Cooking Archives - Oh My Heartsie Girl

Busy? Here’s Some Quick Meal Ideas the Family Will Love

Busy nights don’t need to mean grabbing fast food while on the go. While fast food is an option at times, it’s not the healthiest choice and should be done infrequently. For parents who are busy, finding the right meals to make is crucial. Meals need to taste amazing so everyone will enjoy them, but they need to be made in a hurry while the kids are saying they’re starving. Try out the following ideas to make busy nights a little bit easier and still have home-cooked meals.

Use a Meal Plan

Meal plans are perfect for fast meals. Everything is ready, the food just needs to be heated up, and there are tons of options to pick from. Purchasing ready-made meals is a great way to make sure everything is healthy and that there’s always something that can be made in a hurry. Meals can also be prepped ahead at home if there’s a day during the week that isn’t so busy.

Stir Fry

Stir fry is a great option that allows for mixing it up a little bit. Stir fry generally comes together fast and can be a healthy meal option that everyone will love. Play around with the meat ingredients as well as the vegetables to create a new family favorite. With everyone’s input, the end result can be a stir fry that’s easy and fast to make, as well as delicious.

Sheet Pan Recipes

Sheet pan recipes are perfect because they’re easy to prep, can be prepped ahead of time, and don’t make a huge mess. Everything is placed in a single pan together, then cooked in the oven. Plus, there are tons of options for sheet pan recipes, so it’s easy to try out something different and find a new family favorite. When prepping ahead, most meals can all be frozen together, so all that needs to be done is thaw and place it on the sheet before cooking. For some recipes, thawing may not even be needed.

Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is always a favorite. Turn it into a filling meal by serving it with a bowl of tomato soup for dipping. Tired of having the same grilled cheese all the time? Add meat to the sandwich or try different types of cheeses. Many different types of cheeses are perfect for grilled cheese and can change the flavor just enough to make it a great option for the whole family.

Chicken and Rice

Chicken and rice is another standby that’s the perfect option for busy parents. It’s easy to make, and a creamy chicken and rice meal is going to be a hit with everyone. Plus, it’s possible to make it all in one pot, so there’s not a lot of dishes to do once dinner is over.

Ready to leap into healthier eating? If you rely on fast food too often or you’re just tired of being tired at the end of the day, try out these ideas for fast meals the whole family will love.
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May 23, 2021

Top Three Reasons to Rent a Vacation Home

Rent-a-beach-house-for-your-next-vacation As the weather gets warmer, people who have spent a long winter working indoors begin looking forward to their summer break. After deciding your destination, the first step toward planning a trip is finding somewhere to stay. Instead of hotels, more and more people are opting to rent real homes for their vacations, and with good reason.

A True Money-Saver

The recent rental boom comes as travelers learn the hidden costs of hotel stays. Not only is there the nightly price of a room, or several depending on the size of your family, but also all the add-ons. Doing laundry, using the internet, or watching a movie all cost extra. These small fees can really stack up by the end of your stay, not counting all your restaurant bills.

Since vacation home rentals Newport Beach CA mainly charge per week, their up-front price tags distract tourists from their budgetary benefits. Most vacation properties have room for a whole family or group of friends. This commonly includes a full kitchen, standard washer-dryer setup and many more amenities. With costs shared among several people, plus all you’ll save by not eating out, renting is a smart way to get more space for less money.

A Home Away From Home

Having all this luxury at your disposal is only half the equation. The rest is in how you use it. You can take a midnight swim, sleep in without worrying about housekeeping, and generally be as messy as you like, as long as you clean up before you leave. Indeed, it’s expected you’ll take advantage of everything on offer. Furnished-vacation-bedroom

In a furnished house with several bedrooms, visitors can fully unpack their suitcases and relax. Meanwhile, common areas feature first-rate entertainment options, including big-screen TVs, DVD players, game systems, pool tables and so on. Superior rental properties have diversions to occupy all occupants, even kids, for the length of their stay.

Better for Bonding

Family vacations are where lifelong memories are made. Rental homes are often located in residential neighborhoods or remote areas where large hotels are unwelcome or unavailable. Greater privacy can promote family fun.

Cooking, playing games, planning activities or just exploring new places in one another’s company can bring families closer together. Now that smartphones are the norm, it’s easy to record experiences everyone can recall fondly for years to come. With a positive attitude, the possibilities are endless for making memorable moments.

With these ideas, consider having a house of your own on your next vacation. Liberating yourself from hotel living lets you get the most from your holiday with no regrets.

This post may contain affiliate links and I might receive compensation if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.

April 12, 2019

Thrifty, but Tasty: 5 Fresh Tips on How to Cook on a Budget

It seems like everyone is living on a budget these days. Probably because nearly everyone is.

In fact, 78% of full-time workers live paycheck to paycheck in the U.S.

Sometimes, it feels overwhelming just thinking of how we’re going to provide food for our families. For most of us, dining out went out the window a while ago. However, we still want to provide quality, tasty meals for ourselves and our families.

But how? Don’t worry, we know what it’s like and we’re here to help! Read on for 5 fabulous tips about how to cook on a budget!

1. Buy in Bulk

Even though joining a grocery store like Sam’s Club or Costco costs some cash in membership fees, you save big in the long run. These types of places allow you to buy in bulk like no other grocery stores.

You need to look at how much you’re spending per unit. For example, say a small box of rice sells for $.09 an ounce, at a total of 2.50 a box.

However, although a $10 box of rice is more expensive, it’s likely to be $.05 an ounce. Saving you big in the long run.

2. Cook in Bulk and Freeze Left-Overs

Now that you’ve bought in bulk, cook in bulk. It’s a great solution of how to cook on a budget!

Say you’re cooking spaghetti. Instead of cooking for 4, cook for 16. Freeze the leftovers in single servings and you have meals ready to go and you’ve saved a ton of money.

Use the weekend to meal prep two separate meals in mass so you don’t get bored eating the same thing for dinner every night. It may last you up to two weeks!

3. How to Cook on a Budget by Planning Your Meals Around Sales

Many local grocery stores put out ads and catalogs each week of all the sales they’re having, even the big chain stores like Walmart and Costco.

Each week, skim through the discounts and coupons to plan your meals around whatever is going to save you the most money.

There are people who use coupons as a hobby and save thousands of dollars a year!

4. Shop at Cheaper Stores

Don’t be a grocery store snob. This could be the most important tip for how to cook on a budget. Yes, not everyone enjoys going to Walmart.

However, going to Walmart may be the difference between buying enough food for one week or two weeks. Pride comes before the fall.

Let go of the ego and do what you must to save on groceries! That will leave you money at the end of the month to pay down bills or get those fancy new kitchen knives that come with sharpening supplies you’ve always wanted!

5. Take Inventory and Make a List

Another great tip for how to cook on a budget is making a grocery list based on the food you already have.

Before you shop, look through your cupboards and fridge, take inventory of what you already have so you’re not buying extra ingredients you don’t need.

Additionally, this will cut down on waste. This is also great as Americans waste 30-40% of our food supply!

For All Advice on Home Living

Now that you know how to cook on a budget, learn the rest of the tips and tricks on smart home living!

Visit our Home Series blog for more great articles!

This post may contain affiliate links and I might receive compensation if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.

March 11, 2019

Why Is Breakfast The Most Important Meal Of The Day

Why is breakfast important? Because People who have breakfast are more active both physically and intellectually

Healthy nutritionists consider breakfast as a more important meal than lunch and dinner. They substantiate their point of view by the fact that during sleep the sugar content in the blood decreases, and it needs to be brought back to normal in order to restore the energy balance. Healthy food recipes are not that frightening – you just have to try!

People who have breakfast are more active both physically and intellectually. Refusing to eat breakfast, a person deprives him or herself of a significant amount of nutrients, and it is difficult to compensate for their lack during the day.

And one more argument in favor of breakfast: if you neglect it, it is much more difficult to maintain stable body weight, because the feeling of hunger will force you to have a snack, and this is usually something fat and high-calorie. So why don’t you want breakfast so often? This is because the dinner on the eve was too rich in calories, and the entire digestive system is overloaded. Let your dinner be light, then in the morning, you will definitely want to eat.

Why is breakfast important? Because People who have breakfast are more active both physically and intellectually. #breakfast #firstmealoftheday

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Remember: proper and regular breakfast reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, stimulates the brain, energizes. An ideal breakfast should consist of cereals (energy source and of vitamin B), fruits (source of vitamins), dairy products (contain proteins and minerals). That is why we have prepared healthy food recipes for your perfect morning!

Healthy breakfast recipes

Are you tired of eating fried eggs and want to diversify your breakfast? Healthy food recipes here we have collected to make your day better from the very beginning: frittata, pancakes, croissants… Healthy breakfast recipes are for real gourmets. Minimum cooking time, maximum taste and variety.

It’s the first place among healthy food recipes in Italy! Lush Italian omelet stuffed with vegetables, cheese, and ham. Although the main advantage of frittatas is that, it can be cooked with anything.

Warm the oven up to 180 degrees. At this time, mix the eggs with salt and ground pepper. Cheese can be added immediately or already to the top of the ready omelet.

Cut vegetables and fry until half cooked (on a very slow fire). Then add the diced ham and pour in the eggs. When the eggs are half-cooked (usually it takes about 10 minutes), send the frittata to the oven. As soon as the top rises to the edge of the pan, the dish is ready. You can serve it on the table and enjoy one of your new favorite healthy breakfast recipes.

Croissants with scrambled eggs. Quite a nice breakfast, which is to be prepared in 15 minutes. One thing: the chicken must be boiled in advance so as not to waste time on it in the morning.

Healthy breakfast recipes can be really nourishing: cut champignons and chicken fillet into small cubes. Fry in butter. Add salt, pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.

Beat the eggs with salt and pepper. Then pour the mixture into the pan to the chicken and mushrooms and bring to readiness.

Heat the croissants in the microwave. Make a pocket in each, carefully incised in the middle. Fill the bagel omelet with chicken and mushrooms. Add a couple of leaves of fresh salad. It’s one of the best easy healthy recipes – and you can even take it with you as a snack!

Pancakes with apples and pears. Crispy pancakes with juicy stuffing inside. One of the sweet easy healthy recipes: 6-8 pancakes – a good breakfast for two.

Cut the apple and pears into large slices, remove the core. Pour water into a saucepan, put the fruits and place it on high heat. When the water boils, reduce the flame and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

While the fruit is being prepared, take the dough. Blend milk and eggs. Every 10 seconds, add a new ingredient: sugar, salt, oil, vanillin – and mix until smoothness. Then pour the mixture into a bowl of flour. Stir. As you can see, easy healthy recipes are suitable even for those, who are not that experienced in cooking!

Put the pan on medium heat. Grease it with a small piece of butter and pour a little dough (about a cup). Rotate the pan so that it spreads evenly across the surface.

Fry the pancake on one side until the dough starts to bubble. It usually takes a couple of minutes. Then turn the pancake over with a spatula and fry on the other side.

Repeat until the dough ends. Don’t forget about the oil each time so that pancakes do not stick.

Put the topping: the fruit should be soft, but not lose shape. Wrap the pancake. Top with cream or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Bellissimo! Your tasty, sweet and satisfying easy healthy recipes list is fulfilled with another one!

Healthy oatmeal recipes

Do you like to eat porridge and want to learn healthy oatmeal recipes? The most popular among healthy oatmeal recipes is the simple cooking of porridge with milk in a saucepan. Very hearty and healthy breakfast, especially if you add fruits or berries. But if you want to find out the simplest of healthy oatmeal recipes and spend even less time on cooking in the morning, then we present you the best recipe.

The lazy porridge in the jar: this is the best of the healthy oatmeal breakfast recipes, which is to be prepared in the evening before. So that the oatmeal is soaked with yogurt, you need to send them overnight in the refrigerator. Choose flakes that require long cooking. You will also need a jar or a container with a lid. In the evening, mix cereal, honey, and yogurt in a jar. Instead of yogurt, you can use milk or any other fat dairy product.

Send the jar overnight in the fridge. Berries and bananas or other fruits can be added immediately, but it is better to do this in the morning, just before breakfast.

Sprinkle with grated chocolate or coconut chips on top to make this dish just perfect!
*This post may contain affiliate links and it is a way for the site to earn advertising fees and I might receive compensation at no additional cost to you if you click on an affiliate link.
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