Rev. Run and his family as seen in “Rev. Run’s Sunday Suppers”

Empty nest syndrome: it's what can happen when the kids finally grow up and move out, leaving the big family home empty, quiet and oh so lonely for mom and dad. It's well documented, and even inspired a hugely successful NBC sitcom in the 1980s and 1990s ("Empty Nest").

I'm no doctor, but it seems to me that empty nest syndrome would be likely to set in when four of a couple's six kids grow up and move out. Joseph Simmons -- better known by his stage name, Rev Run -- and his wife, Justine, are dealing with just that.

And what's a lonely parent to do? For Rev and Justine, the solution is simple: Sunday suppers. They invite cameras into their home as they lovingly whip up Sunday meals for the whole family, each and every week. A new season of "Rev Run's Sunday Suppers" gets underway Wednesday, Jan. 27, on Cooking Channel.

The result is a cooking show that has a lot of genuine heart beating inside of it. As the Simmons prep dinner for the "kids," they share their special family recipes with viewers, but also with their kids, in an effort to pass treasured family traditions on to the generations.

While the passing of recipes from parents to children may be traditional -- often hand-written on little cardboard recipe cards -- the Cooking Channel show allows for those of us watching at home to benefit from the tradition, too. Cookingchanneltv.com plays host to the Simmons family recipe box and is packed to the brim with all of the recipes featured on the show.

With all six kids back home once a week, Sundays provide a reprieve for Rev Run and Justine from that empty nest feeling, and fill the house with chatter, laughter and warmth that fans can enjoy along with the Simmons family. A new season of "Rev Run's Sunday Suppers" premieres Wednesday, Jan. 27, on Cooking Channel.