Tag Archives: food

Feb2

Build Your Skills: Learn How To Cook

Posted on February 2, 2023 by lifewithlilred

If there is one thing you should get to adulthood knowing how to do, it’s learning to cook. There are many things that people have in common and we all need food. It’s not just food, though, we need nutritious and nourishing food to make sure that our bodies are healthy and have enough energy to get moving.

Who doesn’t enjoy a delicious dinner? And who doesn’t enjoy the pride that comes with being able to prepare it yourself? You can learn to make pizza if you want to, or you could learn to make a truffle risotto, the point is you’ll be learning to cook for yourself. If what you are eating right now is not satisfying you and is draining your pockets because it’s mostly convenience food, then you need to go back to basics and learn how to cook properly. Why? Let’s discuss:

Build Connections:

Cooking and going out to eat helps you to connect with the people that you love. If you think about special occasions, it’s likely that your mind first turns to food before anything else. It has that extraordinary power to link people together and there’s nothing better than either having someone cook for you or cooking somebody something all by yourself. What did you feel the last time somebody cooked something delicious for you? If it made you feel special, then you know that learning how to cook is going to make other people feel that way too.

There’s So Much to Learn:

If you learn how to cook, you could make any cuisine from any country in the world. If you know how to read, you can learn how to cook; and if recipe books aren’t your thing, there are countless video resources to help you too. Whether you are cooking Mexican food or French, or you go with something very simple from scratch, you’re going to feel accomplished as a result.

Save Money:

Eating out can be extremely expensive, and if you learn to cook you’re not going to have to worry about constant takeout for dinner. Cooking your own meals will save you some money so when times are tight, you can recreate your favorite dishes in your own kitchen.

Be a Well Rounded Adult:

Knowing how to cook is an important life skill. Just being able to cook the simplest dishes is a good start. Being a well rounded adult means knowing how to wash your clothes, clean your home, and the basics of hygiene, but it also means knowing how to cook for yourself too.

Unleash your inner Top Chef and begin learning how to cook today. PS – A cooking class would make for a fun and unique Valentine’s Day date!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan30

Oven Pizza Success!!!!

Posted on January 30, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! At chez moi, my refrigerator and cupboards were almost completely bare and a curbside order was most definitely in order. When picking up groceries, I always schedule it for when Johnny is getting home from work. Then, he brings the groceries in and I put them away. Our process runs like a fine tuned machine! This past time, however, my day finished earlier than expected so I got my order ahead of time and carried the entire haul up to our second floor apartment and put it away all by my lonesome. After all of that hard work, the last thing I felt like was cooking! But, hey – that’s what oven pizzas are for amiright? And, after the massive failure of the last Red Baron pizza we tried, things really turned around with this pie:

Lol, I know that I said yesterday that lifewithlilred is not going to become a pizza review blog and I still stand by that… After this post! I just had to share this GREAT SUCCESS with all of you. 🙂 Have you ever noticed how even the simplest meals can taste amazing if you are hungry or tired enough? Because that was definitely where I was at when digging into the Red Baron Brick Oven cheese pizza and it was so satisfying both on an emotional level and in the taste department.

The crust of this pizza was way thinner than the previous Red Baron catastrophe and it was a welcome change of pace. The sauce was sweet, the cheese was poured with a heavy hand, and it was the friggen bomb. Johnny and I have had this pizza several times before but I never appreciated its majesty so fully and completely until now. Was I dog tired and hadn’t ate since breakfast? Yes. Did this affect the way the pizza tasted? Probably. Am I going to buy it again to experience it through fresh eyes? Abso-freaking-lutely!

In my youth, my dad was the king of oven pizzas and fostered my love of mine and Johnny’s go to lazy day meal as an adult. With friends like the Red Baron and Digiorno, who needs enemies? Or however that saying goes!

How often do you grocery shop? What do you make when you don’t feel like cooking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan29

Worst Oven Pizza Ever!

Posted on January 29, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I consider ourselves to be oven pizza connoisseurs. It is my go to when I don’t feel like cooking and it is Johnny’s favorite thing to make so that he feels like he’s cooking lol! I recently saw a commercial for a Digiorno pizza that had the entire crust (not just the edges) stuffed with cheese and it really blew my mind. I told Johnny about it and he decided to investigate when he ran some errands. Unfortunately, the pizza was only available in pepperoni and that wouldn’t do for my vegetarian self. So, Johnny purchased the Digiorno for him and this for me:

I don’t know if you guys are familiar with the show Community but there was a character named Leonard who was a senior citizen and attending the community college. He had a vlog in which he reviewed different oven pizzas and would declare it to be “a buy” if he liked it. Lol, while lifewithlilred is not turning into a pizza blog any time soon, I just had to get my Leonard on one time for the one time because the Red Baron pizza Johnny got for me sucked on ice!

When my sweet husband returned from his shopping, he was so proud of himself for the substitution of the Red Baron Fully Loaded Five Cheese Pizza. And, I have to admit, it looked awesome and I couldn’t wait to pop it into the oven. After it was cooked, it was still looking good with all of that glorious cheese. Then, I had to cut it and it ended up being a very difficult feat. I kid you not, this pizza was literally all crust. *Face palm*

Once I freed some slices and plated it up, I lost most of my original zest for testing this pizza out. And, I don’t blame myself one bit because it was the worst. The crust was so thick that it tasted like eating a brick with a thin layer of sauce and cheese on top. I had to douse it in Ranch dressing to soften it up – it was that bad. The Red Baron truly missed the mark with this one and I couldn’t even bring myself to eat the leftovers, which is something I pride myself on. If only the crust were stuffed with cheese like Johnny’s pizza because he was living his best life with his!

lifewithlilred is all about giving honest reviews on products and I guess that goes for pizza too! Haha, I just felt obligated to warn all of my oven pizza fans out there about this epic failure before buying it. You’ll thank me later when you are enjoying an oven pie with a normal sized crust!

What is your favorite brand of oven pizza? What do you make (Or order!) when you don’t feel like cooking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan24

Friday Date Night

Posted on January 24, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! A weekend in mine and Johnny’s world follows a fairly regular format of a date night one day and then Johnny will hang out with friends and I get the apartment to myself on the other. It’s great! These past few weeks have been exhausting for me because I started a new online job on top of my regular schedule. While we did have plans for a friend to come over on Friday, I had absolutely no follow through and we ended up having an awesome date night in, instead. Check it out:

Literally all of last week, I developed an intense craving for Mary Coyle’s, which is a mom and pop Italian restaurant and ice cream parlor in Highland Square. I have absolutely no idea where this came from because I haven’t had Mary Coyle’s since I was a teenager. All I knew is that I had to have it lol! Being the angel that Johnny is, he DoorDashed it for dinner on Friday and I couldn’t wait to dig in while we watched our free trial of Peacock. Unfortunately, It was nowhere near as good as I remembered it being. 😦

At Mary Coyle’s I went with my teenage order of Fettuccine Alfredo and a blueberry sundae and, if we’re all being honest with each other – it sucked! The Alfredo was dry and the serving size was so small. Not that I want a heaping dish when I order out but this was legit a half handful of noodles at best and I was still hungry after the meal. I figured that I would fill up the empty spots with ice cream but that didn’t go accordingly to plan, either. The sundae consisted primarily of marshmallow fluff rather than ice cream and it was so disappointing!

Although the meal left a lot to be desired and required supplemental Doritos, we still had a great evening in. After dinner, we spent several hours playing Mario Kart 8 online and it was a hoot. It’s fun to race against Johnny and the computers but it was even better to play against actual people around the world. The races online were actually challenging and every time we thought we were going to finish up, “just one more” would turn into two or three. And, of course, we can’t get enough of the new racetracks that have been added too. 😀

A DoorDash and video game date night was just what I needed after yet another busy week. Whether we are out on the town or in for the evening, it is always the best time with my main squeeze! ❤

What is a perfect night in for you like? Are there any restaurants that didn’t live up to your memories? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan18

How To Make Mealtimes More Exciting

Posted on January 18, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Eating delicious food is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Mealtimes are about so much more than simply providing your body with the fuel it needs to function. Preparing and eating food should provide a feast for your senses and social activity to enjoy with friends and family. However, every once in a while, you may fall out of love with food. When mealtimes become tiresome, it can be hard to feel enthusiastic about what is on your plate. If mealtimes were once the highlight of your day but now leave you feeling blah, you should make some changes. Take a look at these ideas to help make mealtimes more exciting;

Try Food From Around the World:

When food becomes boring and you no longer look forward to what’s on your plate, it’a time to shake things up. Trying different cuisine from around the world is an excellent way to regain your enthusiasm for food. Sampling flavors that are entirely new to you is guaranteed to reawaken your taste buds. If you don’t feel like cooking from scratch, you could try the best frozen Chinese food for some new flavors without needing to get creative in the kitchen yourself. Once you find a new cuisine you like, why not continue to sample dishes from that region to continue your food journey.

Put Your Cooking Skills to the Test:

Sometimes, getting back into the kitchen and cooking up a storm is the best way to rekindle your love of food. Experimenting with different flavors and ingredients will liven up your meals and make everyday food far more interesting. Adding an exciting twist to recipes you make all of the time is another way to add interest. You can do this by upping the amount of seasoning that you add to the dish or trying it with a different combination of herbs and spices. Changing the accompaniment you usually serve with the recipe is helpful too. A meal that you usually serve with rice could be even better if you try it with pasta, instead.

Get Inspired:

When you feel unenthusiastic about food, it is often helpful to seek extra inspiration. There are lots of ways that you can be inspired by your food choices to make every meal more exciting. Planning a dinner with friends where you each bring a course of the meal to share will help you to enjoy both an evening of great company and delicious food. This will give you the opportunity to sample each other’s cooking and swap recipes.

Take your taste buds on an adventure by shaking up your meals. Your full belly and invigorated palette will thank you!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jan17

Double Date Night

Posted on January 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I have a select few people that we regularly hang out with and my best friend and her husband are two of them. Lea and Brandon are our favorites and ever since Johnny and I got married, him and Brandon have become straight up besties. It’s so cute! Once a month, we get together for a double date night at either of our apartments or out on the town. This past week, we were supposed to hit up our go to haunt of Bucca De Beppo but didn’t feel like making the forty-five minute drive to the restaurant. So, we substituted for Mexican food at El Meson and it was just what the doctor ordered!

El Meson is an absolute staple in Cuyahoga Falls and it is SO good every single time. It is the perfect place to go for a quick dinner and drinks and was the obvious next choice when we weren’t in the mood for our trek to the Bucca. The restaurant has the most fun, lively atmosphere and it’s safe to say that we go there a lot when the staff members recognize us! Their to go Margaritas were also a life saver when we were craving Mexican during the pandemic but didn’t want to go into the restaurant. 😀

After a few past hang outs at our places, it was so nice to have a night out with our main baddies. It also couldn’t have come at a better time because I just got an amazing job offer shortly before meeting up. We turned this dinner into an impromptu celebration for my good news and to hype Brandon and Lea up as they begin house hunting. Our meals were delicious and, as always, their drinks were out of this world. Our server must have been able to tell how much we were enjoying them because he offered us two large additional Margs for us to share that was a mistake from the bar. He knows us so well. ❤

Lea and Brandon are our only married friends and Lea and I are over the moon at how well our guys get along with each other. Our double dates have become a monthly must and it gives us something to look forward to as soon as date night draws to a close. I am already daydreaming about Bucca De Beppo for next time!

Do you like double dates? What is a staple restaurant in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

Live Healthier With These Steps

Posted on January 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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When life gets busy, we don’t always take care of ourselves as well as we should. If this sounds like you, it’s time to start taking care of your body and health fully and completely. In this post, we’ll talk about some things that you can do to start taking better care of your health today:

Eat Healthy Foods:

You shouldn’t eat well and avoid certain foods just to look good in new clothes. Instead, you should eat well to stay healthy. You could start by eating more fruit and vegetables. Eat more things that give you energy and make you feel better. Bananas, fatty fish, sweet potatoes, nuts, and yogurt are all foods that can give you energy and make you more alert and productive during the day. Food can also make you feel more or less stressed. When you’re hungry, you’re more likely to get angry and annoyed easily.

Take Care Of Your Teeth:

It’s important to take care of your teeth. To make sure they stay healthy, you need to take the right steps every day. At least twice a day, use fluoride toothpaste to clean your teeth and get rid of germs and plaque. Plaque can also build up between your teeth, so be sure to floss daily. Try using mouthwash because it can cut down on the amount of acid in your mouth and clean places that are hard to reach with a toothbrush. You should go to the dentist at least twice a year for a cleaning and to catch any dental problems early.

Get More Active:

If you have a lot going on, it can be hard to find the time to work out. You don’t have to find time to go to the gym; you just need to find an exercise that works for you and fits into your schedule. You could go for a walk during lunch break to get more steps. If the only time you can exercise is in the morning, then you should get up a little bit earlier. Then it’s out of the way, and you don’t have to worry about it late at night after work when you might not want to go for a run. If you are going out in cold weather you should think about taking some women’s thermal socks to keep your feet warm and dry.

Be More Mindful:

We’re so busy with our lives that we often forget to live in the moment. Stopping for a few seconds throughout the day will give you time to breathe and help you think more clearly. Mindfulness practice makes you feel free and is good for your health. It can help you feel better and less stressed. When you wake up, when you eat, and even when you work out, you can be more aware.

By making a few changes to your daily habits, you will start to see improvements in all parts of your life when you are feeling better and healthier!

Featured Image By: Jill Wellington

Jan12

Chocovia Hot Chocolate Bomb Review

Posted on January 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I received some hot chocolate bombs by Chocovia for Christmas and I was thrilled. There is nothing better than curling up with a mug of cocoa during a winter evening in! I finally made myself a cup this weekend and it went from pretty good to really bad. And, unfortunately, it took me until almost the end of the cup to realize the yuck factor. Gift or not, purchase or skip, you can always count on Lil Red to give an honest review so let’s get to it:

Using the Chocovia hot chocolate bombs was simple. All I needed to do was measure the milk or water, heat it up on the stove, and drop the bomb in once the liquid was thoroughly heated. Then, once the chocolate melted, it would break open revealing marshmallows on the inside. Once the bomb was in the pot, it began to melt immediately and it even had a little bit of movement too! Of course, it wasn’t as exciting as watching a bath bomb but it was alright lol. What surprised me the most during this process was how big the marshmallows were – they looked only slightly smaller than the jumbo ones.

It took about five minutes to make my hot chocolate and I couldn’t wait to try it once it cooled down. I can’t say that I was too impressed by what I was tasting. The chocolate factor was weak at best and I felt like I would have been better off with a glass of chocolate milk, instead. I decided to finish the mug anyways because these bombs didn’t call for much liquid so there was less than three fourths of a cup maximum.

It wasn’t until I approached these final sips that I realized something strange was going on – I thought I had paper towel in my mouth! I spit it out and saw a filmy substance in the cup – I am assuming from the marshmallows. You can see whatever it is on the rim of the mug in the last picture as well as circled in the hot chocolate itself. It seriously tasted and felt like gauze that you would find in a first aid kit and it was SO nasty. I’m just glad I caught onto it before I finished the rest of it!

If you are thinking of getting the Chocovia hot chocolate bombs, my advice is: Don’t. Lol, even if there wasn’t a mystery substance, it wasn’t good hot chocolate to begin with. You’re better off with a pack of Swiss Miss!

What is a product that you were disappointed in? What is your favorite cold weather drink? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan9

4 Concerns About Feeding Your Dog Answered

Posted on January 9, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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4 Concerns About Feeding Your Dog Answered

When you have a dog to care for, feeding them is always going to be one of the major things you need to get right. As long as their nutrition is how it should be, they are going to be so much healthier in general, and you will find that you are more likely to feel that you are really caring for them. There are a few key and common concerns that you need to be aware of if you are keen to feed your dog properly. Let’s take a look at what they are:

The Right Amount:

One of the simplest things you need to get right can also ironically be one of the hardest: Knowing how much to feed your dog. Getting the amounts right is important because, otherwise, you might find that you struggle to keep them healthy. You need to research the specifics of the breed of dog you have, along with considering their size to ensure that you feed them right. Too much, and they might experience the problems of being overweight. Too little, and they might be malnourished, so you must find the balance. Find out more at https://www.zumalka.com/blogs/blog-pet-health/health-issues-caused-by-feeding-your-dog-or-cat-the-wrong-diet.

Routine:

A lot of people swear by having a routine for feeding their dog, and this is something that you will want to think about. For one thing, dogs are smart enough to know a routine and to fall into it. This makes it easier for you too, because they will know that their food is coming at a certain point in the day, which will stop them from begging for it at other times of the day. Generally, feeding at the same time each day will benefit both of you.

^^^ Pexels Image

Human Food:

Many owners get to a point where they start wondering if they can feed their dog any human food, along with the dog food that should be the staple. As it happens, there are a lot of human foods that your dog can eat, and some that are even quite good for them. Just take a look at https://www.nextritionpet.com/blogs/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-mussels for an example. But you should always take care when doing so, and make sure, again, that you have thoroughly researched the matter and discussed with your vet before feeding them something specific.

Budgeting:

The dog food is one of the main expenses, if not the main expense, that you will have as a dog owner. So you need to make sure that you are able to afford it. If you are not, it might be something that you need to think about before getting a dog. Expenses for pets can add up quickly between the vet, grooming, food, and toys. Your dog deserves to have what it needs to live a healthy life and food is one of the most important aspects.

As always, remember to discuss any changes to your dog’s diet with their vet so you can make the best choices for your companion!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan4

Super Yummy Breakfast Pizza

Posted on January 4, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Due to the crazy circumstances of the past few months, it has been a while since I cooked a big breakfast over the weekend. That was one of my Johnny’s favorite things and our low key New Year’s weekend gave me the opportunity to whip together a new concoction made with the same ingredients as my usual breakfasts. It was basically like the Taco Bell menu of different items using the exact same base ingredients and I was so proud lol. Behold, the vegetarian breakfast pizza:

Ingredients:

2 cans of Pillsbury biscuits
White gravy for the sauce
5 scrambled eggs
6 MorningStar sausage patties
Shredded cheese
Hashbrowns if you want!

Instructions:

Separate the biscuits in half and fill a cooking tray with them to form the crust. Keep an eye on the biscuits while they’re in the oven since they are half of their normal size.
Begin cooking your additional ingredients of eggs, sausage patties, and hashbrowns. Cut the sausages into bite sized pieces once they are cooked.
Prepare the white gravy for the sauce (The recipe is in the link under ingredients.). If the gravy gets too thick, add some milk because you should be able to cover the biscuits entirely with just the one pot.
Assemble your breakfast pizza and top with shredded cheese. Then, stick it back in the oven for a few minutes so it can melt.
Remove from the oven and enjoy!

This breakfast pizza turned out delicious if I do say so myself and Johnny does too! Oh yeah, and so does my mom, dad, and sister because they all tried it as well lol. He spent the entire day complimenting my efforts and it made me feel awesome. Of course, I modestly said it was the same thing I always make but assembled differently and he would hear none of that. He also told me it was so good because I haven’t made breakfast in forever and I thought that that was the sweetest. I know that Johnny loves my cooking (He better, anyways!) but to hear him be so forthright about it made getting up early on a Saturday morning to cook all the more worth it. ❤

My Breakfast Pizza is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and a hearty portion of my family agreed. I guess I better start cooking breakfast again!

What is your favorite breakfast food? What is your favorite meal to cook? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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