Do you eat dinner as a family? We do, nearly every night. It’s important to me, and studies show that the benefits of eating as a family are huge. Unfortunately, with packed schedules and big work commitments, many families have abandoned the family dinner. It’s time to get back to it though. I’ll be the…
Healthy Living and Cooking
Raising a Healthy Family: You Are In Charge of Your Kids’ Health!
As parents, one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children is to raise them to be healthy in all elements of their life. We have the power to teach them about healthy eating, inspire them to be active and encourage them to live well. First Lady Michelle Obama recently unveiled an official…
Healthifying My Life Update
This week, I was featured on MomTrends as part of the site’s Fit Mom series. When I received the email from Nicole Feliciano, who writes MomTrends, that my profile was up, I was a little giddy. Not only did Nicole say some nice things, but it was an amazing feeling to show off my successful…
Beef Stew, A Family-Favorite Recipe
Pretty much everyone who knows my family knows that my husband Shawn hates onions … or at least he says he does. The truth? He doesn’t like the texture of onions, but he does appreciate the flavor that a sweet onion can add to a dish. Don’t tell him I told you though, he’s very…
Spicy Pastrami, Bacon, Swiss Wrap
A local deli makes this massive, delightful sandwich called Amanda’s Big Mouth. It’s pastrami, cheddar, bacon, onions, lettuce, tomato, hot sauce and thousand island dressing (I skip the dressing)—and it’s amazing. It’s the kind of sandwich you eat when you are starving … or when you just want something amazing when you are enjoying a…
Healthy Family: The Authors of Sneaky Fitness Dish on Kids and Fitness
Dear Readers, as I mentioned last week, I plan to write more about raising a healthy family this year (see my interview with Dr. Oz from last week). This week, I have tips on getting active from Missy Chase Lapine and Larysa Didio, authors of the new book Sneaky Fitness: Fun, Foolproof Ways to Slip…
Comfort Food: Crunchy Oven Fried Chicken Recipe
There is something amazing about biting into the crispy coating of fried chicken. It crunches between your teeth, revealing layers of flavors. It’s salty and wonderful. Before you know it, you’re biting into hot, juicy chicken, just below the skin. Well, at least I hope it’s juicy. I’ve had a lot of flavorless meat on…
Start The Year Off Right Dr. Oz on Budget-Friendly Healthy Eating
Dr. Oz shares great budget-friendly healthy eating tips that are perfect for your New Year’s Resolutions — or any time. Happy New Year! This year, I plan to focus even more heavily on healthy living and raising a healthy family. If we take care of our bodies, then we can live longer and happier, and…
Fabulous Fish: Baked Lemon Herb Cod Recipe
Looking for a great baked cod recipe? This quick and easy recipe for Baked Lemon Herb Cod is simple but yields a rich, flavorful dish everyone will love. Sometimes, you taste something – just a little bite of it – and it blows you away. That was the case with this dish. It was rich, buttery…
Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe
It’s really hard to believe that I went for so many years without ever tasting a single sweet potato. My mother didn’t like them, and by extension neither did I. As far as I can remember, I think I had my first one at about age 19 in the fry form (cause seriously, anything in…
