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Top 3 Online Cooking Courses For Beginners

This quarantine period has brought out the MasterChef’s hidden within us. With Instagram and Facebook flooded with feeds featuring delicious spreads cooked by people, no wonder you are yearning to make your own insatiable dishes!

But, let’s face it: many of us are not good at cooking or spinning out something magical on the plate. Some don’t even know the right cookware to use for each meal. If that sounds like you, check out the cookware reviews by HomeDesignX and find out the right one for you and your next meal! If that strikes a chord, go on, read ahead. This article is tailor-made for you!

cooking

We have compiled a list of some excellent cooking classes available online for beginners like you putting on the chef’s hat for the first time.

1. Udemy Classes

This online academy offers over 65,000 online courses, which includes plenty of food-related and culinary classes. For example, learn how to make quick savory bites of Asian meals or healthy oil-free recipes from here.

2. Masterclass 

Are you interested to learn from star chefs who cook for Hollywood or own Michelin starred restaurants? Well, this is the place then.

From Wolfgang Puck to Massimo Bottura, you will be spoilt for choices at the masterclass. Learn tips and tricks, as well as hand-picked recipes from the very best, in a simple, easy-to-follow way, such that you become inspired to try out more. 

Their videos will explain the key to training your palate and guide you to make the basics of acclaimed cuisines. For instance, how does pasta dough for tortellini en brodo and parchment-baked sole sound to you?

3. America’s Test Kitchen

America’s Test Kitchen classes are very detail-oriented and teach you the perfect way to make anything. Most of these recipes have been tested several times by their expert chefs.

So, you can trust them and go ahead and follow the proportions you need to churn out a fantastic dish.

4. Allrecipes

This site has got everything related to cooking. From mouth-watering recipes to demonstration videos, this is an excellent place to start cooking. Moreover, you have the option to choose from both paid and free classes.

5. Rouxbe Cooking School

This is an online cooking school that provides you with rigorous exercises, demo classes, and even homework! So be prepared to heat the oven up with some serious and intensive schooling once you are here!

6. Foodist Kitchen

This is literally a cooking boot camp for beginners. Regular classes, training about grocery, how to stock supplies, the basic methods of cooking, everything is aimed at preparing you to face the kitchen after all!

Final Thoughts

Cooking is an art, and like any other art form, it needs your time and dedication. With the right amount of effort and a little dollop of love, I am sure you can start making palatable dishes pretty soon!




Top 3 Cookie Recipes That You Could Try Out Today

Are you feeling hungry? Is the social distancing days also making you feel distant from the familiar smell of cookies at your favorite bakery? Do you crave them badly?

Worry not! Here we have brought three simple recipes to help you make some lovely and delicious cookies at home.

cookies

Choco-chip Cookies

To make this age-old favorite cookie, you will need the following ingredients:

  • 5 Tablespoon Melted Butter 
  • 1/2 Cup Powder Sugar  
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 
  • 1 Cup All Purpose Flour 
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt 
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder 
  • A Pinch Of Baking Soda 
  • 3 Tablespoon Liquid Milk 
  • 1 Tablespoon Chocolate Chips

Directions to bake:

  • First, mix butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a container.
  • Next, add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and milk to it.
  • Mix all the ingredients properly and make it into a dough.
  • Knead the dough but not too much.
  • Once you are done with kneading, make a small portion from it and flatten it into your palm.
  • Sprinkle the choco-chips on the top.
  • Place the dough in a mold and put it into a preheated oven.
  • Bake the cookies at Celsius for 10-12 mins.
  • Once baking is complete, let the cookies cool down completely.

The choco-chip cookies are ready to be munched!

Shortbread Cookies

This is really simple to make, and you can experiment with any shape or form once the dough is ready.

Ingredients:

  • 50 G Sugar 
  • 100 G Butter (Or Margarine)
  • 150 G Flour 
  • 1 Tbsp Cocoa Butter (Optional)

Directions for preparing:

  • To make a plain dough, first, beat sugar and butter in a bowl with a mixer till fluffy. 
  • Sift the flour and mix. 
  • For the chocolate dough – switch 1 tbsp of flour with 1 tbsp of cocoa powder. 
  • Chill the dough in the fridge for 2 hours.
  •  Form the cookies by using any shape you want to try out.
  •  Bake at 190-degree Celsius for 10-12 mins.

The cookies are ready to be served!

Egg Coin Cookies

For this recipe, you will need:

  • 3/4 Cups Of All-purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • Two Eggs
  • 5 Tbsp Castor Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Melted Butter
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
  • One Pinch Of Orange Food Color
  • Butter Paper
  • Baking Tray

Directions:

  • Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl.
  • In a separate container, add the eggs and sugar and beat it gently.
  • Now add melted butter, vanilla essence, and food color into the egg mix.
  • Start adding the flour mix into this, gradually, and keep beating for all the ingredients to mix properly.
  • After the mixing is complete, your batter will be ready.
  • Take a piping bag and fill it up with the batter.
  • In a baking tray greased with butter, spread the butter paper.
  • Now using the piping bag pour the batter into small oval shapes.
  • Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 150-degree Celsius for 20 minutes.

Your sunny cookies are ready for tasting!

Final Words

Remember what Martha Stewart said,

I think baking cookies is equal to Queen Victoria running an empire. There’s no difference in how seriously you take the job, how seriously you approach your whole life!




5 Best Easy-to-Make Snacks Recipes to Try Out

With social distancing in place, you can’t go out and order at your favorite pizzeria or try out the new wrap in the drive-through after catching up on some movie. Especially with kids at home, the demands for tasty snacks are almost constant. 

We have brought you five easy to make snack recipes that you can enjoy with your family while under quarantine.

snack

Pizza Cups

     To make this, you will need the following ingredients:

  • 250 gm flour
  • One egg
  • One tablespoon oil
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon yeast
  • One tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Shredded chicken/corn
  • Tomato slices
  • Bell pepper
  • Olives
  • Mozzarella cheese or any other as available
  • Oregano and herb mix
  • Water
  • Oil brush
  • Muffin molds

     Direction for making it:

  • Take a bowl and mix together the flour, oil, egg, salt, yeast, sugar.
  • After mixing them, make a dough and, using water as required, knead the dough properly.
  • Cover the bowl in cellophane and let the dough rise.
  • Once it has risen, it’s ready to be used.
  • Roll it out on a board and cut out small flat pieces.
  • Brush oil on muffin molds and then put in the pieces you made pressed into the mold shape.
  • Add the bell peppers, chicken/corn.cheeses. Olives, herbs, and oregano. (or any other filling of your choice)
  • Put the muffin molds into the oven and bake for 200-degree Celsius for 20-25 minutes.

      Your tasty pizza cup is ready to be served!

Cheesy Potato Sticks

    For making this, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Two large boiled potatoes-150 gm
  • 80-90 gm Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tbsp mixed herbs
  • One teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • Fresh coriander leaves
  • 6-7 tbsp cornflour 

     How to make it: 

  • Grate the boiled potatoes in a bowl.
  • Next, add the cheese, herbs, and chili flakes into the bowl.
  • Now, add pepper and salt into the mixture.
  • Finely chop the coriander leaves and add it to the bowl, followed by cornflour.
  • Mix all the ingredients in the bowl and then make it into a dough.
  • Spread out the batter on a board covered cellophane and give it a square shape. Cover the square dough on top as well.
  • Using a rolling pin, make it as thin as possible.
  • Cut out from the center into four equal halves.
  • Now cut out each of the halves into stick shapes.
  • Fry them up in hot oil using a pan.

   home-made cheesy potato sticks are ready!

Berry Chocolate Toast

    The ingredients you need for this recipe are:

  • 1/4 cup almond butter 
  • 2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 4 tsp agave syrup, date syrup, maple syrup 
  • 2 tbsp almond milk 
  • Blueberry, blackberry

   Directions for making it:

  • Mix together almond butter, cocoa powder, all the syrups, and almond milk.
  • Make it into a paste.
  • Now toast your slices of bread and use this as a spread.
  • Add the blueberry and blackberry on top.

    Make this leisurely breakfast and have fun!

Final Notes

All these recipes are pretty simple and easy to make. So enjoy and have some nice snack time with your family!




Top 4 Cuisines to Try Out in the World

The love for a palatable dish is universal. We all crave to try out mouth-watering delicacies that places and cultures around the world have to offer. Through our travels, we are often introduced to something new that tickles the taste buds differently. 

Feeling hungry already? Take a look at the top 5 cuisines in the world that you should try out once! 

1. The Italian Cuisine

The Mecca of the best and delicious pizzas, Italy and its cuisine has a lot more to offer. From the pasta-noodle meets Parmigiano Reggiano and mozzarella in Lasagnas to a bowl of authentic Risotto, their dishes are all about an explosion of taste.

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But wait, that’s not all. This food heaven also offers you the best pasta in the world, especially the carbonara. Hold your appetite because the dessert is yet to follow. 

Gelatos, Tiramisu and Panna Cotta draw the perfect end to an already overwhelming cascade of tastes!

2. The Japanese Cuisine

Japan’s food culture is very unique and is worth your exploration. Home to the world of traditional sushi, Japanese food is a reflection of the country’s impeccable dedication towards details.

With visually stunning presentations to the equally gratifying tastes, sushi and sashimi are the must-try dishes when it comes to Japanese cuisine. Apart from these, if you are a fish lover, you can definitely try out the fish tempura dishes, another Japanese delight. 

Last but not least, if you are looking for the taste of Japan packed in a bowl, don’t forget to try out the wholesome Miso soup!

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3. The Indian Cuisine

India is a vast and culturally diverse country that is clearly reflected in the rich array of palatable it has to offer. From the North to the South and East to West, the food culture changes dramatically. 

It is difficult to cap the Indian cuisine as a single domain. Instead it would be more accurate to call it a collection of a wide variety of regional cuisines within the same country!

From the stuffed parathas, cottage cheese, and pulaos to dosas and idlis, from dhoklas to prawn curries, dal to masala chai, India, and its dishes, will surely leave you wanting for more! 

To put it precisely, Indian cuisine is the perfect example where thousands of years of tradition meets the modern century, in a brilliant explosion of taste.

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4. The Greek Cuisine

Apart from the rich cultural heritage, Greece offers you some of the most authentic Mediterranean dishes in the world. With their signature olive oil, Greek dishes are a culinary delight.

From Spanakopita to gyros, feta cheese to dolma, the country has a lot to satisfy your appetite. If you are still hungry, try out the lentil soup and soak in the essence of ancient Greece.

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Final Thoughts

Food is a great way to understand the history and culture of a country. Not only does it fulfill our senses, but a good dish inspires us to explore more. So, what is stopping you? Bring out your inner foodie and start exploring!




How to Start Making a Weekly Meal Plan

When you are making a weekly meal plan, the goal usually is to make your life easier. You would want to save time and stress of having to plan out each meal and then prepare for it. If you are a working parent, then this becomes even more important, so that you can make sure that your family is being fed proper nutritional food, while not driving you crazy.

dishes

To begin with, start out by planning meals for the entire week, including snacks and all three meals. Try to include all the meals that your family either enjoys together or takes with them in their tiffins.

Having all the meals listed down will give you an idea of what dishes you can prepare for each day. You can repeat the dishes with a gap of a few days to give your family a variety of dishes for the week. 

Remember to take into account the days when you are busy and you won’t have much time, this lets you plan easy and quick dishes for those particular days. Use your work schedule to guide your meal planning as well.

If you find this overwhelming, you can start out by doing this for just one meal. Say, you plan out dinners for the whole week. After you come back from work, tired and wanting to do nothing but rest, you won’t have to cook a whole meal. You can quickly throw everything you prepared together, and have a nice, healthy meal that would otherwise have needed at least an hour to make.

One thing to keep in mind is to be mindful of your lunch and dinner dishes. When planning for lunch, plan something that you can grab and go because you usually have shorter hours for lunch and most of us take tiffins. The chances of having a microwave in your establishment are 50-50 so don’t rely on that.

On the other end, you will have more time for dinner. So you can plan dishes for which you can make preparations at the weekend and then when it is time for cooking the meal, all you have to do is put it all together. It will give you the feeling of cooking a healthy meal without putting a lot of effort each time.

Final Thoughts

Don’t be overwhelmed by the idea of preparing for a week’s worth of meals in a day or two. Try by starting with a single meal plan. After you get used to planning and preparing and executing one meal, you can then upgrade the skill and apply it to all the meals.




How to Shop for Groceries and Meal Prep for the Week

With kids, planning is the key to smooth sailing. Grocery shopping is one of the things that when done in bulk will save you a lot of time and headache because you won’t have to lug your kids along that often. If you have younger kids, then you will relate to the pain of trying to get a chore done more.

Meal prep or batch cooking helps you have a plan to follow for the week, saving you the headache of thinking what to make before every meal. When you make a meal plan for the week, you get to take into account what all you already have and what all you will need. 

This makes shopping more efficient because you already know what you want, which in turn saves extra momentary spending. It also helps you use up everything you have, instead of forgetting about them and letting things go to waste.

Make a Weekly Meal Plan

Start out by planning meals for the entire week, including snacks and all three meals. This will give you an idea of what dishes you can prepare for each day. You can repeat the dishes with a gap of a few days to give a variety each day. You can also take into account the days when you are busy and you won’t have much time, this lets you plan easy and quick dishes for those particular days.

Make a Grocery Shopping List

Now that you have a plan of what meals you will be cooking, it becomes easier to make a list of things you might need. Take stock of your pantry and refrigerator. Check all the things that you already have and in what quantity.

Tick it off on your list of ingredients you need to prepare the week’s meal. Use the remaining ingredients as your shopping guide and stock up on them.

Time to Prep

Once you are done gathering the ingredients, start segregating into things that you can prepare now, things that have to be prepared in the moment, and things that don’t need any preparation at all.

Now start prepping. If you are not planning on batch cooking, even then you can prep ingredients to be used for cooking. You can wash, chop, cook, boil, bake – whatever your dish entails. 

If you are batch-cooking, then make sure to work on recipes that can be reheated (soups, veggies, lentils, beans) or can be eaten cold (salads).

Final Thoughts

When you have a lot of responsibilities, then finding ways to make your life easier is important to maintain sanity. If you have a job and children, then doing everything can become emotionally and physically tolling. Food is one of the main concerns, so if you can have that under control, you will save yourself a lot of stress.




6 Healthy DIY Halloween Recipes Kids Will Love

October is here, and Halloween is upon everyone. The early weeks of the month are setting up for the holiday, which will be filled with candies and snacks that aren’t so healthy. While many children and kids at heart look forward to gorging on all the sweet things, overloading on sugar can be harmful.

That’s not saying you should deprive your children. Rather, there are alternatives you can create to give them a little something healthy in between sugary bites.

Haloween

An age-old trick to making children (or even adults) eat healthily is to create foods that look fun and interesting. The great thing about Halloween is that it’s almost expected for food to fit in with the theme. Therefore, it gets easier this time of the year to disguise fruits or veggies kids don’t usually eat in snacks and other treats. Check out the ideas below.

Frozen Banana Ghost Pops

Although this recipe involves a banana smothered in white chocolate, it is certainly healthier than anything straight-up candy. Since it’s easy to make, you can make it together with children and have it a fun Halloween activity for the kids.

Jack-o’-Lantern Salmon Sushi Balls

What’s cuter than a completely edible jack-o’-lantern? This recipe calls for Japanese-inspired sushi balls decorated with salmon and delicately cut nori pieces to make the faces. It may look intimidating to make at first, but this detailed video will teach you the steps.

Speaking of snacks inspired from Japanese cuisine, the country loves Halloween and is dedicated to the holiday. In fact, seasonal snacks and limited candies come out during this time of the year. In case you miss out on those, there are staple treats that you can find there the whole year round.

Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Apple Smiles

Apples are plenty in the fall, and you can make your kids enjoy more of the apple’s yummy goodness by transforming it into a fitting Halloween snack. Apple smiles are easy to make, and they only require two other ingredients: peanut butter and marshmallows. The marshmallows should be small enough to resemble the teeth, and the peanut butter acts as the glue to hold them in place.

Creepy Spider Cheese Balls

Cheese contains several vital vitamins and minerals like calcium and protein, which can be beneficial to growing children. A great way to incorporate more cheese in your children’s diets this month so they’ll get the taste for it is to turn it into spider cheese balls. You can use any soft cheese you like, but make sure that it is moldable.

According to this recipe, the key to making the cheese balls look creepy is by covering them with black sesame seeds and adding cut pretzel sticks as legs. You can incorporate herbs and other healthy ingredients in the cheese mixture according to taste. This snack idea is also a hit among cheese-loving adults, so it’s great for grown-up Halloween parties too.

Jack-o’-Lantern Veggie Pizza

You can never go wrong with a pizza at a party, and you can certainly make this crowd-pleaser dish healthier by creating it from scratch. Premade crusts tend to have additives and preservatives that aren’t necessarily healthy. Additionally, in the spirit of Halloween, you can get away with not using the normal pizza ingredients. In the name of making it look more festive, use colorful veggies.

This recipe yields one jack-o’-lantern pizza and uses broccoli for the stem and edges, olives for the mouth and nose, and shaved carrots to fill the rest. The cream cheese underneath will serve as the glue for all the veggies. This interesting party food will certainly have your kids looking forward to more vegetable pizzas in the future.

Mini Bat Peanut-Butter-Cup Treats

Healthy doesn’t mean forgoing chocolates or sweets entirely. If you observe proper proportions, having candies in moderation can be good for everyone occasionally. For this recipe, make sure to use mini peanut-butter-cup candies so the serving is just right.

You’ll also need thin chocolate sandwich cookies that are sliced in half to serve as the wings of the bat. You’ll also need frosting to glue them and the edible eyes to make the treats look more animated.

What are your favorite healthy Halloween recipes? Share them in the comments below.




Natural Remedies for Headaches and Anxiety

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Anxiety and headaches are fairly common among people these days. If not treated properly, they can take a toll on our health. It is not the best option to take an aspirin every time we get a headache. Moreover, if you are reading this article, chances are that you still haven’t found an effective remedy for your headaches. I personally feel that natural ingredients work wonders compared to pharmaceutical products. Use these six natural home remedies to help reduce your headaches and alleviate anxiety.

1. Almonds

Eating almonds is an effective way to ease headaches. Salicin is an anti-inflammatory agent that is produced from the willow bark. This salicin works in the same way as an aspirin to cure headaches. Almonds also contain a high level of magnesium that helps relax the muscles; thereby alleviating anxiety and headaches. It has been proved that eating 10 almonds is the equivalent to taking two aspirins to cure a headache.

2. Ice

Headaches are caused due to dilated blood vessels in the head. In order to ease the tension, wrap some ice in a cloth and apply it to your forehead and the back of your neck.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is extremely beneficial for our health; whether to help lose weight or to miraculously clear acne. What most people do not know is that it also works wonders in curing headaches. There are three different ways in which you can use apple cider vinegar to help alleviate headaches.

a. Add 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water. Stir well, and drink it.
b. Do steam inhalation by adding apple cider vinegar to hot water in a vaporizer.
c. Mix apple cider vinegar with warm water. Soak a cloth in this mixture, and apply it to your head to ease your headache.

4. CBD Oil

CBD oil is a natural by-product of hemp (which is 100% legal in the United States). CBD oils have many therapeutic benefits, including pain relief, anxiety reduction and the reduction of inflammation. CBD oil can be ingested orally or I can be inhaled, by using a vape pen. You can also use a dab rig, which provides the added benefit of water filtration. A hangover IV Chicago is another alternative way to alleviate headache symptoms, whether or not you have a hangover. The combination of vitamins and hydration work to detox your body and help improve symptoms.

5. Lavender Lemonade

Lavender has been known to help alleviate anxiety and ease a terrible headache. Lavender essential oil has a calm and soothing scent and is used extensively in aromatherapy. It has the ability to reduce stress levels, cleanse the scalp, improve blood circulation and get rid of migraines. Try out this wonderful DIY Lavender Lemonade recipe to get rid of your headache in no time.

Ingredients:

• 1 drop of Lavender essential oil
• Juice of 6 lemons
• 12 cups water
• 1 cup honey

Directions: Mix all the ingredients together and chill before serving.

6. DIY ointment for headache

This is an amazing homemade version of the common ointments we get at the drug store to cure headaches which usually have a horrible smell! This DIY ointment uses essential oils that are known to instantly calm and relax your body. This ointment is extremely effective to help ease headaches, and leaves us feeling refreshed and happy. To make your own DIY ointment you can check this list of essential oils.

Ingredients:

• Coconut oil
• Peppermint essential oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Container for storing the ointment

Directions: Microwave the coconut oil until it melts completely. Add the peppermint essential oil and the lavender essential oil depending on how strong you want the smell to be. Stir well and store in the container. Refrigerate in order to solidify the ointment.

7. Cayenne pepper tea

Cayenne pepper is known to provide relief from headaches. Substance P is a neurotransmitter that helps send pain signals. Without this neurotransmitter, pain signals cannot be sent. Cayenne Peppers contain capsaicin, which helps alleviate headaches by depleting Substance P. Mix ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper with a glass of warm water and drink it slowly to help reduce the headache.




Healthy Snacks for Kids

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For a growing child, it is important that they get enough nutrients to grow and remain healthy. Kids love to have potato fries and Cola when they are hungry, but not only do these lack any nutrients, but they are also really bad for them. At the same time, serving the little ones a bowl of celery and hummus as a snack just because it is ‘healthy’ is not the best option. Kids want their food to taste good, and look good. Given below is a list of healthy snacks for children that are not only loaded with nutrients, but also packed with flavor!

1. Fruit Ice Pops

All the store-brought fruit popsicles have no health benefits; they are loaded with artificial flavoring, preservatives and sugar. Making these homemade fruit pops are so healthy, and don’t compromise on taste!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sliced strawberries
• ½ cup sliced banana
• ¼ cup yoghurt
• 1/3 cup spinach or kale
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

Combine everything in a blender, along with ice. Pour into Popsicle molds, insert sticks and freeze for 2-3 hours before serving.

2. Baked Sweet Potato Fries

This is a lovely alternative to the fried potato chips that kids cannot stay away from! Potatoes aren’t rich in nutrients, and fried food is not good for health. A good alternative to the popular fries are these baked sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes are extremely nutritious vegetables that are high in fiber and vitamins A, C, E and B6.

Ingredients:

• 4 small sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425ËšF. Cut the sweet potatoes into one-inch wedges. Place them on a lined baking tray and drizzle the olive oil over it. Top the potatoes with the salt, before baking it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Season the potatoes with more salt, before serving it with some ketchup or a healthy homemade dip.

3. Healthy PB & J Sandwich

Kids love a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Who can blame then? The salty peanut butter and the strawberry jam, sandwiched between two slices of bread, is the perfect combination to get your kids super excited! However, this combination is also extremely unhealthy. That being said, we cannot deprive our kids from eating it or it would crush their little hearts! Instead, here is a super healthy alternative that still manages to retain the taste of the original PB & J Sandwich. Also, its good to recommended protein powders for children.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of whole wheat bread/multi grain bread
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Strawberry Preserve ( that have chunks of fruit in them and less sugar)
• 1 Tbsp Organic Peanut butter/ homemade peanut butter

Directions:

Spread the peanut butter and jam on both slices and put them together. Enjoy!

4. Rainbow Kabobs

Children love eating food that looks good. Serving them a whole apple or banana every day will probably bore them. These rainbow kabobs are so pretty to hold, and are packed with nutrients from different fruits like strawberries, oranges, mangoes, grapes, kiwi and pineapple!

Ingredients:

• Fruits cut into chunks (Strawberries, Oranges, Mango, Grapes, Kiwi and Pineapple)
• Skewers

Directions:

Arrange one chunk at a time on the skewer until you have one piece of each fruit on a skewer. Feel free to use other fruits like bananas and blueberries too!

5. Rice Cake Treat

Not only is this snack healthy, it is also extremely delicious, leaving your kid wanting for more!

Ingredients:

• Rice Cakes
• Nut Butter (Organic Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, etc.)
• Blueberries

Directions:

Spread some nut butter on the rice cakes before topping it with fresh blueberries.

6. Jelly cubes

This is the perfect alternative to the store-brought jelly that the kids love, which are loaded with sugar and artificial flavoring! These homemade jelly cubes are so easy to make, and are made using fresh fruit juice. No reason to worry about what your little ones are eating anymore!

Ingredients:

• Homemade strawberry/grapes juice –2 cup
• Unflavored Gelatin – 2 packets
• Honey/ Stevia/ Maple Syrup – 1 tbsp

Directions:

Pour ½ cup of the juice in a bowl and add the unflavored gelatin to it. Boil the remaining juice and pour it over the mixture of juice and gelatin. While stirring, add the honey/ stevia/ maple syrup to give it the perfect sweetness. Pour the mixture into a square container and chill until firm (4 or 5 hours). Cut the jelly into cubes before serving.

7. Mid-day Ice cream

Ice creams are every little child’s favorite! However, store brought ice creams use artificial flavors and a lot of sugar, which are not good for the kids! Instead of depriving your children of their favorite dessert, why not serve them this healthy delicious alternative instead? This snack tastes just like ice cream. Greek Yoghurt and fresh berries are packed with nutrients, and your kids are bound to love it!

Ingredients:

• Greek Yoghurt – 3 cups
• Fresh Blueberries
• Fresh Strawberries
• Natural Maple Syrup

Directions:

Top the Greek yoghurt with fresh berries and drizzle with natural maple syrup.

8. Big-5

Children love smoothies, but buying them the store bought tetra packed smoothies will deprive them of nutrients required by their growing body. This homemade smoothie is so easy to make, and extremely good for health. The bonus ingredient is spinach; a vegetable most kids hate. The flavor of the fresh fruits and sweet maple syrup will cover up the taste of the leafy vegetable, making this a healthy and delicious drink for your little one!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of strawberries
• 1 Kiwi
• 1 Banana
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• Handful of spinach
• Honey/ Natural Maple Syrup for extra sweetness

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor. Add some ice, and serve cold.




What your Kid Can Drink Instead of Soda

mocktail

Kids love soda; it tastes good and it is easily available. Most soft drinks also contain a deadly ingredient: caffeine. Caffeine can be addictive, thereby making the habit of drinking soda difficult to curb. Here is an alarming fact – A 20-ounce bottle of soda contains the equivalent of approximately 16 teaspoons of sugar, but the American Heart Association recommends that Americans consume no more than five to nine teaspoons of sugar per day. Moreover, children who drink one or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day have 55% greater odds of being overweight or obese. While we cannot control what our kids drink when they are out, we can do our part to control their soda habits at home. Here are some healthy, and delicious substitutes for soda that your kids are bound to love!

1. Virgin Mojito (Serves 2)

Ingredients:
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped.
• 1 large lime, cut into small wedges
• 2 cups sparkling water
• Ice, as desired.
• 4 tbsp sugar
Directions:
Crush the mint leaves and lemon using a wooden spoon. Add the sparkling water, and sugar and stir well. Add ice, and garnish with more mint leaves before serving.

2. Kombucha

Kombucha is a Chinese beverage that is currently popular worldwide. It is a naturally carbonated fizzy drink, which makes it the perfect alternative to soda. It also had a lot of health benefits, so your little ones will have nothing to worry about. You get to buy this wonder drink in most grocery stores, or you can even try making it at home!

3. Apple Cider Water Kefir

Ingredients:
Water Kefir- 3 ½ cups
Apple juice- ¼ cup
Sugar – 1 teaspoon
Directions:
Pour the water kefir into an airtight bottle, and add the apple juice and sugar to it. Shake the bottle well and keep the bottle closed, at room temperature, for up to three days. Open carefully, and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

4. Flavored Water

Spruce up your boring water with the natural flavors of fruits and vegetables. Here are some good combinations:
• Strawberry+ Basil+ Sparkling water+ Ice
• Mint+ Lime+ Sparkling water+ Ice
• Cucumber+ Lemon+ Sparkling water+ Ice
• Watermelon+ Rosemary+ Sparkling water+ Ice
• Pineapple+ Mint+ Sparkling water+ Ice
• Mixed berries+ Sparkling water+ Ice

5. Iced Tea

Ingredients:
• 8 tea bags of black tea
• 1 medium lemon
• 8 cups boiling water
• Ice
• Sugar, if desired.
Directions:
Place the tea bags in a large bowl. Add the peel of the lemon to the bowl. Pour the hot water to the bowl and leave it for a few minutes to let the flavors combine well. Remove the tea bags and strain the tea. Refrigerate the tea for 2 hours. Add sugar and ice before serving.

6. Arnold Palmer

This delicious drink is names after the legendary golfer, Arnold Palmer, who would always order half-lemonade and half-iced tea. It is the perfect drink to have on a hot summer afternoon, to quench your thirst and keep you feeling refreshed!
Ingredients:
• ½ cup Lemonade
• ½ cup Iced Tea
• Ice
• Sugar, if desired.
Directions:
Fill the glass with the lemonade and the iced tea. Add sugar and ice before serving.