In honor of the launch of my friend Carole Murko’s Heirloom Meals PBS TV special, “Thanksgiving Meals,” I was inspired to share my thoughts on the importance of family and food.  Heirloom Meals’ mission is to “journey into the kitchens and gardens of anyone who has a treasured family recipe(s) with the goal of exploring our diverse culinary history and preserving our ancestors’ tried and true recipes and dining traditions.”

We’re all aware that daily life in America is very different than it used to be.  Family time around the dinner table was standard for many families who could afford it. Their schedule regularly included “dinner at 6:00” after school or work.  They shared activities of the day with parents and siblings, talking politics, laughing and arguing — and this was often accompanied by fresh aromas from the kitchen — maybe prepared with ingredients from the family garden.  The relationship building that occurred over food was an important ingredient in living a healthy lifestyle (depending on the level of shared neuroses, of course).  Fellowship with family and friends feeds the soul just as delicious, real food feeds our bodies.

As we pass beyond the winter holiday season into fewer scheduled family gatherings, I encourage you to be deliberate about spending mealtime with family and friends.  And, please send us your recipes. We’ll post them.

This is our first blog post.

I am Lisa Newmann, founder and president of Cookiehead Snacks.  Our company is the result of many years in the food business, of passions examined, lessons learned, and the generosity of others.

For a long time, I’ve wanted to write about the importance and joy of eating real food. I’ve been running food companies since 1980. Real food, natural formulations and great taste have been central to my work. And any awards we’ve received have related to taste and innovation.

The meaning of “real food” has gotten tangled in trends and suffocated by an industrial complex of efficiencies and shelf-life requirements.  “Real food” seems to be misunderstood by a generation of non-cooks and zealous retailers.  Real food is real simple: it’s food; it’s usually nutritious simply because it’s food; it’s hopefully delicious (that actually depends on the cook’s palate…).

Currently, there is a burgeoning return to “natural” eating, gardening and cooking, which is making it easier for those of us interested in this field — what’s healthier to consume, and what’s better for the environment. I hope to cut through some of the confusion used to sell “product.” I plan to focus on good cooking, and how a balanced, nutritionally-rich diet evolves from simple, natural, easy food preparation.

As a result of what we plan to discuss — how to make significant changes in our eating, cooking and purchasing habits, we hope that both individual readers and multi-store retailers will tap in. Home cooks might use our recipes for feeding their families; retailers could begin tailoring their training and purchasing programs to yield healthier offerings without sacrificing profits. When chain stores make healthy changes, there will be an impact on the entire nation — on our health and surroundings.

We will post weekly, and offer recipes and technique for creating delicious meals. We’ll let you know about Cookiehead events, awards, demos and new products. Guest bloggers will weigh in, and we welcome questions and comments from our readers.

Fortunately, my heroes have paved the way with their beautiful writing, tenacity and courage. In my darkest moments, disenchanted by the clash of agri-biz, fad-diets and quick-fix, magic non-food, I channel the wisdom and delight of Michael Pollan, Heidi Swanson, Eric Schlosser, Alice Waters, Madeline Kamman, Mark Furstenberg — icons of food, communication and art.

Those who work with me at Cookiehead are dedicated to bringing the best whole grain snacks — cookies, brownies and muffins (wakeys) to your shopping cart — virtual and grocery. Our line of snacks will continue to grow as we experiment with new whole and sprouted grains, nuts, fruit and chocolate.

I’m a lucky woman with a kind supportive family and good friends. My husband, Sandy, and I live in The Berkshires, in Massachusetts — a destination for culture and creativity. And wonderful food.