip the pasta onto a large serving platter and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Ladle plenty of tomato sauce and meatballs on top, but make sure you put some aside for happy leftovers.

Light the candles. Turn up Frank Sinatra. Pass the Parmesan and chili flakes.

Kids can:

Stir the eggs and bread crumbles.
Form the meatballs.
Fling a noodle onto the wall, when it sticks it is done (or just taste it, less messy but not as fun).

It’s always better to minimize exposure to toxic chemicals, and to buy organic as much as possible, but sometimes it’s hard to find a wide variety of organic items in the regular supermarket. In that case, try to steer toward those fruits and vegetables with the lowest amount of detectable pesticide residue.

The Environmental Working Group, in addition to publishing its Dirty Dozen items you should buy organic, also provides a handy list of the Clean 15, the items with the least amount of pesticide.

At the top of that list are conventional onions, which according to the group are a clean crop, with less than 1 percent of samples containing any pesticides. Other items on the list include sweet corn, pineapples, avocado, asparagus and sweet peas.

For the full list of the Clean 15, visit the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides. Or download the guide as a PDF.

If you are looking to cut back on cholesterol in your baking, olive oil can be a good alternative choice to butter. You just need to bear in mind that the texture and flavor of your baked goods will be a little different.

Pick recipes that do not rely on a lot of butter to give the batter “loft” and flavor (like shortbread cookies and pound cakes).

Use a mild flavored olive oil, generally labeled as “pure” or “light” (not to be confused with low calorie, it is not, it is just light flavored).

And you will need to change the ratio a bit, olive oil expert and cookbook author Carol Firenze gives us this conversion table for measurements of up to 1 cup of butter in her book The Passionate Olive:

Butter                    Olive Oil

1 teaspoon            ¾ teaspooon
1 tablespoon         2 ¼ teaspoons

¼ cup                    3 tablespoons

1/3 cup                 ¼ cup

½ cup                    ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons

2/3 cup                 ½ cup

¾ cup                    ½ cup + 1 tablespoon
1 cup                    ¾ cup

Another substitution for butter is coconut oil, which when cold can mimic the texture of butter, making it useful for pies and tarts. It will also give you some of the “loft” olive oil does not.

Just like olive oil, coconut oil comes in different stages of purity. “Virgin coconut oil” has much more coconut flavor than “expeller pressed coconut oil,” so pick according to how appropriate that “coconutty” flavor is to your baked goods.

As Laurie comments in the article, “A big part of the challenge is teaching your kids how to have a real conversation, not a texting conversation.” “If they’re not sitting down at the table, the art of conversation is going to go.”

It is so important to encourage your children, and the entire family, to share conversation at the the family dinner table. For some great conversation starters, check out the HuffPost Table Talk on Fridays.

Read “Table Talk: The New Family Dinner,” online at The New York Times.

We don’t need scientists to tell us that family dinners are good for the soul. But researchers can show us how eating family meals helps us to stay healthy. This week, scientists said that children whose families eat together often are more likely to eat healthier foods like fruits, veggies and vitamins. They’re also less likely to eat unhealthy foods. On top of this, eating at home usually costs less than getting takeout or eating at a restaurant. Triple win!

When parents and kids have busy schedules, it’s not always easy to meet for dinner as a family. But it’s important to do it as much as possible. Science is beginning to show what we knew all along: that the more we eat together, the happier –- and healthier -– we’ll be.

Visit The Huffington Post for more on the benefits of family dinner and for discussion questions you can share with your kids at the dinner table.

Click here to subscribe to receive HuffPost Family Dinner Table Talks by email every Friday afternoon.

In this recipe I use ravioli as the noodle, because if you think about it, a ravioli is already a mini layered lasagna. All it needs is some vegetable, sauce and cheese, and another layer of the same, then… tada, a ravioli cupcake lasagna!

You need:

24 large ravioli (any flavor)
½ medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces frozen spinach (or kale), defrosted
1 egg lightly beaten
½ cup Parmesan cheese
4 cups of your favorite tomato sauce, store bought or see recipe here
1 ½ cups of your favorite grated melting cheese, (like mozzarella, fontina or jack)
3 tablespoons olive oil

To make (12 cupcakes, serves 12 little people or 6 big ones):

Preheat your oven to 400º. Start salted water cooking in your big pasta pot. Line twelve muffin tins with parchment paper squares, or cupcake liners.

Meanwhile squeeeeze all the moisture out of the spinach, either with your hands or a salad spinner. Heat up a skillet, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and throw in the onions and garlic. Let them sizzle over medium heat until golden then add the spinach. Sauté for another moment or two, then slip the spinach and onions into a bowl and let cool.

Boil the ravioli for half the amount of time their directions call for. Drain them well and gently toss them with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Fold the egg and Parmesan cheese into the spinach.

Drop one ravioli into each muffin tin, top with a tablespoon each of spinach and cheese, then a dollop of tomato sauce. Tuck a ravioli on top, add another dollop of tomato sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Heat up the remaining tomato sauce and serve on the side.

Cook’s tip:

Go ahead and experiment, use your favorite turkey Bolognese sauce instead of tomato, or chopped up cooked broccoli instead of spinach, use a smidge of goat cheese or a spoonful of pesto.