Mini-Pavlovas with Fresh Fruit
For some reason, I was not familiar with Pavlovas and never had any as a child. As a rule, meringue was placed on the top of pies — which I did not like!. Any pie that had meringue on it got the fork-scrape treatment. I would eat all of the pie and leave a pile of meringue behind. Seemed like a boring addition to tasty pies… I don’t think I gave meringue much thought until I started watching various cooking shows. Suddenly I saw a different side to meringue — a baked one! Pavlova! Pavlovas are a delicious type of meringue with a delightfully crispy exterior and a soft marshmallow-like…
Introduction to Emotional Eating
Happy Monday! This post looks at emotional eating. I thought it was an important topic with many people noticing increased eating and weight gain during this quarantine. Today we look at some possible reasons for emotional eating. What is Emotional Eating? Emotional eating is the practice of managing one’s emotions by eating food. Here are some things that can help you figure out how to identify emotional eating, its effects, and a handful of tips on what you can do. What Causes Emotional Eating? Major changes in circumstances, relationships, work dynamics, daily stress, and general feelings of a loss of control can be major factors. For example, a recent break…
The Difference in Barbecue Sauces
Barbecue sauces come in many flavors and styles. From sweet and savory to hot and spicy, the choices are endless. While it’s easy to grab a bottle of prepared sauce off the grocery store shelf, there’s nothing quite like creating your own from scratch. Most popular barbeque sauces originate in the southern states, from Texas to Florida. As unique as the people, each state has its own preferred style. From thick, rich tomato-based sauces out of Kansas City to thin vinegar-based sauces hailed in North Carolina, there’s a style and flavor for everyone. If you’re not familiar with the differences, here’s an overview of the most popular styles. Kansas City…
Chocolate Cherry Brownies
Hi there! I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. Today we have another dessert recipe associated with another national day. May 26th is National Cherry Dessert Day. This Chocolate Cherry Brownie should fit the bill quite nicely! These Paleo-friendly chocolate cherry brownies are so incredibly moist and full of flavor, you won’t even miss the processed flour, sugar, and dairy ingredients found in more traditional recipes. For this version, you can use either fresh or frozen cherries. If using frozen cherries, let them thaw completely at room temperature before chopping and adding to the batter. You can also collect the juice while thawing and add it to the…
Loaded Stuffed Potato
Happy Monday! We have been staying at home for almost 3 months now. School is finally out so the homeschooling portion is over for now. I haven’t really been cooking that much during this time. I had really great intentions but very little time. Now that summer is creeping up, perhaps I can do a better job! Next up is graduation. Surprisingly, the school district has scheduled an outdoor graduation ceremony. We have to figure out how we are going to handle it. I am still concerned about being around people who may not really believe in masks and social distancing. We have to figure it out. May is National…
Setting Intentions with Your Journal
When you set intentions, you tell yourself what you are going to do. You are able to narrow your focus to just a few things. It is similar to setting goals or writing down a to-do list. But with intentions, you are making a promise to yourself to get this thing done. Here are some ways to use a journal for setting your intentions. Plan Your Intentions Each Morning In order to reach your goals, you need intentions. These are the actions you take each day in order to reach the final destination. You can use your journal each morning to write out your intentions for the day. It is…
Good Fruits and Vegetables for Your Immune System
Everyone knows that it’s important for you to eat fruits and vegetables to stay healthy because they provide you with a lot of nutrients that you need. They can help you lose weight by making you feel more full with fewer calories. Most importantly, they can help boost your immune system considerably while still being delicious and good for you. One of the best types of fruits for your immune system hands-down is citrus fruits. Citrus The most common citrus fruits you’ll find are oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. These were commonly eaten aboard ships hundreds of years ago to stave off scurvy. These days, they give you a great…
World Baking Day: Chocolate Walnut Brownies
Hi everyone! Tis past weekend was World Baking Day! I am a little late but there is never a bad time to bake right? World Baking Day is the third Sunday in May each year. Everyone is encouraged to bake — for themselves and their families and their friends. It has been observed since 2012. You can still bake something for friends and family. Like this one! Check out this Chocolate Walnut Brownie recipe! Other Baking Recipes Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies
Homeschooling: How to Cope with Waning Attention Spans
One of the biggest challenges that parents have been facing during the coronavirus crisis of 2020 is that they are expected to successfully home school their children while balancing their own work from home computers. A quick log onto social media (don’t do it) and you’ll likely see parents proverbially pulling their hair out over the inability to get kids to stop playing with their siblings, fighting, whining, or procrastinating so they can buckle down and get their school work completed in a timely fashion. Help Their Brains: Break It Down It may seem counterproductive, but believe it or not, the best way to get kids to focus on school…
Let’s Chat about Tequila
Today is National Alcohol Day. This post is about tequila — this topic covers the alcohol day and the focus on Mexican flavors because of Cinco de Mayo. It should be fun! When the topic of Mexican food comes up, there may be a vast array of flavors and ingredients discussed. But mention Mexican beverages and all discussion turns to one drink – tequila. Mexico and tequila are inseparable, both culturally and legally. A bottle of Champagne can only be labeled “Champagne” if it originates from the Champagne region of France. Similarly, tequila can only be labeled “Tequila” if it is produced in specific Mexican states. This process starts with…
