Author: Carma Spence

Carma Spence has been experimenting in the kitchen since she was four years old and loves trying out new recipe ideas. She is the author of Bonkers for Bundt Cakes and Your Perfect Pie, as well as author and contributor to several more non-food-related books. With Carma's Cookery, she is taking her passion for empowering people and blending it with her passion for cooking, gift-giving and entertaining.

Healthy Living

Dos and Don’ts If You’re Struggling To Find Time To Cook

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date June 15, 2016

Public Domain Image from Pixabay

Are you struggling to find time to cook? Read on!

Public Domain Image from Pixabay

The alarm goes early in the morning. You drag yourself out of bed, hating the world and everyone in it. Then begins the whirlwind: shower, dressed, commute, work. Maybe a brief pause at work for lunch, then it’s the same again for the afternoon. You get home tired and fed up. The idea of a social life seems but a distant memory.

In the modern world, we’re all used to feeling pushed for time. Blink and you lose a month; Christmas seems to be coming around earlier each year. Who has time to cook?

I know that since I went back to a full-time gig — with an hour plus commute one way — I sometimes feel this way myself.

The problem is that this harried, busy lifestyle results in a generation of people who are relying on fast food, convenience meals you can just shove in the oven or insubstantial meals. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re determined to get a hold of your health without losing more time, there’s something you can do about it.

Find Time to Cook Don’t: Leave Planning Until The Last Minute

Take out food is more often than not a bad health choice. | Public Domain Image from Pixabay

If you get home tired and are faced with the idea of both deciding what to have for dinner and then cooking it, it’s not going to happen. Your brain is going to be in switch-off mode. The pizza menus will be inviting.

If, however, you get home with your ingredients sourced and recipe decided, it’s harder to convince yourself that takeout is easier.

If you don’t even have time to shop properly, a meal delivery service can even do that for you. You’ll receive ingredients, recipes and preparation guides. You can select which recipes you want by the length of time it takes to cook them, keeping everything as quick and easy as possible.

Find Time to Cook Do: Make Things In Advance

Public Domain image from Pixabay

There is a time investment needed for meal-planning, but a couple of hours on a weekend can save you countless time on a weekday. There are thousands of recipes that you can prepare and then freeze, only requiring a reheat before they’re edible. It’s similar to buying oven-prepared items from a store, except this way you’re in control of nutritional content.

Find Time to Cook Don’t: Forget To Eat During The Day

A Tablespoon of peanut butter on toast can make a great quick snack. | Public Domain image from Pixabay

A surefire way to make convenience food more appealing is if you’re hungry. Try and find time during the work day to make sure you grab something to eat, so you’re calmer in the evening and ready to consider your options.

This may mean drinking a quick meal-replacement shake or downing a protein bar if you’re especially pressed for time. We’re not going to pretend that’s always fun, but it’s going to be worth it in the evening when you can make reasonable choices.

Also, making sure that you eat several times during the day, even small snacks, helps keep your blood sugar on an even keel and can help you manage your — or even loose — weight.

Find Time to Cook Do: Keep It Simple

Busy week nights are not the time for gourmet cooking! | Public Domain image from Pixabay

Just in case you may pride yourself on your culinary expertise and love to try new things, keep in mind that weekday evenings are not the time for that. Stick to recipes that are simple and have as few steps as possible. That doesn’t mean you have to stop cooking interesting things from a variety of cuisines — it just means you need to know there’s a time and a place for it.

Finally, it may take a bit of juggling to get the hang of it. This is especially true if you’ve been living off easy foods for years; it’s a tough habit to break. Persevere, however, and your health will thank you for it.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

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Tags finding time to cook, healthy week days

Healthy Living Well Stocked Pantry

The Health Benefits of Green Tea

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date June 12, 2016

Teas have several health benefits. | Public Domain Image

Have you noticed that drinking green tea is becoming more and more popular? Many health sites are promoting the benefits of drinking more tea and less coffee. This drink is a pretty wonderful: It tastes great, there are lots of varieties available and many cultures have been drinking tea for centuries. Just look at how much of it people in countries such as China, Japan, India and Europe drink. This trend is now spilling over into North America.

Green tea has been around for a very long time and is one of the best teas that you can drink for your health. It is known for helping your body eliminate free radicals. It is great for weight loss and contains anti-aging properties.

Most of the health benefits of green tea come from EGCG, Epigallocatechin Gallate, which is a very powerful and natural antioxidant. As you may know antioxidants work to remove all kinds of harmful radicals from your body — those which can damage your cells, cause cancer and reduce your lifespan. Free radicals are also connected to the aging process which is why it can be slowed down by drinking green tea. Another benefit of EGCG is that it helps to speed up your metabolism so that it is easier for you to lose weight. Plus drinking lots of this type of tea just makes you feel better overall.

Green tea is good for weight loss and anti-aging. | Public Domain Image

Green tea does contain caffeine, but not as much as coffee does. It also contains an important amino acid L-theanine, which is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. This is important as L-theanine helps to increase activities in your brain which can help to reduce anxiety. So drinking more green tea when you are feeling stressed out is a good thing.

All tea comes from the same plants — green, black and Oolong. The difference between black and green tea is the process that it goes through. Green tea does not go through a fermentation process — this process removes the EGCG — which is why it retains its health benefits.

Green tea can also help you fight tooth decay, fight off all kinds of bacteria and infections. Studies have shown that green tea is great at repairing your immune system and helps with preventing heart disease and other illnesses. It can be helpful at reducing your chances of developing breast and/or prostate cancer. The studies that were conducted looked at Japanese people who drank at least 5 cups of green tea per day.

Tea plays a major role in many cultures around the world. | Public Domain Image

Drinking black tea has its benefits, too, including helping you to reduce bad cholesterol and healing blood cells. Plus it helps to keep your heart healthy. The major difference between green and black tea is the amount of antioxidants it contains. Green tea is highest on the list, with black and Oolong teas coming in next.

If you don’t like the taste of green tea you may want to try a variety that includes some mint in it. Always look for teas that are natural and contain no hidden chemicals. It really is worth your while, and your health, to drink several cups of green tea each day. Try switching it out for your morning coffee. You may not miss it as much as you think and you might realize that you just want something warm to drink each morning.

Remember that the health benefits of tea are numerous and it is definitely something that you should be including in your diet regularly.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags black tea, green tea

Flavor Blending

Which Drinks Do You Serve At The Dinner Table?

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 25, 2016

Image credit

Source: Pixabay

What drinks should you serve with dinner? Foodies love entertaining and showing off their own culinary skills. Different foods and different flavors offer the best dinner conversation too. But for a fully satisfying meal experience, we must think carefully about the choice of drinks that we serve with each course. Of course, my standard preference is plain water, but when you have company, it is nice to mix it up.

What beverage you serve may depend on who you have invited to dinner. And it also depends on the dishes you serve. In fact, there could be a perfect drink for each course!

When you’re dressing and setting the table for a dinner party, you probably put all the cutlery for the meal out together. There may be different styles of forks and spoons for the various dishes. You can also set out different glasses for the different beverages guests may consume.

Dinner Drinks: Water

Start with the table water. This is often provided in a large table jug complete with ice cubes and slices of lemon (or, if you’re being creative, float some fresh mint leaves in the water). Tall glasses may be left in the center of the table for guests to help themselves.

Source: Flickr

Dinner Drinks: Wine

Wine glasses are commonly placed on the table before the meal begins. It’s up to you if you would like to pour the wine for guests to try the first glass. Reds, whites and rosés may all be served during the meal. However, sweeter wines like the rosé are often left until the dessert course. Of course, there are times when something sweet works wonderfully well with a dish. Websites like www.wine.net/why-wine are handy for understanding which wines might be best for your dinner party.

Source: Flickr

Dinner Drinks: Cocktails

Cocktails may also be served at the table. Some curry houses offer a large range of cocktails on their menu. It is thought the sweetness and fruitiness of a cocktail could be the perfect starter for a spicy meal. Of course, it could be just a matter of taste. Cocktails at the beginning of a dinner party can help stimulate the appetite and get everyone in the mood for a flavorful meal. Common cocktails are made with rum, vodka or Schnapps spirits. Different fruit juices or sodas are blended with them to make a colorful, exotic drink. Different glasses are used, but tall glasses are often best.

Dinner Drinks: Soft Drinks

Soft drinks with the meal may be preferred by those who don’t like alcohol or need to drive. You can create alcohol-free punches from blended fruit juices and soda. Or you may be happy providing cans of fizzy pop. Freshly squeezed orange or apple juices can be very popular beverages to enjoy with many dishes. Even fruit teas can be enjoyed at the table!

Source: Flickr

Dinner Drinks: Coffee

Toward the end of the meal, you might want to offer coffees. There are different types of coffee that are enjoyed with or after dessert. Some are sweet, like a macchiato or cappuccino. Often a strong black coffee is preferred. It’s thought to kick-start the digestive process. Of course, when it’s close to bedtime, some of your guests may prefer a decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea. Alcoholic coffees can be popular too. What about warming a good brandy for those special guests? It can be the perfect drink to end the perfect evening.

Tags coffee, dinner drinks, soda, soft drinks, water, wine

Cookbook Reviews

Cookbook Review: What Do I Eat Now?

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 16, 2016

If you’ve been recently diagnosed with diabetes, you may be confused about what you can or cannot eat. The American Diabetes Association and authors Tami A. Ross, RDN, LD, MLDE and Patti B. Geil, MS, RDN, CDE, MLDE, FAND, FAADE, have collaborated on this book providing a step-by-step guide to eating right with Type 2 Diabetes.

Given that I’m about a marry a man with Type 2 Diabetes, I’ve experienced an increased interest in the topic of diabetic-friendly cooking. This is the first in a series of reviews of books on this topic.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book for review, however I am under no obligation to write about it positively or otherwise.

SUMMARY OF WHAT DO I EAT NOW?

What Do I Eat Now? A Step-by-Step Guide to Eating Right with Type 2 Diabetes, 2nd Edition, is both a guide to healthy eating in general and for those with diabetes, and a recipe book. It is organized like a study book. Each chapter ends with a summary, a recipe and a short list of facts. Sometimes there is even space for you to jot down next steps inspired by what you learned in the chapter.

There are plenty of sidebars and bulleted lists to make this easy to read in small sessions (like during your 15-minute afternoon break?)

WHAT WORKED FOR ME

The lay out makes for easy reading, as well as the simple language. This book can be read and understood by almost anyone who finds themselves with a diabetes diagnosis.

The authors acknowledge the importance of food in our every day lives. This book isn’t about denying this basic human fact, but provides a solution for managing your blood sugar while still enjoying the foods you love, albeit in more than likely a greater deal of moderation than you’ve been using so far.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME

This is a minor thing, but I didn’t like the color palette. The interior is printed in two colors: green and black. I know this reduces the price of the book, but it looks too clinical to me. Maybe a different color than the green they chose would feel a bit more fun.

RECOMMENDATION

This is an excellent beginner book for someone who has just been diagnosed with diabetes … or the person who has finally decided to take their head out of the sand and address their blood sugar issues. There is even information that people who are looking to just manage their weight, too.

RATING FOR WHAT DO I EAT NOW?

SPECS

Format: Trade paperback, 6.8 x 0.6 x 8.9 inches
Publisher: American Diabetes Association
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1580405584
ISBN-13: 978-1580405584

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

Tags diabetes, eating guide, food guide

Cookbook Reviews

Book Review: My Fat Dad

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 13, 2016

Cover provided by author

My Fat Dad by Dawn Lerman — Cover provided by author

Reading My Fat Dad: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Family with Recipes, was something I looked forward to doing. I’m working on my own memoir-recipe fusion book and wanted to see how someone else might do it. I was not disappointed.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book for review, however I am under no obligation to write about it positively or otherwise.

SUMMARY OF MY FAT DAD

Each chapter starts off with memoir — the author shares a part of her life — and ends with recipes that were mentioned in the chapter. Each chapter builds upon the ones before it, developing a rich tapestry of what it was like to grow up through Dawn Lerman’s eyes.

WHAT WORKED FOR ME

Lerman’s voice is strong. I almost felt like we were in her living room, with me listening to her weave her tale with rapt attention. I also ear-marked several of the recipes to try on my own later.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME

I felt like she didn’t know how to wrap up the end of the book. Perhaps she hasn’t fully processed the emotions … or, more likely … her life is interesting enough to fill more than one book! The last chapter or two felt forced.

SIDE NOTE ABOUT MY FAT DAD

Not long before I read this book, I was introduced to Gary Chapman’s The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts and my fiance and I even attended one of his live seminars. I found it interesting as I read My Fat Dad how clear it was that the author and her mother spoke in different love languages, leading to Lerman not feeling loved by her mother.

RECOMMENDATION

This is a very well written book and if you’re like me in that so many of life experiences are remembered through the lens of food, this is a enjoyable must read.

RATING FOR MY FAT DAD

SPECS

Format: Trade paperback, 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
Publisher: Berkley
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425272230
ISBN-13: 978-0425272237

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

Tags Dawn Lerman, My Fat Dad

Cooking Techniques Creative Cookery

Become a Foodie Today With These Ideas

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 12, 2016

Source: Pexels.com

Food is such a wonderful thing that it’s high time you got into it. A lot of people view food purely as a source of energy, but it can be so much more than that. There’s nothing quite like that feeling of trying really wonderful food. A lot of the time you will have to go to a restaurant to be able to do this. However, more and more people are taking culinary skills into their homes. There is so much you can do with food in and around the home. These are some of the wonderful suggestions I have to help you become a foodie today.

Source: Pexels.com

Learn to Cook Like a Foodie

Many of us take cooking for granted, but it’s actually a valuable life skill to have. You need to understand that there are so many benefits to being able to cook. And now is the time to learn so you can start becoming more of a foodie. Cooking means you’re able to provide for yourself and the family. But, it also means you can plan out all the meals you want to have over the week. You can also entertain guests and work on perfecting your skills in an enjoyable way.

Related Links:

Food Gifts for the Nascent Foodie

The perfect things to treat yourself with if you want to become a foodie are food gifts. And you know all those times when friends ask you what you want, but you have no idea? Well, now you do. You can get plenty of different food related gifts that will fulfill precisely what you need. Whether it’s food, condiments, utensils, or spices, these are the perfect things for the foodie in you. It’s important to diversify and try as many new things as you can. Getting food gifts from friends and family saves you having to get them yourself, and you may discover new things as a result.

Related Links:

Try New Things

As mentioned above, it’s essential that you try new things — that’s how you develop your kitchen creativity! The brilliant thing about food is how much variety there is. You need to think about how you can generate the best possible experience. Food should be all about experience. Preparing and tasting are just as important as one another, and you need to come up with ideas that will help you enjoy this more. Trying something new each week or so is a great way to generate more experience and expand your repertoire.

Related Links:

The Perfect BBQ!

Believe it or not, there is an art form to having the perfect BBQ! You need to make sure you have the perfect food you need for a great BBQ. This means thinking about the different meats you’re going to cook as well as planning the other parts of the BBQ as well. You also need to think about planning, so the weather is right too. Make sure you do it on a lovely summer’s day when the sun is out. It’s also important to consider the guest list and invite people you know will make a good go of things. The BBQ is the easiest way for you to make your transition into a full-blown foodie. Take charge of it and don’t be afraid to try out new techniques to produce delicious food.

Related Links:

Use the ideas I’ve listed here to work on becoming a foodie today. This will heighten your appreciation of food and will allow you to have a go at new recipes. It’s important to make sure you do what you can to get the most out of preparing, cooking and eating food. Unleash your kitchen creativity starting today!

Flickr Image

Tags become a foodie, kitchen creativity, learning to cook

Healthy Living Well Stocked Pantry

Another Reason To Eat Baked Purple Potatoes

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 11, 2016

Reduced from a photograph taken 28th January 2004 by Stephen Lea and released under the GFDL by the photographer.

Researchers have discovered a new reason to add purple potatoes to you diet. According to food scientists Jairam K.P. Vanamala and colleagues at Penn State and the University of Colorado, purple potatoes contain compounds that may help kill colon cancer stem cells and limit the spread of the cancer.

Reduced from a photograph taken 28th January 2004 by Stephen Lea and released under the GFDL by the photographer.

Why is killing cancer stem cells important? “You might want to compare cancer stem cells to roots of weeds,” says Vanamala. “You may cut the weed, but as long as the roots are still there, the weeds will keep growing back and, likewise, if the cancer stem cells are still present, the cancer can still grow and spread.”

Vanamala and his fellow researchers found that an extract from baked purple potato suppressed colon cancer stem cells in a lab dish. They tested the compound on mice with colon cancer and found the same results.

According to their results, they estimate that an effective portion size for a human to achieve these results would be equivalent to eating one large purple potato a day. Of course, this has not been tested on people and there is no guarantee that it will work in humans the way it works in mice. However, given the already good reasons to add this root vegetable to your diet, this just gives you a another one to add to the list.

Could eating purple potatoes prevent colon cancer from developing in the first place? We may never know.

More on purple potatoes:

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags cancer, purple potato