I grew up the youngest of 5 kids and my parents almost always had to juggle 2 jobs in order for us to have food on the table.  Our lives were just as hectic as the lives of families today.  Yet there was one rule in which my parents always made sure we followed as a family.. No matter what, as a family, we would have at least one meal a day together.... At the time, I didn't realize just how big an impact that had on my life.  And it seems that now a days, families have less time for each other and I think it shows.  That is why I hope this recent survey is correct and it's trend will continue..... Take a read and tell me if you agree...

More and more families are gathering around the dinner table with nearly two thirds of Americans saying they enjoy evening mealtime get togethers at least five times a week, recent research shows. And more than 50 percent report they have family breakfasts at least five mornings a week. "These findings underscore real change in consumer behavior as the family meal enjoys a resurgence," says Lucinda Scala Quinn of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which based its research on interviews with 1,000 people over the age of 18. And our increasingly hectic lifestyles have led to modern families splitting cooking duties, with 25 percent of women reporting that their spouses are increasingly slaving over a hot stove. It also emerged that a staggering 81 percent of respondents say they're proud of making their budgets stretch and while supermarkets are the major source of groceries, more than half say they shop around for better deals when possible.

- Joe