For many families, the focal point of Thanksgiving Day is a table laden with delicious food. As nice as it is to dive into these foods, getting them to the table often requires a lot of work and can be stressful. Last year, for example, we spent the entire day before Thanksgiving preparing various dishes. Then I was up and cooking again … [Read more...] about Simple Ways to Streamline Thanksgiving Dinner Preparation
cooking tips
Kids and Cookbooks: A Strategy for Getting Kids to Try New Foods
Like many of their peers, my kids are picky eaters. They love some foods that are generally well liked among kids including pizza and chicken fingers. However, when it comes to other foods, they often don’t want to eat a single bite! The funny thing with them is that they often decide they don’t like a food even though they’ve never … [Read more...] about Kids and Cookbooks: A Strategy for Getting Kids to Try New Foods
How to Make Healthier Pizza
When I think of healthy foods, pizza isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind. However, when I’m planning a menu and ask my kids what they’d like for me to put on it, pizza is pretty much always the first thing that comes to their minds! Thankfully, there are little things that we can do to prepare flavorful, nutrient-packed … [Read more...] about How to Make Healthier Pizza
9 Ways to Save Time When Preparing Dinner
I often feel rushed while preparing dinner. On most nights, I’ve already had a long, busy day. This means dinner preparation generally feels like yet another hurdle in a long race. Over the past few years I’ve discovered a number of ways to save time while preparing dinner. These strategies help me get dinner on the table in a timely … [Read more...] about 9 Ways to Save Time When Preparing Dinner
A Mess-Free Way to Pit Cherries
I was thrilled last week to see that our local grocery stores have sweet cherries in stock. My daughters love these, but they’re only available for a few months of the year. Thus, I eagerly added a bag to the “cart” of my curbside grocery order. Then I hesitated. I didn’t have a cherry pitter, so pitting cherries had always taken a bit … [Read more...] about A Mess-Free Way to Pit Cherries
How to Store a Cucumber Without it Getting Mushy
My middle daughter loves cucumbers. They are her favorite vegetable. Unfortunately, I’ve found it a little difficult to keep them fresh. I’ll slice a portion of a cucumber for her one day and it’ll be nice and crisp. Two days later I’ll slice some more and it’ll be mushy and gross. I’ve done a little research and tried various … [Read more...] about How to Store a Cucumber Without it Getting Mushy
High Fiber Foods that Kids (and Adults) Actually Like
As I noted last week, kids are at risk for developing constipation if they don’t have sufficient fiber intake. This is also true for adults. Not surprisingly, there are a number of additional benefits associated with consuming the right amount of fiber (source): Heart and circulatory health. Soluble fiber lowers total blood cholesterol … [Read more...] about High Fiber Foods that Kids (and Adults) Actually Like
7 Healthy Canned Foods
When I do our grocery shopping, I try to make sure I get lots of healthy foods and skip over most of the unhealthy ones. I get fresh produce, lean meats, healthy grains, etc., but I avoid most processed foods that come packaged in things like cans and bottles. This is a useful approach in general, but it means I may skip over a number … [Read more...] about 7 Healthy Canned Foods
