While helping Laurie David with her latest book, The Family Dinner, I appreciated her pragmatic approach to mealtime. She knows that families can't whip up a from-scratch meal every night -- not surprising since she's a working mom of two bright, active daughters. Her goal is to get...

After I wrote about school lunches a couple of weeks ago -- and received many comments both for and against (mostly for) my argument that school lunches didn't seem to be doing many favors to children in the weight and nutrition department -- I thought I'd go on...

I have many madras-shorts-paisley-shirt-pink-and-green-monogram-Fair isle-sweater memories of growing up in Andover, Massachusetts in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of the sweetest center around life in the Andover public school system, before my parents shipped me off to girl's school for finishing, or finishing off, depending on how you look at...

The first time I "met" Laurie David it was over the phone, to talk about her new project, The Family Dinner. Despite the miles between us, there was an instant connection, and I felt like I was talking to an old friend. Eating together as a family was something I...