by | Oct 28, 2016 | Food, Giveaway |
Hello Beautiful People,
Do you like to cook? Well, my husband and I enjoy it. One of our favorite TV Food Culinary, aficionados, Ina Garten, the one and only Barefoot Contessa is coming to my town in January for her new “Cooking with Peter,” book tour. And thanks to a friend on Facebook we were able to get pretty good seats.
“I like to greet my friends with a delicious drink, a big hug, and great music in the background, because that’s what gets a dinner party off to the right start.”
Ina Garten
If you don’t know who Ina Garten is, well where have you been? It’s okay. She is an author and has had a television show called, The Barefoot Contessa,” on the Food Network for many years. Her husband of 48 years, Peter often appears on the show. One thing I found quite intriguing that she was a former member of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
This month’s giveaway is sponsored by Katherines Corner and Katherines Corner Shop and Hosted by some of Katherines sweet bloggy friends.
One winner will receive a signed copy of Ina Garten’s new cookbook, ” Cooking for Jeffery”, provided by Katherine
AND $75 Cash or Amazon gift code provided by Katherine and some of her bloggy friends too! ( winners choice)
To enter please log into the entry form using your email address or Facebook log in
Please remember to follow your sponsors and all of the hostess so you can get all of your entries!
Katherine-Katherines Corner
Theresa- Shoestring Elegance
Marilyn-Marilyns Treats
Nancy-Nancy on the Home Front
Tamaki-Bubbling with Elegance and Grace
Alli-An Alli Event
Karren-Oh My Heartise Girl
Nina-Vintage Mamas Cottage
Linda- Crafts ala Mode
The Giveaway STARTS today Oct 28 ENDS November 29
Good Luck In The Cooking for Jeffrey Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by | Jun 11, 2016 | Fitness, Food |
I know, I know. You’ve tried and failed a million times before, so why should this time be any different?
Seriously, the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet cannot be emphasized enough. If you’re going to make a change for the better, the most important thing is that you ensure that those habits stick. Otherwise, it’ll just be another waste of time and effort. Follow these simple yet effective tricks, and you’ll have far greater hopes of staying on track.
Make Cooking Easy
The easiest way to employ a healthy eating plan is to start cooking yourself. This will instantly make it easier to monitor what you’re consuming. Moreover, you can be sure that you’re staying clear of harmful additives. We haven’t all got hours to waste in the kitchen. Likewise, not all of us have the skills of a restaurant chef. Finding simple recipes like my chili will ensure that you give your taste buds a healthy treat without wasting your entire day to do so. Of course, Crockpots and other kitchen accessories can go a long way to removing some of the stress too. Ahh, perfect.
Reduce The Costs
Alongside the time, you’ll also have a keen eye on the costs. There’s a common misconception that healthy eating has to be expensive. It can be. But only if you let it. The first step is to reduce your grocery bill with smarter decisions. Healthier sunflower oil for cooking is cost-effective while ensuring that your waistline won’t expand. Meanwhile, using coupons and special deals can make a telling difference too.We all enter the new diet with positive intentions. But you won’t keep it up if those new choices start burning a hole in your pocket. Keep it cheap, and you will be more likely to maintain it.
Stop Eating Out
Eating out on a regular basis can get expensive. Moreover, you’re more likely to ditch your healthy living when you’re out. So why not stop eating out? After all, you can have just as much fun at home. Organizing a summer BBQ for your family and friends is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening together. You’ll get all the benefits of eating out, only in a far more enjoyable environment. Furthermore, you can maintain your healthy eating while still allowing guests to eat whatever they want. Besides, any excuse to get out in the backyard is a bonus.
Eating out should be for special occasions, like a birthday or anniversary
Don’t Be Too Strict
Even if you don’t enjoy your eating habits, sticking to them for a few weeks isn’t overly difficult. But nobody should stop enjoying their life. Cutting out the things you enjoy entirely is not a long-term solution. The key is to enjoy things in moderation. If you love pizza, for example, you can make it healthier by making a stone baked version from scratch. It will leave you feeling less guilty while still giving you something to look forward to. This piece of motivation can become your secret weapon. So embrace it.
Homemade cookies are a great treat, but must be eaten in moderation.
Ultimately, healthy eating is designed to enhance your life. It won’t do if it feels like a constant struggle. And if you do slip up with a few bad days, dust yourself off and carry on.
FTC Disclaimer:
This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.
by | Jun 7, 2016 | Food |
Losing weight is easier said than done. We try many fad diets, but can struggle to shift the pounds. But just by eating healthier foods and cutting out certain bad foods you can easily start to lose some pounds and live a healthier lifestyle. Here is how you can eat a healthier diet every day.
Cut out snacking
One of the top ways you can start eating healthier every day and lose pounds is by cutting out snacking. It’s so easy to pick up and consume a snack such as a chocolate bar when you are hungry while you are at work or home. But it can mean you will put on weight that will be hard to shift. To ensure you eat a healthier diet every day, you need to start having more filling meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It will mean you will not be hungry at other times of the day as you will still be full. If you do want a snack during the day, stick to fruit and nuts which will help you to maintain a healthy weight. If you still are struggling to stay full during the day, you could start eating five or six smaller meals during the day. It will help you to stop snacking on fattening treats.
Peanuts are a great snack to curb your appetite
Follow recipes
Another way you can ensure you are eating a healthier diet every day is by following recipes. If you go by what you think when you are cooking, you will end up cooking way too much which will see you put on weight. Looking for recipes also means you will get a lot more healthy food ideas. A lot of people always make the same things which are unhealthy as they are stuck for ideas on healthy food. By finding recipes, there are some excellent ideas that you will want to try and cook that are not as boring as a plain salad! There are so many recipes online on Youtube that you can follow from different brands. Hampton Creek YouTube Videos will give you a lot of inspiration for healthy recipes including salads and noodles which you can make. You can also buy a chef’s book for some more idea on recipes to try.
Take fruit out with you
To eat a healthier diet every day, you should take fruit out with you to your workplace or even to the shops. Therefore, when you get peckish, you are more likely to consume the fruit, rather than finding a shop for a tasty chocolate bar or a pack of potato chips. It’s often hard to find time to eat the recommended five a day of fruit that you need in your daily diet. Therefore, by taking them with you, you are more likely to eat more in the day.
A fruit smoothie is perfect for breakfast or for on the go.
Don’t make too much food
Another tip for how to eat a healthier diet every day is to ensure you are not cooking too much. It’s so easy to make too much food and then after eating a normal portion, go and fill your plate up with the leftovers. But it’s so important not to do this. Otherwise, you will end up packing on the pounds. Measure everything out correctly so you know how much to cook when you are making meals. That way, you will only make enough for one meal. It’s fine to make more, as long as you freeze it after and use it another day. If you are finding yourself still hungry, you should be making side dishes to go with your main dinner. Eat some salad with the dish if you are still hungry. Or you can have a yogurt or some fruit after dinner if you’re still hungry.
Try going vegetarian
You will be surprised to know how many people are now vegetarian. As this article reveals, over 7 million people are now vegetarian in the US. It’s become a lot more popular recently because the diet can be a lot more healthy and good for you. When you eat vegetarian dishes, they are normally full of grains which are really healthy for you. You are also eating a lot more vegetables which are essential for a healthy lifestyle. As we discussed previously, by switching to a veggie diet, you can end up losing at least a pound a week. There are so many great recipes you can enjoy if you are a veggie. If you fancy trying the diet but are unsure about whether to do it permanently, you should try it for a week or two to see if you could stick to it. Just make sure you are still getting your essential protein which you would normally get from meat. Or why not consider having a veggie choice when you are out now and again to eat more healthy.
Eat white meat
Another way you can eat a healthier diet every day is by having more lean white meat, rather than red when you are consuming meat. We know how easy it is to stick beef or lamb in the oven as it tastes so delicious. But try and stick to chicken and turkey when you are making a burger or a curry if you want to consume a healthier diet. There has been a lot of research which says you are more prone to cancers and bad heart health if you consume red meat regularly. Therefore, go for white meat which will keep your heart healthy and help you maintain a healthy weight. If you are not keen on chicken or turkey, you can try eating more fish, which is full of protein. You could also occasionally consume tofu or egg if you want to give yourself a break from red meat.
Consume more eggs
A lot of dieticians are recommending that to have a healthy diet, you should be consuming at least a couple of eggs a day. They are a superfood because they raise the good cholesterol in your body and are full of delicious antioxidants. They are also full of high-quality proteins, vitamins, and good fats. Therefore, you should consume a couple of eggs to have a healthy diet every day. Try and eat one in the morning; you could either have a boiled egg, a fried egg, or an omelet. A tip for consuming more eggs is to use at least three when you are making an omelet. It will make it more fluffy and delicious and will help you to get your recommended intake of eggs.
Limit your bread intake
If you want to eat a healthier diet, you should consider limiting your bread intake every day. Bread is full of so many carbs that it can become quite unhealthy if you eat it more than once a day. Try and think of other healthier foods to enjoy at lunch time rather than a sandwich. Have a delicious salad full of chicken and grains to maintain a healthy weight. Here are some other tasty lunch ideas you can try and make to be healthier. If you want to eat bread still, try and have it only once a day. And you could try other healthy breads such as soya or rye bread.
Eat a healthy breakfast
Another tip for eating a healthier diet every day is to consume a delicious breakfast every morning. We know in the modern world it can be difficult to fit breakfast into your busy schedule. But it’s so important if you want to start the morning in a healthy way. It will ensure you don’t decide to snack part way through the morning on a pack of potato chips. You should cook something filling as well, rather than a small bowl of cereal. Have a delicious omelet or a porridge if you want to stay full for hours.
Always have salad at meal times
If you want to eat a healthier diet every day, you should always serve salad at meal times. It will mean you will be able to have some vital nutrients so you can help to maintain your weight. It will also stop you from getting up and going to get some leftover dinner as you can fill yourself up with salad. Remember to make the salad more appealing by adding a great sauce. Here are some other ways to make the salad more delicious.
Drink more water
You need to ensure you are drinking more water every day if you want to stay healthier. It can help you to maintain a healthy weight. It can also mean you won’t get hungry throughout the day if you are filling up with water. It can help other parts of your body such as your skin if you drink more water.
If you want to eat a healthier diet every day, you should remember to allow yourself to treat yourself now and again. If you don’t, you will end up craving unhealthy food and could end up eating too many fattening foods in one go.
FTC Disclaimer:
This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.
by | May 1, 2016 | Beauty, Food |
Hello Beautiful people,
It rained and hailed tonight right after hubby and I got home from church, thank the Lord the pellets were small and did not damage our Jeep or our house. Seeing lightning so clearly on the horizon as we drove home reconfirms that it is spring. After dinner, I had a few more steps to get in to reach my 10,000 daily goal. I realized how much I work out my body – with weights, Zumba, Daily Burn and other forms of exercise. While exercise is important, it is also good to take vitamins and supplements to give your body the extra nutrients that it needs. One key area, but often overlooked, is taking a supplement for your eyes. For the past month, I have been taking Vision Support 1000 Lutein Eye Supplement, which can be purchased on Amazon for $12.99.
Vision Support 1000 Lutein Eye Supplement
The company says on the bottle Vision Support Lutein Eye Supplement will
Promote healthy vision
Support Maximum Eye Support
Eye Strain Aid
The capsules contain Vitamin A, Zinc (as aspartate) Quercetin, Lutein, Lycopene, Bilberry, L-Taurine, Grape seed (95% extract),N-Acetyl1-L-Cysteine
Other ingredients:
Gelatin, Stearic Acid, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Slicone Dioxide and Magnesium Stearate.
For me, a typical day includes working on the computer for many hours and using my iPad or Kindle. It is a necessity for me to make sure that I look away from the screen at regular intervals, at least every 15 to 30 minutes. Taking a vision supplement is an added benefit for overall eye health; and making sure you get an annual eye checkups. Please check with your physician to see if a vision supplement is right for you.
DISCLAIMER:
I received this bottle of Vision Support Eye Supplement at a discounted price in order to write this review. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All opinions are strictly my own.
by JTwisdom | Jan 25, 2016 | Food |
Chili is the greatest of all winter-time comfort foods. What a perfect way to warm the soul on a cold day, but with a hearty bowl of chili. The greatest thing that I have learned about chili is that everyone makes it a little bit different. Depending on who you speak with, you will get a different version of what is the proper way to make chili. Some folks will say that the only authentic chili will have no meat, while others will argue that there must have no beans, of any kind, included in the recipe. And, depending on the part of the country that the person lives in, the chili sauce may be a different color all together. Some people like the chili to be a mild spiciness, while others think if your mouth is not burning, it is not chili.
This was very evident this past week when I took part in a Chili-Cook Off Contest at work. There were two categories – traditional and non-traditional. Traditional was defined as tomato-based and non-traditional was non-tomato based. With the other entries, I saw chili made with carrots, turkey, beer, and even green chilies. I entered the chili that my family has ate for the last several years. I entered the traditional category that included the standard meat and beans; but I take it a little bit further. I added in a few extra ingredients and make the chili into a filling meal. The kind that will stick to you when it is so cold outside. My recipe is easy to prepare and is made using one large stockpot and is completed in less than one hour. The full recipe is listed below. ENJOY!
JT’s Easy Chili – Taste So Good and Easy to Prepare
Ingredients:
– 2 Cups of Water
– 1 Chili Brick
– 1 Large Onion
– 1 Can of Chili Sauce
– 2 Cans of Chili Beans
– 2 Bags of Frozen Black Beans, Red Peppers, Onions and Corn Combo
– 2 Cups Fresh Lentils
– 2 Cups of Fresh Mushrooms
– 1 Medium Zucchini
– 1 Medium Squash
– 2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes
– 1 tsp. Seasoning Salt
– 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
– 1sp. Chili Powder
– 1sp. 21 Seasoning Salute (Trader Joe’s)
– 1sp. Sugar
Cooking Instructions:
1) In a 6 quart stock pot, combine the water with the chili brick (cut into small pieces) and the diced onion. Bring to boil and cook for five minutes. Stir frequently.
2) Add Chili Sauce and Chili Beans. Bring back to boil. Turn the burner down to medium and allow to cook for five minutes.
3) Add in the Black Bean Combo and Lentils.
4) Cut Mushrooms, Zucchini, Squash into small pieces. Add into mixture and cook on low until the Zucchini is soft, about ten to fifteen minutes. Stir frequently.
4) Add Diced Tomatoes.
5) Add Chili Powder, Seasoning Salt, Ground Black Pepper, 21 Seasoning Salute and Sugar.
6) Simmer for ten minutes on low. Stir regularly.
7) Serve with Cornbread or Wheat Crackers
8) Yields at least eight servings
Taste the Goodness!
Substitutions / Modifications:
* If Chili Brick is not desired or unable to be purchased, use one pound of ground beef.
* If Frozen Bag of the Black Bean Combo cannot be found, use two cans of black beans, diced red peppers and one small bag of frozen corn.
* If Trader Joe’s is not in your area, 21 Seasoning Salute can be omitted.
* Fresh diced tomatoes can be used instead of canned tomatoes.
* Any ingredient or seasoning can be omitted or increased, based on your taste preferences.
* Any brand of the canned ingredients can be used. Pick your favorite or what is available in your local supermarket.
If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out by leaving me a comment below.
If you have another Chili recipe, I would love to hear about it.
I would also love to know what your definition is for an authentic chili.
by | Dec 7, 2015 | Food, Inspirations |
The holidays are just around the corner so soon it will be the new year. Who likes setting goals and resolutions? They are great to do, and we always start off so well, right? By the end of March, though, sometimes our good intentions for change have fizzled out. Here are just a few tips that should help you to stick to those goals that you have. The start of a new year is the perfect time for a change.
Eat Little & Often
A lot of us make goals of weight loss right after the holidays, and it does make complete sense. We may have indulged over Christmas and want to feel fresh and less sluggish. Starving yourself or skipping meals is not the answer, though!
Eating smaller meals more often, will help control blood sugar levels. This will keep your energy up and stop you reaching for some sugar. You will feel so much more energized! Smaller meals more often will also help you to control your portion sizes. That is a great way to help shift a few pounds.
String beans and potatoes make a great meal option!
Make Some Changes
Sometimes, goals like running a marathon, or losing 20lbs, can take a long time. Sometimes we feel that we need some more immediate results. Making a change or two can help you feel like a new person. How about getting a new hairstyle or dye your hair a colour that you’ve always wanted to try? It could be as simple as getting a new outfit. A change can help you feel good until longer changes like weight loss, happen.
You could even consider a form of cosmetic surgery if you felt that was appropriate for you. As a woman, if you feel anxious about talking to a male surgeon, you could request a consultation with a female plastic surgeon instead.
Keep a Food Journal
A food journal is a great way to monitor what you eat and drink. You should make a note of your exercise too. When you are accountable and have to read through what you have eaten that day, it will help you to use control. It can also help you to stop over snacking or from eating just because you’re bored.
Another great thing to include in the food journal is how you felt. If you wrote that you weren’t particularly hungry, it could stop you eating out of habit. Sometimes you might grab a candy bar at the gas station out of habit. You probably aren’t even hungry when you buy it. Writing it all down will help you to realize this and help you become healthier.
Drink More Water
It may sound easier said than done, but it is so important. One way to help you improve how much water you drink is always to have a filled water bottle with you. Have it by you at work, or in the car or your bag. If you always see the bottle, you will remember to drink from it.
All the best to you and your new goals to a better you!
Follow!