Monday, January 9, 2012

On Saturday we slept in - which is a rarity at our house. We’re usually awake many hours before the rest of the world starts stirring. We were a little out of sorts getting our day started later than usual and lunch time seemed to sneak up rather quickly. I had no plan so I thought of making pasta which is always one of our ‘go to” meals but then I remembered I had some turkey in the freezer from the holidays so I decided to make turkey and dumplings instead. After searching the kitchen, I found all the needed ingredients; carrots, celery, onions, garlic, eggs, and seasonings. The only thing I was unsure of was if I had chicken broth but I found it tucked away in the lazy susan so I was set!  Within 30 minutes I had a kettle of turkey and dumplings simmering on the stove.
 Having a good shopping list makes the trip to the grocery store a little less painful, but a well stocked pantry is the best way to ensure you’ll have everything you need to cook once you get home. I don’t know how many times I’ve spent a small fortune at the grocery store and then gotten home and wondered what I was making for supper! It’s important that your cupboards include items needed to prepare healthy recipes as well as a few ingredients that will make unplanned meals easier to pull together. If you arm yourself with a variety of basic ingredients, you can generally whip up a nice main course, side dish, or snack. Remember, it doesn’t have to be fancy, it just needs to taste good :)
*Frozen fruits are a must to make smoothies or add to homemade ice cream
*Frozen vegetables are great to throw a stir fry together quickly
*Eggs can be used for a delicious omelet filled with veggies
*Nuts, Seeds and Dried fruit can top off a luscious salad
*Peanut butter on celery sticks or apple slices give you that crunchy snack you crave
*Whole wheat pasta is a staple you need to whip up a quick meal on those crazy days where your schedule is overloaded
*Brown rice can be used in so many different ways like in stir fry and beans
*Beans, either canned or dry, have numerous uses
*Dried herbs and spices can be added to change flavors and spice up meals
“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems”
Mahatma Gandhi

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