Tag Archives: meals

The Power Of Focusing On Family Health

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The Power Of Focusing On Family Health

Health is something that affects every family. Despite the numerous advantages of consistent exercise, a healthy diet, and other lifestyle behaviors, many families find it challenging to work these habits into their daily schedules. However, by emphasizing the value of family wellness, parents can foster a culture in which their kids can start developing healthy habits at an early age, preparing them for success as adults:

The Power of Healthy Habits:

Developing healthy habits from an early age is essential for promoting a lifetime of good health. Studies have shown that children learn best through example, so it’s important for parents to lead by example and demonstrate healthy behaviors throughout the day. This includes eating nutritious meals, staying active, and getting enough sleep each night. Parents can also set aside time for family activities like going for walks or playing sports together – activities which encourage physical activity as well as quality bonding time.

Creating a Healthy Environment in the Home:

Parents should work to establish a healthy environment in the home in addition to focusing on their own habits. This includes providing wholesome meals and snacks for the family as well as making sure that there are always healthy choices accessible. Parents can also set limits on screen time and encourage activities like reading or playing board games instead. Having a regular bedtime routine, including winding down before bed, is also important for helping children get enough quality sleep each night.

Benefits of Raising a Health-Conscious Family:

Raising a health-conscious family has numerous benefits for both parents and children. Start by setting clear expectations about healthy habits, such as regular physical activity, eating nutritious meals, and getting enough sleep each night. It will be simpler to remain motivated and incorporate healthy habits into your daily routine when everyone in the family is on the same page. Regularly discussing the importance of health with your children can also help them understand why these choices are beneficial in the long run.

Keeping Up With Medical Check-Ups and Exams:

It’s also important for parents to ensure that their children are up-to-date with all necessary medical check-ups and exams, such as hearing tests. Hearing loss can be a common issue in children, so it’s important to catch any hearing problems as early as possible. If hearing aids are needed, getting them fitted promptly is essential for reducing the risk of developing speech or language delays due to hearing loss. Having hearing aids fitted when recommended will ensure that your child can hear properly and participate fully in school and other activities.

By making family health and wellness a priority in the home, parents can help create an environment of healthy habits that will last well into adulthood. From leading by example to incorporating preventive care into your routine, there are many ways parents can promote overall well-being in their household. By taking these steps now, families have the opportunity to create a lifetime of good health for themselves.

Featured Image By: Terje Sollie

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Build Your Skills: Learn How To Cook

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Build Your Skills: Learn How To Cook

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

How To Make Mealtimes More Exciting

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How To Make Mealtimes More Exciting

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

3 Ways To Make Cooking More Exciting

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3 Ways To Make Cooking More Exciting

Everyone loves indulging in delicious meals that have been prepared with passion. But not everybody loves cooking these meals. According to a study, nearly 90% of people hate cooking. While eating out might be a solution for most people, it’s not the healthiest option and can increase your expenses. Spending time in the kitchen is a great way to use that space in your home, explore your culinary skills and creativity, and eat healthier meals. Sometimes, you cannot avoid cooking, but if you want to turn it around from a boring and time-consuming chore to a fun activity, here are some ways to do so:

Play some music while cooking:

Playing some of your favorite songs and playlists is a great way to liven up your ambience and make your kitchen more exciting. Cooking can be stressful sometimes, especially after spending a long day at work or school. However, creating a fun cooking environment can make the experience a breeze and boost your mood. You can create a fun cooking playlist with all of your favorite songs. It’s even more enjoyable if you have a portable speaker that you can place in a safe area of your kitchen. You can easily turn your time in the kitchen into a party.

Try new recipes:

Even if you enjoy cooking, it can get very boring, especially when your menu consists of the same recipes. Although you might master making those meals, you will likely lose interest in preparing and eating them. So, why not make your cooking more adventurous by including new recipes? Trying out new recipes is a great way to break your routine and challenge yourself. But don’t be so hard on yourself when you make mistakes. It could take some time before you master any new recipe. You can also switch things up in your regular menu by switching out some ingredients and giving it a new taste. You can check out new recipes by checking out blogs, watching cooking shows, buying a new recipe book, or following a recipe page on social media.

Use quality kitchenware:

Another way to elevate your cooking experience is by using quality kitchen products. When you cook with the right utensils, it saves you a lot of time in the kitchen, which can be especially useful if you have a busy schedule. Using quality kitchen products can also improve the taste of your meals. Plus, you could measure your ingredients better to improve your food’s consistency and texture. It can help you create some of the most beautiful food presentations if you are concerned with appearance. You must also ensure that any leftovers are properly stored, using the correct storage containers to maintain their freshness. Brands like OXO have amazing containers and other utensils that make cooking and storing food a snap.

Cooking might not be your favorite household task, but it is vital, especially if you want to better manage your finances and health. These tips should help you enjoy the entire process of cooking and make the experience a fun one!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Dinner Time!

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Dinner Time!

Hello! When I go grocery shopping, I try to get enough fresh ingredients so that I can cook dinner several times per week. Once the fresh food is gone, Johnny and I will turn to our frozen options until it is time for another curbside pickup. One of our favorite meals that I cook has got to be jalapeno popper quesadillas (Peep the recipe here!).

My mom used to make these back in the day and I always have to buy the fixings to whip them up for dinner:

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*Note: I substitute the regular tortilla chips in the quesadillas for Nacho Cheese Doritos, instead.

The popper quesadillas are a bit of a tedious meal to make between cutting and broiling the jalapenos, assembling the tortillas, and frying them. Especially because I make several extra ones because Johnny loves to take them for lunch at work. However, it is so worth it once the finished product is complete. They are cheesy with the perfect amount of crunch thanks to the chips. Broiling the jalapenos and the cream cheese also takes away a lot of the spiciness, which allows for a fairly mild level of heat.

As a side dish for the quesadillas, I made some nacho bites out of scooped shell tortilla chips. These consisted of a dollop of queso, salsa, and shredded cheese and then I broiled them for about two minutes. The nacho bites were a little something that I came up with and were just as tasty as I imagined them to be. They are the perfect appetizer for a Mexican meal or could be great for snacking on during your favorite show. I will definitely be making them again!

Although I have been branching out with new dishes, you can’t go wrong with tried and true favorites. The jalapeno popper quesadillas are a wonderful dish to spice up your dinner time!

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

My Favorite Easy Dinners

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My Favorite Easy Dinners

Hi! I have so enjoyed cooking lots of delicious homemade meals this past month and I am proud of the mental health one eighty that was accomplished by my new job. It has turned cooking back into something that I love to do rather than a chore and I can’t wait for a lifetime of meals with my husband. ❤

It has been a while since I have gone grocery shopping because I will buy a lot at one time which eliminates the need for time consuming, weekly trips to the store. When this happens, Johnny and I default to “easy” dinners to use up the rest of what we have in the freezer and pantry. While a home cooked meal is amazing, a big pot of spaghetti or an oven pizza just hits different! Here are some of my favorite easy peasy dinners:

Spaghetti:

I actually just made a spaghetti and garlic bread dinner last night and it was SO good! Spaghetti has been one of my favorite foods since I was little and I love how versatile it is. I always remember my dad preparing spaghetti for dinner when my mom would return home from work back in the day and it is still one of the sweetest things to me. While Alfredo and red sauce are delicious, my perfect plate of spaghetti is angel hair covered with my favorite: Pesto! And, also, who doesn’t love hella leftovers? 😀

Grilled Cheese:

In my household, you cannot go wrong with grilled cheese and it is one of mine and Johnny’s go to weekend lunches. I hate to brag, but I make a mean grilled cheese. However, it pales in comparison to when my mom makes it with her homemade bread! Johnny doesn’t like anything but cheese on his sandwich but I really like honey or brown mustard on mine. We are also partial to mac n’ cheese grilled cheeses for the ultimate comfort food.

Oven Pizza:

I don’t care what anyone says, oven pizza is the bomb lol. Johnny and I are obsessed with the Digiorno croissant and stuffed crust pizzas and I always have to get at least one of each when I go shopping. Sometimes I’ll doctor my portion of the pizza up with chopped veggies but they are so good as is. And, of course, you can’t forget the ranch dressing to dip it in! 🙂

Air Fried Commodities:

Although our air fryer is on the fritz, Johnny and I still love it dearly and the novelty of using it has yet to wear off. Appetizer food like mozzarella sticks, cheese curds, and French fries air fried are the absolute best and it feels like such a treat whenever we have apps as the main course. When we got our air fryer for Christmas, we went to the store so we could try air frying all of the things and I think about that every time we break it out. ❤

Quesadillas:

If you can’t tell by now, Johnny and I love cheesy food! Quesadillas are so easy to make as well as improve upon and I make them often when we are running low on dinner options. I usually will try out a different kind of salsa or two whenever I do shopping and quesadilla night is the perfect time to test them out!

The best part of my evening is having dinner while watching a show with Johnny. It also is the sweetest thing because whether I spend an hour or five minutes on a meal, he will always compliment and thank me for it. ANGEL! ❤

What is your favorite easy dinner? What are some of your favorite recipes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah