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These Two Wedding Registry Sites Can Help You Take the Plunge

April 16, 2015 by

When it comes time to register for gifts for your wedding, it can be difficult to choose the right places to meet your style and your needs. It’s best to keep in mind that you want high quality items that will last a good while, but at prices that your guests can afford. Here are two great wedding registry websites that will make your decision a bit easier.

Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn’s wedding registry is separated into neatly organized sections that help you to create your registry from start to finish. It features a simple registrant information page that allows you to create your couple profile, and it even enables you to decide where you’d like each gift shipped and your preferences on receiving gift cards from guests. Once you fill out your registry, Pottery Barn also makes it easy for friends and family to find your profile and navigate the gifts that you’ve selected.

Williams-Sonoma
The popular kitchenware store offers an impressive wedding registry site that’s packed full of cooking and entertaining items to help you create the kitchen of your dreams. Easily create and manage your registry with just a few fill-in-the-blank questions, then select the items that you love from Williams-Sonoma’s expansive inventory.

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Reduce Your Sodium Intake With These Helpful Tips

March 19, 2015 by

Though many people count calories to try to lose weight, monitoring your sodium intake is another important consideration. Consuming too much sodium can also put you at risk for cardiovascular disease and hypertension, so limiting your intake will keep you healthy in more ways than one. If you want to begin a low-sodium diet and take control of your health, these tips can help.

  • You don’t need to cut out sodium completely, just limit your intake. A good number to go by is 2,000 mg per day.
  • Foods can still be high in sodium even if they don’t taste salty. Learn to read the labels on your food to make sure you know how much sodium it contains.
  • If you find it challenging to monitor your sodium intake, start a food journal. List the foods you consume at each meal or snack, and record the sodium content in each one.
  • Many seemingly healthy foods contain too much sodium. Try to purchase whole, raw produce instead of canned vegetables, as the canned versions are often packed in a liquid containing sodium. Also use fresh poultry or meats instead of canned or processed versions.
  • Choose herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends to add flavor without adding sodium.
  • Read the labels of your canned or frozen foods. Many brands offer low-sodium or reduced-sodium versions of foods you already eat.

Reduce Salt and Sodium in Your Diet [NIH]
Low Sodium Diet Guidelines [Cleveland Clinic]

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How to Make Your Video Stand Out on Vine

March 5, 2015 by

Have you heard of Vine? If you're a fan of social media, you probably have! Available for iOS and Android devices, this app allows you to create six-second videos of just about anything you want. Users then start to follow you, and you can follow other users to see videos that interest you. How can you make your videos stand out in a sea of other six-second clips? Follow these four tips!

  1. Captivate your audience. The best Vines are re-watchable, fun, and exciting. Do your best to make a video you, yourself, would actually want to watch. If you surprise viewers with something different, they'll be more likely to share your video with their followers.
  2. Make your video look its best. Try to hold your phone as steady as possible to reduce shaking and twitching of the camera. If you're planning on making a lot of Vine videos, it might be a good idea to invest in a tripod for your phone.
  3. Be aware of your surroundings. Ensure that there is not ambient noise overwhelming your video, like wind, traffic noise, or an air conditioning unit.
  4. Plan ahead. To tell a meaningful story in six seconds, you'll need to do some planning. Visualize the end product. Some users even like to storyboard their idea so they know exactly what shots they need before shooting. Note that there is no editing feature in Vine, so if you make a mistake, you have to go back to the beginning and start again!

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If You’re Running Low on Eggs or Vinegar, Try These Substitutes Instead

February 19, 2015 by

When you’re running short on ingredients, you might have to get creative in the kitchen. There are a few well-known replacements for some common ingredients if you don't have everything you need on-hand. Here are four cooking substitutes for when you're in a pinch in the kitchen.

  1. If you're missing eggs: It might seem impossible to replace this unique ingredient, but you can do so with half a banana mashed with 1/2-teaspoon baking powder.
  2. If you're missing mayonnaise: If you’re whipping up a summer salad and find you're short on this condiment, substitute one cup of sour cream, yogurt or cottage cheese pureed in a blender for one cup of mayo.
  3. If you're missing vinegar: Don’t give up if you're running low and the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of white vinegar. You can use 1/4-cup of apple cider vinegar or 1/3-cup freshly squeezed lemon juice instead.
  4. If you're missing soy sauce: You won’t have to stop in the middle of your stir-fry to run out and by more soy sauce. Just use four tablespoons Worcestershire sauce mixed with one tablespoon water.

Top 3 Ingredient Substitutions [All Recipes]
Ingredient Substitutions [University of Nebraska]
Baking Ingredient Substitution Table [Joys of Baking]

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Quick and Easy Meal Ideas to Put on the Dinner Table Tonight

February 5, 2015 by

"What's for dinner tonight?" It's a question we ask ourselves on a daily basis, which is probably why it's so easy to run out of ideas! With the promise of short prep time and bold flavors, these four meals are deserving of a spot in your recipe box. Bonus: They can feed a family for just pennies on the dollar.

Easy Calzone Rolls [Disney Family]
With all the flavor and fun of take-out pizza without the expense, these cheese and meat roll-ups cost just $1.10 per two-roll serving. Kids will love helping to make this recipe, which can go from start to finish in 30 minutes.

Braised Chicken With Red Onion and Carrots [Martha Stewart]
This recipe from Martha Stewart feeds four people with a four-pound chicken and one pound of carrots. It only requires 25 minutes of prep time.

Bacon Pierogi Bake [Cooking Light]
For a mere $1.84 per serving, this hearty casserole relies on a package of ready-made pierogies, two types of cheese, and bacon.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings [Southern Living]
The beloved comfort food is given a quick and easy makeover through the use of canned biscuits, a can of cream of chicken soup, and pre-cooked shredded chicken.

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Knife Techniques and Tips Every Home Cook Should Master

January 22, 2015 by

Kitchen knives are a necessity for just about any type of cooking, but they can also be quite dangerous if used incorrectly. By learning the proper knife techniques, you can master the art of chopping, dicing, and slicing without risking injury.

  1. Start with a clean knife. Although you may think that cuts are the only dangers caused my knives, bacteria is also incredibly hazardous to your health. Be sure to clean your knife with hot water and dishwashing soap before using.
  2. Keep knives sharp. In order to guarantee fast, accurate cuts with minimal effort, you'll need to keep your knives sharp. You can do this by using a sharpening stone or by taking your knives to the store where you purchased them for sharpening.
  3. Learn to chop. Chopping involves roughly cutting a food item into pieces, and it is likely the most common cutting technique. To properly chop something, grip the knife securely and place either the knife's tip or the corner closest to your hand firmly against the cutting board. Use your wrist as a fulcrum to pull the rest of the knife up and down, keeping that end against the cutting board the whole time.
  4. Research other techniques. Dicing involves cutting into small, uniform pieces, while a chiffonade is how you properly cut herbs. You should also practice peeling things like apples or potatoes with a sharp knife.

Knife Skills: Different Types of Cuts [The Culinary Cook]
Top 10 Knife Skills [How Stuff Works]
Perfect Your Knife Skills With This Chef's Guide to Knives [Lifehacker]

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Doodle and Draw With These Fun and Free Apps for Android

January 8, 2015 by

With your Android smartphone as your canvas, you can learn to paint, draw and sketch without any supplies. There are a variety of doodling apps for your phone that will help you to pass the time and brush up on your art skills. Here are three artists’ favorites:

Kids Doodle
The Kids Doodle app is a drawing app tailored toward children, but it can be enjoyed by users of any age. The app offers 18 different brushes that can be used to paint or draw on any color background of your choosing. It also enables users to draw on a photo from your phone’s camera roll, and the movie mode plays each drawing like a short film.

Draw Something Free
Turn your drawings into a competition with Draw Something, a drawing game that pits you against friends or strangers. The game assigns players an object or person to draw, and it is up to their opponent to guess the drawing before the time runs out.

Paint Joy
Whether you’re an experienced artist or an amateur Picasso, the Paint Joy app will provide hours of painting or drawing fun. Choose from over 20 different brushes and endless color choices to create a masterpiece, and then save it to your Android phone’s gallery to view later.

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Easy Recipes Using Heart-Healthy Salmon

December 18, 2014 by

Salmon has been hailed a superfood because of its heart-healthy properties, but it’s also a delicate fish that can be difficult to cook at home. Luckily, these simple and flavorful recipes offer a few suggestions for preparing salmon—even if your cooking skills are a bit limited!

Poached Salmon with Watercress and Peaches [marthastewart.com]
This recipe is light yet flavorful, and the peaches impart a subtle sweetness that you might not expect. Poaching the salmon is also one of the healthiest ways to prepare this fish, as it doesn’t require any heavy oils or stir fry sauces.

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Dip [allrecipes.com]
The combination of salmon and avocado offers you a boost of healthy fats that simply can’t be beat. Plus, the dip is made with Greek yogurt to keep it low in calories yet still rich and creamy.

Glazed Salmon with Broccoli Rice [realsimple.com]
The glaze in this recipe may remind you of salmon preparations that you see at fancy restaurants, but don’t be fooled—it’s still very easy to make. Serve it over nutrient-rich broccoli to get all of your greens, and add a bed of rice for some healthy grains.

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Check Out Major Home Renovations on These HGTV Shows

December 4, 2014 by

There’s something so entertaining about watching skilled carpenters and designers take an old, outdated house and, with a few coats of paint or some new cabinets, turn it into something entirely fresh and modern. Follow along with some of HGTV’s most popular home renovation experts on these immensely entertaining shows.

Property Brothers
Hosts Jonathan and Drew Scott are some of HGTV’s most beloved hosts due to their quirky personalities and the always-entertaining bond between twins. On their HGTV show, Property Brothers, realtor Drew convinces potential homebuyers to buy a fixer-upper instead of the overpriced home of their dreams. Over the course of an hour-long episode, designer Jonathan completely renovates the more affordable (if less admirable) home into something even better than the house they originally imagined.

Cousins Undercover
On this equally entertaining HGTV show, cousins Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri are on a mission to reward do-gooders in a community with a well-deserved home makeover. The show’s recipients include selfless teachers, single parents, and dedicated doctors, the stories of whom will surely tug at your heartstrings. If you’re a fan of happy endings and beautiful home renovations, Cousins Undercover is for you.

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Four Kitchen Terms Every Cook Should Know

November 20, 2014 by

Knowing the particulars of a recipe before you start cooking ensures that the end result is both pretty and tasty. So you should beef up on your cooking terminology if you want to create a perfect product every time. Here are four must-know kitchen terms to keep in mind:

  1. Bias-slice. A cutting term, to cut food on a bias means to cut at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Crimp. Pie crusts get their wavy shape by 'crimping' which means to pinch dough together with your fingertips or a fork along the edges.
  3. Braise. Tougher cuts of meat might require braising, which means cooking slowly with a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan.
  4. Sear. You can seal in the juices and flavor of a cut of meat by quickly searing it on both sides. Heat a pan to scorching and then place each side of the meat on the surface until it cooks all the way through.

The Basic Kitchen: Glossary of Cooking Terms [Le Petites Gourmettes]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Better Homes and Gardens]
Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Cookery]
Culinary Terms: Food Dictionary and Glossary of Cooking Terms [Culinary Arts at About.com]

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