Home cooking is an important and valuable skill that needs to be taught to both boys and girls in the family home. Nevertheless, recent ideas about the power and value of the family meal are changing as the dietary concerns in our country are growing. There are many studies that illustrate families that eat a meal together each day are much closer and much more involved in one another's lives. During 20th century, the family meal was monumental to the family unity.

However, in recent years, the speed of life has taken off as quickly as the speed of technology and we have lost the focus on the family unit. The idea of fitting more activity into a twenty-four hour period has consumed the American ideal of productivity and with that change in mindset; we have lost sight of our basic American values. We are a people that lives to the excess. Regrettably rather than learn to appreciate our good fortune, we abuse the luxuries that our society and economy give us and continue to abuse our bodies and our health.

The act of bringing the family together for a home cooked meal is not a fresh concept in American culture. But it is one that has suffered greatly in recent years. At one time, all member of the immediate family gathered around the dinner table to enjoy family conversation and a home cooked meal. It was considered a family heirloom to pass down recipes to every female member of the family, teaching them how to prepare a home cooked meal. Now, with ten hour work days, two income families, over committed athletic teams and other demands on family member time, we appear to be losing the image of a family joined together for the family meal.

Home cooking is a term that conquers up imagery of family closeness, healthy warm entrees and a complete and nutritious meal. Sadly, with the heavy schedule demands of the 21st century, many children consider fast food as a nutritious meal. There is a popular food chain that has in recent times made a commercial advertising the family as sharing a meal and the "home cooked" meal is a bucket full of chicken bought from the retailer. It is disturbing that the fast paced world of today is moving away from the family and into the idea that fast-food is the healthy answer to a home cooked meal.

It is not shocking with this attitude that diabetes, obesity and many other health issues are on the rise in our society. We are a nation of plenty that eats high fat commercially ready foods rather than sitting down together to enjoy a home cooked meal.