A Decade Of Dinner Tog ether (NAPSA)—Flash back to 1996. Beanie Babies were the musthave collectible, casual Fridays were creeping into corporate America and all things dot.com were on the rise. Today, cause bracelets are the rage, business casual is the everyday norm and blogs are a high-tech hot topic. While so many things have changed, one comforting constant is the importance of family dinnertime. A recent survey revealed that nearly four out of five respondents (78 percent) feel that it is very or extremely important for their family to eat together. And though busy schedules may not make that possible every night, it’s refreshing that more than half of survey participants (52 percent) eat dinner as a family five or more times per week. The survey was conducted by the National Pork Board in recognition of the 10th annual National Eat Dinner Together Week, which kicks off the third week in September, to salute family mealtime and encourage families to eat together all year long. To celebrate 10 years of National Eat Dinner Together Week and offer families tools to encourage mealtime success, the National Pork Board has launched a special Web site, TogetherForDinner.com. The site features 30 recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, meal managementtips, fun family activity ideas and the chance to win a $10,000 ultimate family getaway. Additionally, to help raise money for hunger relief, the National Pork Board is sponsoring 7 Quick-cooking recipes with short ingredient lists mean less time in the kitchen and more time with family. cookbooks and online andby delegating meal preparations such as setting the table or washing the vegetables. * Celebrate Simplicity—Build your “mental menus” around crowd-pleasing recipes that feature short ingredient lists and can be prepared in 30 minutes orless. Less time in the kitchen means more time with the family. Try this dish. Pork Medallions with Blue Cheese-Chive Stuffing a special celebrity-designed dinner plate auction, benefiting America’s Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network. Celebrities including Gail O’Grady, of “American Dreams” and “NYPD Blue” fame, will donate personalized dinner plates that will be available via this special online auction. For 1 pound pork tenderloin % teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoonsolive oil 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (1 cup) 3 tablespoonsfinely snipped fresh chives 1 tablespoon plain bread crumbs To help your family foster togetherness through mealtime, the National Pork Board offers the following tips: A Few Moments of Peace— Establish a quiet place for meals and make a habit of temporarily eliminating interruptions such as telephone, television and toys. By carving out a moment of peace in the day, you communicate that dinner is a special, family time. Teamwork at the Table— Begin teaching the fundamentals of menu planning (and guarantee the kids’ “stamp of approval”) by providing children with the opportunity to search for recipes in Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut tenderloin into 1l-inch slices. Sprinkle with pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork slices and cook for 2-4 minutes or until brown, turning once. Transfer pork slices to baking sheet. Mix together blue cheese, chives and bread crumbs in more information, check out TogetherForDinner.com. small bowl, breaking large pieces of cheese into fine crumbs. Top pork slices evenly with cheese mixture. Bake in heated oven for 10-12 minutes or until internal tem- perature is 155 degrees F. Makes4 servings.
