PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, FEBRUARY 15, 2019
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Family dinner can rock your world
By LAUREN MURPHY
Of No Adults Allowed
Growing up, my family always ate dinner
together. The four of us would sit around the
dinning room table and talk about our days, it’s
what kept us close when we were all so busy.
It wasn’t until I was about 14 years
old that I realized that wasn’t normal.
I was in a psychology class and my
teacher told us to raise our hands if
we had family dinners at least once a
week. He told us to keep them raised if
we ate dinner together as a family at least
three times a week. Finally he asked how
many of us had dinner together fi ve times a
week, I remember looking around and being
confused. Not everyone ate together every
night?
There are psychological benefi ts of eating
together as a family. According to a study done by
Columbia University, “teens having frequent family
dinners are more likely to have excellent relationships
with their parents.” The same study also said, “teens who
have frequent family dinners are less likely to be highly
stressed. ”
While some people may argue that their families are the cause
of their stress, spending a little bit of time together a couple times
a week can bring a family unit closer together.
Eating together as a family also helps people make healthier
food choices. If you’re eating, alone a bag of chips and a soda will
work for dinner; however, if you’re eating together, chances are
you’ll have better food options.
Now, make a meal for your family
I made a real simple meal for my family it
was not only easy to make but also delicious.
What you need:
8x8 Pan
2/3 Cup of milk
1/3 Cup of oil
1 Egg
1 Box of cornbread mix
My family loves corn-
bread; but we were always
really busy growing up, so
our secret family recipe
came out of a box.
Preheat the oven as the box directs, (be sure to ask an adult for help).
While the oven is preheating, spray the pan with non stick cooking spray.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together until it’s all
smooth. Pour the bowl into the pan and put it in the oven for as long as the
box says (you’ll need an adults help with this step, too).
Cornbread
Sloppy Joes
What you need:
Ground beef
Mustard
Ketchup
Brown sugar
Hamburger buns
Browning meat can
be tricky, so cooking
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Alma.
Alma who?
Alma dinner’s
gone. Can I
have dessert?
with an adult is highly
recommended. Drain the
meat after it’s browned.
Add in the brown sug-
ar, ketchup and mus-
tard. There are no real
measurements on this,
it’s up to your personal
preference. I would sug-
gest starting will
a small amount
and adding more
until you get the
taste you’re look-
ing for. After you
fi nd the perfect
balance, let it
simmer for about
fi ve minutes.
Serve it on a
hamburger bun
with a side of
cornbread.
Dirt Cup
What you need:
A serving cup, typically a clear one
Chocolate pudding
Oreos
Gummy worms
Make the pudding and let it set. I
stirred chocolate chips into my pud-
ding but you don’t have too. When it’s
done and you’re ready to eat dessert,
fi ll the serving cup with pudding. It
should be about halfway full. Next, put some Oreos in a plastic bag and seal
it as tight as you can. Use the back of a spoon or your hands to turn the
Oreos into crumbs. I used four in my cup and had a lot left over. Finally, add
the gummy worms. Some people like to put theirs in between the pudding
and the Oreos. I put mine on top so you can see them in the picture above.
The best part about this dessert is there is no right or wrong way to put
it all together.