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5 Winter-Themed Desserts You Should Try Making This December

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date November 30, 2021

‘Tis the season, and whether you’re going to be having a quiet one or spending a lot of time with family, there’s never a bad time to get into baking. What better way to celebrate the holidays than baking winter-themed desserts?

As far as pleasing folks, you can’t go wrong with baking, and your baking experience will only get better as you get more practice. Desserts are enjoyed by most, and they make for a great addition to any gathering or party. If you don’t manage to eat your desserts in time, you can always freeze them for a later date, as most desserts freeze quite well.

Dessert #1: Gingerbread Cheesecakes Are Quintessential Winter-Themed Desserts

Gingerbread has always been a staple of the holidays, so why not try to work it into fun recipes other than cookies? You’d be surprised how well gingerbread can work with other ingredients, and you won’t regret preparing this no-bake dessert. Of course, unless you want to make your own gingerbread cookies, then you’ll have to bake those from scratch! But otherwise, crushing up some already made cookies will work perfectly as the base.

For those that prefer to bake, gingerbread will fit right in with any baked cheesecake recipe, simply switch out the biscuit base for cheesecake and enjoy!

If you’re not a fan of gingerbread but you’d still like to make your cheesecakes a little naughtier, you could try an oreo cheesecake instead! Separate the cream from the cookie, and mix the cream into your filling and use the cookies as a base! It’s no healthy snack, but it’s delightful to those with a sweet tooth!

Dessert #2: Cookies

If gingerbread cookies weren’t on your to-do list this year, then you’re making a big mistake. It’s the perfect treat to get you in the mood for the holidays, and it can be a fun activity to do either alone or with the family! Getting people involved is part of the activity, so if you let people in on creating your gingerbread cookies, you’re only going to get more out of it.

If you’re feeling extra creative, people often take the time to build their own gingerbread houses! If you’ve got the know-how to make the cookies, you’ll have no trouble preparing the pieces you need for a gingerbread house in no time. If you’re not feeling like baking but would like to make one, there are pre-baked kits you can get in stores!

It’s not just gingerbread cookies you should consider. Any kind of cookie goes down nicely with a warm glass of milk. Check out this recipe for homemade chocolate chocolate chip cookies. You might also like these Christmas cookie ideas:

Dessert #3: The Versatile Crumble

There’s a crumble recipe out there for everyone, and it’s the perfect dessert that can be shared or stored. It’s one of the more flexible desserts you can make, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to work some fruit into the treat. Enjoy cherries? Enjoy apples? Enjoy custard? There’s no need to eat all of them separately, crumble can accommodate it all into a delicious dessert. If you’re cooking for others, why not try making different flavors? You can’t go wrong with a little experimenting, and your crumble will be enough to satisfy all at any event.

Dessert #4: Christmas Pudding

While not a traditional dessert all over the world, if you’ve never given it a try, you should consider it in the upcoming holiday! This traditional British pudding is made by families around the world every year and is something you should consider treating yourself to.

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s certainly an experience you shouldn’t miss out on. There are so many recipes from so many different countries if you aren’t willing to give them a try, then you could be restricting yourself from your next favorite dessert.

It’s a raisin-based pudding that’s had its recipe perfected over the years, as most recipes have been handed down by the generations. Check out the odd home cooking blogs if you want to get the most out of your Christmas pudding recipe.

Dessert #5: Yule Logs – Winter-Themed Desserts That Oooze the Winter Vibe

What’s Christmas without a traditional Yule Log? If you’re someone that enjoys both chocolate and cream, or chocolate cream, then a Yule Log is the dessert for you! They can be great fun to make, and just as fun to decorate once they’re done. Yule Logs never leave leftovers, so if you’re planning a gathering in the coming holidays, you’ll want to make one of these for your guests. Why not try putting your own fruity twists on it? A hint of orange, raspberry, or strawberry can really make it interesting.

Tags holidays, winter

Healthy Living

7 Simple Meal Ideas for Breakfast

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date October 23, 2021

Are you struggling to come up with easy breakfast meal ideas? You almost certainly are. But it doesn’t have to be this way – if you think a bit outside the box, breakfast need not be a nightmare or a bore. Because let’s face it – cereal gets old pretty quickly if that’s all you’ve got. With how hectic people’s lives seem to be, it’s no wonder many of us find ourselves reaching for the same things time and time again.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of seven simple meal ideas for breakfast that will hopefully help you get out of your breakfast rut and start enjoying this important meal once more. In addition to being quick, they’re also healthy – so there’s no need to feel guilty about enjoying them!

1. Overnight Frozen Yogurt

This is a simple one – buy some yogurt, pour it into a container with a lid, and let it sit in the freezer overnight. That’s it! In the morning, you can enjoy it frozen or take it out of the freezer for 10 minutes beforehand so that it softens. Either way, this recipe couldn’t be much easier or quicker. And because yogurt is packed full of healthy probiotics, this breakfast option will leave you feeling nice and refreshed too.

2. Muffin Tin Pancakes

Pancakes are often thought of as a weekend luxury (unless they’re DIY). However, they don’t have to be. They’re delicious and easy enough to make every morning if you want to! All you need is a muffin tin, one egg per pancake (so four for a whole batch), one cup of flour, half a cup of milk (or milk alternative), and whatever other mix-ins or flavorings you enjoy. Mix all those ingredients in a bowl until they form your desired consistency (a bit thicker than standard pancakes works best), pop them in the oven at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then take them out again when they’ve turned golden brown. You can try countless flavor combinations with this recipe to make it your own. Blueberries (frozen if you don’t want purple pancakes) are delicious here.

Bonus Tip: Try out this egg waffle recipe if the kids are famished!

Here are some more pancake recipes you can try:

3. Homemade Breakfast Bars

Who doesn’t love granola bars? It’s a convenient, tasty breakfast option that can be found pretty much anywhere these days. But it doesn’t have to stop there. By making your granola bars, you can create different flavor combinations using ingredients that are as healthy as they are delicious. And from start to finish the whole thing shouldn’t take more than half an hour.

4. Breakfast Quesadilla

Take two pieces of bread, spread some cheese between each one, and stick them together in a quesadilla maker for around 3 minutes. This will give you something kind of like scrambled eggs, sandwiched between crunchy bread slices …yum! You can season this however you like (pepper is delicious), add cheese, add vegetables, add bacon…the sky’s the limit!

5. Protein-Packed Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a delicious and filling breakfast option that doesn’t have to be boring. There are plenty of ways to perk it up on top of just adding some fresh fruit on top. You can blend this one in a blender for a few minutes before you eat it if you want a warm milk-like substance instead of actual oatmeal (not including the water). This lets you get creative with your flavor combinations – throw in some cocoa powder and peanut butter for an indulgent chocolate peanut butter oatmeal concoction, or grate in some ginger and add some cinnamon for something more adventurous.

6. Smoothie Bowls

Smoothie bowls are another great option for those who want to switch up their standard breakfast routine. They’re like thick smoothies that you eat with a spoon (rather than drink through a straw), and because of this, they can be topped off with all sorts of yummy ingredients: granola, fresh fruit, chocolate chips…the list goes on! All you need to do is blend your chosen smoothie recipe in your blender before transferring it into a bowl or other dish, then topping it off as desired. This is a perfect idea if you are finicky about certain foods, because once it’s blended together, you won’t even know the difference!

7. One-Bowl Pancakes

Pancakes made from one bowl? That’s right! This easy-peasy recipe will have you waking up to a stack of pancakes in no time. All you need is a cup of self-raising flour, two eggs, half a cup of milk, and some neutral oil for frying (e.g., grapeseed or sunflower). Blend everything in a blender until it forms a smooth batter, then transfer the whole thing to a pan on your stove at medium heat. Wait until each side turns golden brown before flipping them over and repeating on the other side, then serve with whatever toppings take your fancy – syrup works particularly well here!

So there you have seven simple breakfast options that can be prepared quickly and easily for busy mornings when you want to make sure you get off to a good start and don’t end up running late. All but one (the protein-packed oatmeal) of these recipes can be completed in half an hour or less. So what are you waiting for? Give them a try today!

Tags breakfast

Healthy Living

4 Tips to Eat Healthy on a Busy Schedule

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date October 13, 2021

If you’re too busy to truly just sit down and enjoy your meal, then there’s a strong chance that you’re juggling multiple roles at once such as your job, social life, or maybe even a parenting role as well. Sometimes for people on busy schedules, food becomes a super low priority. They’re too busy to the point that they forget to eat. For others, they simply don’t have time to get around to making a warm meal so they resort to eating convenient food such as a bag of chips or a chocolate bar since these can be eaten on the go. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can eat healthy on a busy schedule.

Whether you’re a workaholic or someone who is trying to escape the busy cycle of your day-to-day life, it’s so crucial to eat healthily. Healthy eating leads to feeling better, having more energy, but it also leads to mental clarity, as well. Here are four tips for having a healthy diet, even on the busiest of schedules.

Eat Healthy on a Busy Schedule Tip #1: Prioritize Breakfast

Many people tend to forget about breakfast, breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day. It’s crucial to get a full healthy meal before taking on the long hard day. Whether you’re trying to go vegan, or you want to have a healthy diet in general, you should try to break your fast with a nutritious meal.

Need inspiration? Try some of these ideas:

Tip #2: Cut the Coffee and Drink More Water

While it’s fine to have a couple of cups of coffee each day, you’re far better off trying to stick to water as your main beverage. If you can, try to bring a reusable water bottle with you to work so you have that to fill up and drink throughout the day. This is going to be far healthier than a coffee and there aren’t any calories in water either.

Our bodies need to stay hydrated and it especially needs water for that. Water helps us flush out toxins, regulates our digestive system, gives us better skin, but drinking water will also help energize us as well.

Eat Healthy on a Busy Schedule Tip #3: Create a Routine

Making your meal and having it at the same time every day is going to do wonders for you. This is going to give you the chance to create a daily routine, and it allows you to get in a bit more control of your schedule. Setting a routine is one of the best ways to make you feel like you have control and it also helps with feeling mentally free. Creating a specific routine for eating is going to ensure that you’re going to be able to sit down, have your meal, and your meal won’t be rushed. This routine can also be a part of making food for yourself such as learning how to make mushroom quiche from scratch.

Busy Schedule Tip #4: Watch Portion Sizes

This is a lot easier if you pack your meals or if you’re using a meal prepping service, but it’s so important to watch your portions. Watching your portions will allow you to fight off eating mindlessly but it’s also going to help out in watching the calories that you consume.

Tags busy schedule

Healthy Living

What Is the Mediterranean Diet and Why Is It Healthy?

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date October 12, 2021

The Mediterranean diet is a style of eating that follows the contours of the geography and climate of a specific region. The area encompassed by this nutritional plan includes southern Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. A balanced diet with plenty of plant-based foods, including vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans), fruit and nuts; fish and poultry in place of red meat; along with healthy fats from olives and olive oil make up most Mediterranean dishes.

A pioneering researcher into disease prevention through diet has compared following a Mediterranean-style eating pattern to taking a daily low dose aspirin tablet. Ancel Keys, PhD – known as the “father” of the now popular eating strategy – found that people who ate a typical variety of foods common to the Mediterranean diet had a much lower risk of dying from heart disease.

What You Eat Matters

As reported recently in the journal Circulation, Dr. Ruth Fretts, an associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, has discovered that eating like the Mediterraneans also helps to reduce stroke risk. “What was most surprising was that we were able to demonstrate these benefits even among people who did not achieve the target amounts of fish or plant foods consumed within this population,” she says.

According to Fretts, this is important because it shows what you eat matters more than how much you eat (the two components often both assessed together). Also, people can make changes throughout their whole lives rather than having to radically alter their diet immediately.

Decrease Chances of Developing Diseases with the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is the only dietary pattern that has been proven to help decrease the chances of developing chronic diseases and even treat existing conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type II diabetes.

A commonly cited mantra is: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” While it’s true that following a Mediterranean-style eating plan doesn’t mean subsisting on pasta alone, pasta dishes often do play a starring role in this balanced nutritional approach.

Mediterranean Diets Use Fresh Ingredients

At its core, this approach uses ingredients that are fresh and minimally processed, cooks meals from scratch using healthy preparation techniques such as grilling or poaching, and limits or eliminates processed foods, especially those with trans-fats.

Since the Mediterranean diet is based on ingredients readily available in supermarkets rather than difficult-to-obtain specialty fare, it’s an easy way to improve your eating habits. You may find that you already follow many of the same practices without even realizing it. Try this egg waffle recipe to see how easy it is!

Avoid Sugar

For example, if you avoid sugar and refined grains, then you’re well on your way to following a Mediterranean-style menu. The main steps towards adding this nutritious style of eating into your weekly routine are choosing healthy oils; increasing produce; including plenty of fish and poultry; using herbs instead of salt to flavor foods; and using red wine in moderation.

Recommended amounts for a healthy Mediterranean-style diet include:

2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day
1 whole fresh fruit per day
2 servings of whole grains per day
4 ounces of lean sources of protein (legumes, fish or poultry)
3 servings of healthy fats based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Olive Oil Paradox

In fact, the ” olive oil paradox” shows that despite high fat content, people who eat a Mediterranean-style diet tend to be healthier than those who don’t even though they typically have lower body weights.

This highlights the importance not only of what you eat but how much you eat since excess calories from any food source can lead to weight gain. In this case, the apparent contradiction is resolved since most people who use olive oil for cooking typically use far less than those who cook with butter or animal fat, even though the latter have lower calorie content per tablespoon.

Although it’s considered a high-fat diet, it’s actually moderate in protein which also helps keep blood sugar levels steady, promotes better heart health and makes you feel full longer. The recommended amount of protein is about half a gram per pound of body weight per day (or 15% of daily calories). That means that if you weigh 150 pounds, this would translate into 75 grams of protein.

You can get this amount by eating 8 ounces of fish, poultry or legumes at each of your 3 main meals. You’d also take in about 30 grams of protein if you ate a five-ounce piece of meat and a cup of cooked legumes – such as lentils, black beans or garbanzos – at dinner.

In Closing

Of course, it’s not always possible to eat a perfect diet every day. The key is simply to fit these extras into your daily calorie budget rather than allowing them to derail your efforts altogether.

Tags Mediterranean Diet

Healthy Living

How To Go Vegan

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 16, 2021

If you are thinking of trying to improve your diet, and you also want to do your bit in helping the planet, one option is to go vegan. A vegan diet is a relatively easy thing to have, as long as you know how to approach it.

The truth is that there are a few things to bear in mind, and as long as you do so, you should find that going vegan is a lot easier. In this post, I am going to take a look at how you can go vegan.

Take It Easy When You Go Vegan

The first thing to bear in mind is that going vegan can be a very easy and simple thing to do. There are a lot of ideas floating around about how difficult going vegan is, but it is simply not true: as long as you approach it in the right way, you’ll find that it is much easier than people tend to assume.

However, there is one thing in particular that you will want to do to ensure that you make it even easier: take it easy and slow. If you can do that, you should find that you are much more likely to stick with it and to enjoy it as you do it too.

Essentially, this means that you should have an end goal in mind, but begin at your own pace. There is really no reason to rush it, although if you do decide to do it overnight, that’s up to you: just bear in mind that a lot of people end up failing if they rush it.

Get Your Nutrients

One thing you do need to take care of is that you are still getting all of the necessary nutrients that a human being needs. This is not necessarily that hard to do, but you have to make sure that you are considering it at least, otherwise, you might well fail to get those nutrients as you would hope.

The best way to ensure you get your nutrients is to keep your diet as varied as possible. Fortunately, that is easy to do, especially now that there are vegan versions for pretty much any meal – so whether you want a vegan mac and cheese recipe or vegan salads, you can be sure that it’s possible to do.

As long as you have the nutrients that you need, you will be a lot healthier, have much more energy, and be able to enjoy it a lot more. You will also find that your mood is likely to be in a much better condition most of the time as well. All of this is vital to help ensure ongoing success with your attempt at going vegan. If you fail to think about your nutrients, you might actually end up much less healthy than you had been previously!

Go Vegan and Leave Your Comfort Zone

It can be all too easy to stay in one’s comfort zone, but ultimately this is going to make things a lot more difficult in general when it comes to trying out a new diet. You must be prepared to try new things as much as possible, as that is going to help ensure that going vegan is a lot easier for you. If you think you don’t like noodles or lentils, for instance, try them out in a different kind of recipe, and you might be surprised at how much that helps. Essentially the more you can expand your taste buds, the easier time you will have of going vegan.

Changing your diet in such a radical way can be a lot easier to do if you do it with someone else in tow. You can encourage each other, or even compete with each other for new recipes and delicious vegan meals. All in all, you are going to feel less isolated, and it will help you when it comes to trying to find success with your vegan adventure. It really is one of the best ways to ensure that you go vegan without any trouble, so it’s something you are going to want to think about. Ask around with your friends, your partner, or whoever else, and you should find that this really helps.

As long as you do all that, going vegan is going to be a lot easier and simpler.

Tags vegan

Creative Cookery Healthy Living

How to Persuade Children to Try New Food

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 15, 2021

Kids are notoriously picky eaters. They’ll try to avoid any food that’s unfamiliar, whether it be a vegetable or an animal protein. How can you convince them to give something new a chance? Here are some excellent ways to persuade children to try new food.

Be Calm When You Attempt to Persuade Children to Try New Things

If you get upset or angry about the fact that your children aren’t eating what you have given them, this will be quickly picked up by the children themselves, and then they will associate new foods with your disapproval. This can give them a mental block when it comes to trying new things, and they might not even realize it is happening. If you stay calm and ensure it is no big deal, it’s just something different on their plate, they’ll be less concerned with your feelings and more interested in the food itself. If they still don’t try it, don’t say anything. Just try again another time.

Fewer Snacks Can Help Persuade Children to Eat Better at Mealtimes

If you cut down on the number of snacks a child has, they will be hungry enough to try whatever is on their plate when it comes to mealtime. If they have had a snack long before, or they know they’ll get one later on when they ask, there is no incentive to eat what’s there – they’ll know they’ll never go hungry. Once they realize that there won’t be a snack later, they will try the new food (ideally), and hopefully, they will like it.

Don’t Make Them Eat It All

The point here is to encourage children to try new things rather than eat a lot of food, so you shouldn’t ask or expect them to eat everything you give them. Trying it is enough. Of course, if they do find that they like it, they may well eat it all, and if you have any in reserve, they might even have a second helping. Make a rule about food such as they have to try at least a bite of everything on their plate or they won’t get dessert. They know the rule, it’s not a big fuss, and they try new things easily.

Serve It In A Fun Way

Just putting some items on a plate and placing it in front of your child may not inspire their imagination too much – and the food, even if it tastes great, could come across as rather dull. To make them more likely to want to eat what you want them to eat, give them something to think about and to remember. This might be their favorite food with a special sauce, so finding the best mild sauce for chicken is a good idea. You could look at a home taco bar and put all the ingredients out on the table for the kids to build their own tacos with, for example. Or what about making your own pizzas from scratch? There are many ways to make food more interesting, which will help kids want to try new things.

Tags kid-friendly

Healthy Living

Veganism: Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Starting the Lifestyle

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date August 6, 2021

Becoming a vegan is not an easy decision. It takes dedication, patience, and the willingness to learn about new foods. If you are considering veganism or just want to know more about what it means before you decide, then this post is for you. It will answer some of the most common questions people have before starting their vegan journey.

Are You Getting Enough Protein?

Yes, one of the best parts about being a vegan is that so many different types of protein are available to you. You can get it from beans and soy products or even nuts! Make sure that you find something that suits your liking because as long as you make sure to eat enough calories in general, this should not be an issue at all. For example, the chicken stew slow cooker recipe is an excellent source of protein.

Should You Give Up Going to Friends’ Family Dinner?

No, not at all. It is crucial that you still go to family and friends’ function as a vegan because this will help them understand what it means to be a vegan and show them the benefits of being one. In addition, you want your loved ones on board with your new lifestyle so they can support you in any way possible.

Do You Ingest a Healthy Amount of Minerals and Vitamins?

There is no doubt that when you transition to veganism, it can be challenging because of the lack of meat. However, there are many other sources of minerals and vitamins, such as nuts or fruits, which will help you stay healthy.

How To Make Veganism Affordable?

One of the best parts about being a vegan is that it becomes so much cheaper! Vegan produce is affordable and on-demand. However, this does not mean that you will spend any less than if you were eating meat for dinner every day.

What Happens When You Crave Meat?

You might want to try and have some mock meats such as veggie hot dogs or even almondmilk yogurt, which will help satisfy your cravings!

A lot of people think that they need meat for protein, but this is false. In addition, being a vegan gives you many other benefits than being healthier because you won’t ingest cholesterol from animal products anymore.
The health risks of overeating meat can be too significant compared to what kind of nutritional value it has.

What About Your Children? Is Veganism Right for Them?

If you have kids, then this question is a very important one! It might seem difficult at first, but like with anything else in life, it’s doable. Plus, studies show that going vegan has had positive effects on health, so why not make an effort to involve your kids?

There are also great online resources if you need any more advice on getting started without overwhelming your kids.

Conclusion

Being a vegan has many incredible benefits that you should consider before starting. It can be hard at first, but it’s worth the effort to feel healthier and have a better quality of life!

Tags vegan