Meals together are more meaningful than ever in the age of devices and diverse family types, according to a psychiatrist, who said it is worth maintaining some semblance of sharing meals together in a household, even if it’s just two to three times a week. In terms of quality time with your children, it’s just…

My mother grew up on the Channel Islands of Jersey. She spent her childhood running on the sand between waves, building sand castles, and learning to ride bikes down narrow, hedge-lined lanes. Her family has been there since the 15th century, and the traditions—and the food—run deep. The way my mother let me into her…

Submitted by Sue Stangland, Oregon Who would have thought hot chicken pie would become a treasured family Christmas tradition! But it has been for our family since the late 1800s. My great-grandmother wanted to give her family a special Christmas morning surprise after they returned from the chilly pre-dawn chores necessary to keep their small New…

Submitted by Victoria Emmons, Missoula, Montana One day, my sister Anita called me in a panic. She was hosting friends for Thanksgiving dinner in her Park Avenue apartment in New York City. She had misplaced our grandmother’s recipe for corn pudding. In our family, any holiday feast is incomplete without “Mama’s Corn Pudding,” as my…

“R-i-i-s-e and sh-i-i-ne and give God the glory … glory!! R-i-i-se and sh-i-i-ne …” I sang to wake my young kids each morning to begin our homeschooling routine. Though they’re older now and less enthused, I still serenade them from sleep when their alarm clocks fail to rescue them from my pre-dawn Mom performance before…

I went to my first afternoon tea as a teenager, while in New Forest, England, for a family wedding. The bed and breakfast we stayed at served a full English breakfast, complete with sausage, beans, potatoes, and tomatoes. We tucked in, then headed out for a day of exploring the countryside, fasting through lunch. We…

We asked readers to share their best holiday cookie recipes and the stories behind them. After sifting through dozens of sweet (and buttery) submissions, here are a few that touched us most. A Spoonful of Love from Grandma’s Kitchen Submitted by Kim Sutter, Owasso, Oklahoma I have lovely memories of my grandmother Helen. She was…

For Maneet Chauhan, the India-born, Nashville-based James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur, and TV personality, winter weather calls for her family recipe for gajar ka halwa, a sweet and creamy carrot pudding served warm. The traditional Indian dessert is often served at temple festivals and during Diwali, the five-day festival of lights. This year, the main day…

In the early light of a summer morning, my 2-year-old daughter toddles down the stairs with her bunny and favorite book in hand. She climbs sleepily into my lap with her matted hair and koala print pajamas, and while the birds and squirrels come to life outside our window, we read “Blueberries for Sal.” “Kerplunk,…

The driveway of my in-laws’ 10-acre farmette is lined with Autumn Blaze Maple trees, which are every bit as stunning as they sound during the fall months. My sister-in-law was married there, in the thick of fall, while all 19 of those maples burned red in the backdrop of the altar. As pretty as they…