“Whether you cook up traditions in the kitchen or grow them in the backyard, it’s important to create precious memories for your children and family,” says Josie Bissett, actress, mom, and author of the book “Making Memories.” “My family has made many great memories by just doing simple things together at home, things that other families can enjoy in their own lives.”

This is why Bissett wrote “Making Memories,” a book that features real-life stories for creating memories that last a lifetime. She is now encouraging families to continue to share their favorite stories at HeinzWholesomeMemories.com which helps families across the country get inspiring ideas for creating new memories.

“One of the most important things in life is creating rich memories and experiences with our loved ones,” says Bissett. “I try to create moments that my kids will remember and pass down to their children one day.”

The Web site celebrates these moments, many of which Heinz Ketchup has been a part of as a family mealtime staple for more than 130 years, by displaying memorable photos and stories submitted by families nationwide as a way to inspire others to create memories in their own homes.

To get started on making lasting memories, Bissett offers families the following tips:

* Work together in the kitchen.
Invite your children to help you make a full meal from scratch using a theme and special recipes. Choose recipes that are fun for kids to make, such as tacos. Not only will they remember the meal, they can pass the recipe down to their children one day.

* Start a mealtime tradition
Whether it’s Sunday pancakes or barbeque night complete with hot dogs and Heinz Ketchup, creating a tradition around the food your family loves can make memories that can be shared for generations.

* Harvest vegetables
Get out in your backyard or on your back patio with your children and harvest some vegetables. Or, if you don’t have a backyard garden, find a local farm that will allow you to pick produce yourself. Teach children about how the plants grow, what kind of nutrients they need and help them select and pick their fresh vegetables for a healthy family meal.

* Turn grocery shopping into a game
Give each of your children a few items from the shopping list to find in the store. Have the family go up and down each aisle to see if the kids can track down everything on their list by the end of the trip. As an alternative, let your kids pick a healthy recipe they’d like to help make for dinner that week and then let them look for their ingredients — the first one back gets their meal that night.

If you’re looking for a fun meal your family can make together, try these chicken tacos and see how much your kids enjoy spending time with you doing something so simple:

Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Heinz Tomato Ketchup
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
1 tablespoon Heinz Vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/8-inch strips
8 taco shells, heated
Shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sliced olives, sour cream (optional)

Directions:
Combine ketchup, jalapeno pepper, vinegar, garlic powder and cumin; set aside. In a large skillet, heat oil and cook chicken until it is no longer pink, about five minutes.
Stir in ketchup mixture. Simmer uncovered, on low heat for 10 minutes; stir occasionally. Spoon chicken filling into taco shells. Serve with cheese, lettuce, tomato, olives, and sour cream as desired.