Tilapia - The good and bad fish

I don't always consider fish to be my protein of choice, but since the American Heart Association states that fish contains vital nutrients for heart health I decided to start feeding my family fish once a week.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week (click here for American Heart Association article), but I'm starting small, particularly because tilapia, the fish I can afford on my budget, may have as many health risks as it does benefits.  Click here for an article from US News and World report. 


Prior to cooking and consuming any type of fish, including tilapia, you should be aware that fish can contain mercury and some low fat fish might contain potentially unhealthy fatty acids.

Although some mercury is not considered to be dangerous, too much mercury can be harmful to your body.  (Read more and see mercury levels in various types of fish on the American Heart Association's website here). 

There is controversy over the types of fat in low fat fish such as tilapia may contain dangerous types of fats.  You can read both sides of the issue here and here.

As with many any food, following government and American Heart Association guidelines for portion sizes and serving frequency is key to maximizing the nutritional value of fish.

Kitchen Decor Stickers - A great gift for the holidays.

Expressive Signs offers holiday decor gifts for the hard to buy for people on your Christmas list. Many of these unique home accent gifts are even priced under $20. Custom vinyl wall words and graphics are also available in a variety of colors and sizes. Click here for additional information.

Easy recipes and Dinner Meal Plans

I am always looking for budget-friendly and easy recipes. Today I found a website that offers inexpensive mom-tested recipes and weekly meal plans as well. The moms who think website is definitely going into my internet bookmarks.

You can check out the recipes and free meal plans available on their website by clicking here.

The website also offers many other helpful resources for moms such as parenting advice and activities for children, health, nutrition and diet resources for women,baby names for boys and girls and more.

Chocolate - The Perfect Gift For a Woman

With the holidays approaching we all have that one woman on our list who seems to have everything. Why not give her the gift that speaks volumes to almost any woman - chocolate. I am not sure of the precise scientific reasoning behind why chocolate can alter a woman from a depressed state of mind back to what passes for sanity, but I do know that chocolate works wonders for my mood and that of many other women as well.

Gourmet chocolates can be an affordable luxury with many gift packages available at www.chocolate.com for under $25. This holiday season, why not give the gift of chocolate?

Food Stamps, Women Infants and Children, and Government Food and Nutrition Grants

With the rising cost of food, many families are turning to government assistance for help. If you have never used this financial assistance before,however, it may be difficult to know where to go for eligibility information.

The United States Department of Agriculture website offers information on food stamps (now called the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or SNAP for short) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) assistance. You can find  S.N.A.P. food stamp information here; and WIC assistance information here.

For charities in need of government assistance for feeding programs information on government grants for food and nutrition is located here.

Vary the Routine

Has cooking become just another part of your daily routine?  Why not try some variation to spruce it up a bit, either in the cooking itself or in your style of presentation for the food. 

As I write this post I am envisioning a fond memory of a family tradition my parents, sister and I had when I was younger.  We had indoor family picnics on our living room floor.  That may sound like a cheesy idea to you, but for me it was one of the highlights of my week.  Why?  Because I was spending time with my family and breaking free from the day-to-day routine once a week.

Today, why not try a creative method of presentation with your family?  Maybe you could try eating with chopsticks or having party food for supper.  Maybe you have a different creative idea such as having family members come up with meal suggestions, eating dessert first, or letting the kids do the cooking.  Whatever your idea, be sure it is something the whole family can enjoy and that family members participate together as much as possible.

Mood Food

Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel like being lazy all day and not doing anything or where the pressures of life seem so overwhelming that  you just need a break to eat?  Well, before you reach for your favorite comfort food, why not reach for a healthier alternative.

In her article listed here, About.com Guide Cathy Wong recommends "Five Foods for a Better Mood."

1) Oatmeal
2) Walnuts
3) Tea
4) Salmon
5) Lentils

Rest and other factors also play important roles in reducing stress, but food is fuel for our bodies.  Without the right kind of fuel, our bodies do not run as efficiently as they should.

Handle with Caution

During the busy holiday season it is extremely important to exercise caution when handling raw food products, especially meats. Proper sanitary cooking may help you avoid a holiday season filled with illness instead of festivities. 

Today I happened across a portion of Kroger's website which deals with this extremely important topic. It never hurts to have a reminder of the proper things to do when handling food products.  Click here to find out more about safe food preparation courtesy of Kroger supermarket.

Reading Labels

Have you ever examined a label and found that many convenience foods, even those you think are healthy, can contain large amounts of harmful ingredients such as sodium?  Too much sodium can be bad for your health as my husband rediscovered on a recent doctor's visit which inspired him to desire healthier eating and exercise habits.

Cooking from scratch whenever possible is a good way to ensure that your family is eating healthier foods.  Cooking your own meals allows you to have more control over the amounts of sodium and other ingredients your family consumes.  It also allows you to use your creativity to create meals tailored to your family's tastes.

Websites such as www.allrecipies.com and www.recipezaar.com offer a wide variety user-tested recipes for all types of foods.

Fortunately, many retailers are also considering consumer's health concerns.  One retailer I just discovered today even specializes in low sodium foods.  Heart Healthy Market offers a wide selection of low sodium products on their website.  Click here for more information. I found this website through a blog specializing in low sodium cooking which you can see here.

Comfort Food

I've always thought of comfort food as meat and potatoes or chicken and dumplings.  (Can you tell I'm a Southern girl)?  Today, however, as I was contemplating the intricacies of what comfort food means to me I decided that it is more than simply what tastes good.  There is an emotional connection that makes comfort food a psychological stimulant that makes us feel better about ourselves and things around us.

Comfort food can be both our best friend and our worst enemy.  If we rely upon it constantly to make our problems at least temporarily go away, that can come back to haunt us in our waistlines.  It should be more like a casual acquaintance to us rather than our best friend.

My challenge for you today is to examine the amount of comfort food in your diet and find ways to replace comfort foods with more healthy food choices if too many of them make up your daily household menu.

What's for dinner?

What's for dinner?  If I only had a nickel for every time I heard that question.  Fortunately a brand new website is designed to help you answer that question www.halfhourmeals.com.  The website sports a "meal of the day" feature, a host of recipes and even a community and blog links all designed to make cooking faster and more enjoyable for you. 

The potato problem

Have you ever noticed that bags of potatoes seem to be less expensive when you buy the larger bags?  In my area there is hardly a difference between the price of a small bag and a large one.  Sometimes the larger one is even less expensive.  I really don't need the larger bag.  Truth be told, I barely use the small one.  It feels so wasteful to throw away things I don't use.  Still, I just can't pass up a good bargain.  So, what is a girl to do?  Share.  My church has various ministries that can use the excess potatoes and other foods that I cannot eat before they spoil.  I also have neighbors that need to feed their families.

I have to admit that sharing is often hard for me.  The reason why it is hard is not because I dislike it but rather that I like it too much.  It's almost like an addition for me.  It's very hard to stop once I get started.  The warm fuzzy feeling I get when someone knows I cared enough to share with them makes me feel so great that I want to share more and more.  At the same time, however, I know that I have limits to what I can share.  I hate that feeling of limitation.  Whenever I feel that way, however, I try to remember that each little thing that a person does can combine with other little things that other people do to make a big difference.

My challenge for those of you reading this is to do one little thing today and encourage others around you to do the same.  Share your excess potatoes or take some of those canned goods your local grocery store has on sale to a local food pantry.  Together our little acts of kindness can make a big difference.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Plato's inspirational words "necessity is the mother of invention"* have made me reflect upon the upside of our down economy.  Having to do more with less sparks creativity in meal planning.

As I write this post I am fondly remembering my days of learning how to cook.  I recall all too clearly putting green food coloring into sugar cookies and dreaming about how wonderful they would look and taste.  They ended up looking like they were overgrown with algae and not tasting much better.

Although my cooking skills are not up there with famous chefs like Emeril Lagasse, I have come a very long way since the green algae cookies.  I have learned both though my own experimentation and lessons learned from other cooks who have paved the way before me that a few simple ingredients can be put together in the right combinations to make delicious and inexpensive meal solutions.  I have also become more brave about trying out new recipes as I broaden my horizons.

My challenge to you today is to try cooking a new recipe.  It might give you some money-saving inspiration for your own meal planning. Eat out less and cook more.  Let your cooking be a form of entertainment and an outlet for the creative potential that is hidden within you.
  
*Quotation Reference Source:  http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/33942.html

Party Food for Supper

I am always looking for easy, inexpensive and creative ways to cook meals for supper.  Then, I frequently use supper leftovers as lunch the next day. 

One of my favorite ideas is chicken salad.  It's a food that I typically associate with bridal showers or baby showers, but it works for a delicious and light meal at home as well.  All you need to create chicken salad is some leftover pre-cooked plain chicken, mayonnaise, some grapes and possibly other ingredients such as nuts.  Mix those together, slap them on some sandwich bread, and voila - your main course is done.  In a matter of minutes you can have a delicious family treat that won't break the bank but will fill your stomachs.

Why not try a party food supper for your next evening meal?

Homemade Food with a Bread Machine - Yum

My husband and I love our complex carbohydrates, maybe even a bit too much at times. I think they spoil us by making us feel full quickly. An evaluation of my bread budget made me think, however. Is there a more economical way to do this?

I am somewhat of a visual learner, so I went to my favorite video site, Youtube, and did some searching. The results really surprised me.  Did you know that you can make things like pizza dough and cinnamon buns with a few basic ingredients, a stove and a bread machine? I thought my bread machine could only be used for making loaves of bread from those expensive store-bought mixes. Boy, was I ever wrong!

Check out this link for a great pizza dough recipe and this one for a cinnamon bun recipe.

Couponing Forums and Groups

I know that I don't have all the ideas or answers when it comes to saving money on food.  That is why I am thankful that advice, tips and tricks from other people are all just a few clicks away.

Couponing forums and groups allow you to post questions and answers about saving money with sales and coupons.

Where do you find couponing groups?  One of my favorite sources is Yahoo.  Their Groups directory has (as of this writing) 937 couponing groups from which you can choose.  Their "groups about coupons page lists the name and a brief description of each group.  Click here for more information.  A good group will allow you to set your e-mail preferences so that you will either receive or not receive a new e-mail each time someone posts to the group.  Be warned, however, if you chose to receive e-mails rather than read all posts on the site you can be in for a bit of a shock when you see the number of e-mails you are receiving.  My advice is to read the posts on the group's site.

For forums, coupon mom is the best I've found (click here to visit).  Although you need to register before you post, you can read forum posts without registering. There is even a posting section dedicated to "newbies" who are not experienced in couponing.

There are many other couponing groups and forums out there, but I do want to caution you that there are scams out there as well.  Use common sense and discretion when evaluating forum posts.

Some websites are also unsafe or contain excessive pop-ups.  As an extra precaution I always Google the name of the company making the offer rather than clicking on a link in the forum in case someone has placed a link to a computer virus.  Another tool that helps me surf more safely on the web is the McAfee Site Advisor.  You can download it for free here.