Editor’s Note: Happy middle of the week! This morning we have food lover Sarah Stromquist dishing up tips on a year of positive eating. Here she is:

I no longer make unrealistic resolutions for the New Year, only to later feel the guilt of not sticking it through. That sense of failure does nothing for me or my objective in life.

In the past I would have set myself up with a mile long list of intentions only to be sorely disappointed when I didn’t follow through with exercising five days a week, eat like a bird and do all the things I didn’t get the chance to do the year before.

But, since it is a brand new year – a chance to start fresh - I felt I should at least make an attempt to be in the spirit and try to do something. Now is as good of an excuse or as good of a time as any to start something new.

When I sat down and thought about things - things I might want to change or focus on - I realized that the one thing that has bothered me most is how we have become so busy and over-scheduled that we hardly have time to sit down anymore. As the years go by, this seems to be the first thing to go.

With this in mind I thought it would be best to put The Family Meal into practice. Like the families of yesteryear, I want to sit, talk, share and enjoy each others company and the lovingly prepared food as a way of being a close and strong family.

I strongly believe in the benefit of family dinners. I am trying to get us all to sit down for breakfast and lunch as well. It takes some organizing and is not always possible, but by trying it teaches that food and its preparation are important and not just a passive or recreational pastime.

It teaches that we are a family and allows us the opportunity to communicate daily with each other – something I know will be increasingly important as my kids get older.

With family meals, everyone can get involved and share in the experience. There is a bonding that can happen over food. From meal planning to cooking to setting the table and cleaning up, there is plenty to do and a great way to give the kids responsibilities.

In most cultures the “family dinner” is a way of life, but we in Western culture have somehow let it go by the way side with our hectic life styles and consequently making way for convenient fast foods. I admit I have fallen into this habit.

Ethically I am against so many things when it comes to food, and yet I find it hard at times to make all those healthy delicious meals, snacks and choices when time and energy are in short supply.

I have given myself this year to establish a routine and create a menu, to work out the kinks because as with any change there is always a learning curve. I will have to be creative and diligent in order to make this transition as smooth as possible.

To prioritize I started with breakfast – I truly believe it is the most important meal of the day. I have a few great breakfast items that give us the energy we need to start the long day ahead and have put them into our new Family Meals recipe book.

If I know the night before that we are in for a short morning, I will soak some dried fruit, sesame seeds, oat bran and stone ground or rolled oats in water or sometimes apple juice for a great cold oats bowl of goodness. In the morning I will serve it with yogurt and top with fresh fruit and maple syrup for a quick, healthy and filling breakfast.

Leftovers are especially good halfway through the day for a pick me up instead of a chocolate bar.

On mornings when time isn’t an issue, I love to have the girls make whole wheat pancakes or crepes. As an added bonus any leftovers make for a great midday snack wrapped up with almond butter, jam and banana or something else just as tasty and quick.

We make a lot of smoothies and blender drinks. I love the quickness, versatility, ease of cleanup and that the kids can make them on their own.

When I am making them, I sneak in lots of great extras to ramp up the goodness. For example, I often throw in fax seed oil, soaked dates, nuts and/or seeds, boiled egg whites, tofu and even uncooked oats or any grain flake. I also use parsley, spinach and kale regularly and my kids never seem to notice or care that their drink is bright green. It’s all about the flavor.

To change it up use any milk or milk alternative, orange juice, apple juice (or cider) or plain water and each drink can take on its own charm, as no two are ever really alike. Create your own family favorite with any fruit combination that you can think of. Our staple brain booster drink is frozen blueberries, plain yogurt, a banana, a dash of honey and topped off with orange juice.

If you have any left over smoothie, place it in an ice cube tray and use to keep future smoothies cold on the go, or give to kids as a quick tasty frozen snack.

The best thing that has saved us lately is the crock pot. I have learned to make many breakfasts and lunches in ours, and it sure is helpful when time is thin.

There is a resurgence of interest in this lonely and misunderstood kitchen appliance. Previously thought of as a Winter stew maker, it has found a new heart in our everyday lives. I have a few older cookbooks for crock pot recipes, but there are many new websites and blogs about people’s current adventures in cooking with them.

I finally gave into the hype and bought one of these newer books. I must admit, I was pleasantly surprise.

We now always have something in our crock pots (yes, I own two because they come in different sizes!), and it is an endless source of inspiration. Baked oats and healthy rice puddings are frequently available for the kids to grab whenever they are feeling peckish.

It makes the day so much easier and all those recipes I used to spend hours prepping and cooking, especially soups, are now simply tossed into the crock pot after breakfast. As we go about our day, I know that a lovely meal awaits us.

There are even some delicious recipes for desserts and this is an easy way to get into using them for different purposes. I must suggest the Crème Brule from Stephanie O’Dea’s cookbook Make it Fast, Cook it Slow.

Stephanie O’Dea’s Crème Brule

- In a 6-quart slow cooker place a heat resistant dish that fits inside and add water until halfway up the side of the dish,

- In a mixing bowl whip together 5 egg yolks, 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 Tablespoon vanilla,

- Pour into the dish and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours. The custard should be set and the center a bit jiggly still,

- Carefully remove the dish (with oven mitts) and let cool completely on the counter. Then chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours,

- Before serving sprinkle with ¼ cup raw sugar and brown with a kitchen torch or place under a broiler for 3-5 minute, and

- Chill again before serving.

If there is one thing you do in your kitchen this year - dust off that crock pot and explore.

Another way to eat healthier and help curb the budget crashing expense of store bought treats with words that I can’t even pronounce in the ingredients, is to make your own.

Tamari almonds are a quick and delicious snack, but can be costly when four people enjoy a couple of handfuls a day. They can be made at home quickly and turn out just as wonderful as the store bought equivalent.

I simply douse a bowlful of almonds in Tamari sauce and let soak for about 30 minutes. Then I roast them on a parchment lined rimmed cookie sheet at 350C for 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce is dried and the almonds are dark brown. Let cool completely and store in an air tight container for up to a week.

I’m a huge fan – I mean an “eat the whole bag” kind of fan – of those crispy yummy pita chips you can now buy everywhere. Recently I tried, and succeeded, in making my own. I’m not sure that they are that much better for me with all the butter, but they don’t have chemicals and are much cheaper than the store bought variety especially if I use homemade pitas. Give them a try and serve them with fresh hummus or a spicy bean dip.

Fortified with a tenacious appetite for change, I am looking forward to a positive eating experience in our household this year.

Here’s hoping that this is the change that will allow us to be a closer and healthier family unit. And that we never have to resort to fast food from lack of planning.