"If you're coming to Aladdin's bring your appetite," says one Yelp reviewer. And he's not alone: Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine is known as one of Houston's go-to spots for hearty, filling, and healthy meals. The garlicky hummus is made in-house and brightened with a quick squeeze of lemon, while the deep, smoky flavor of the roasted baba ghanoush provides a pleasing contrast to the hummus. Get an order of each accompanied by some warm, fresh pita bread for dipping.

Main dishes include spiced lamb gyros with grilled peppers, feta, and tzatziki as well as the restaurant's famous grilled kabobs in sirloin, chicken, lamb, and veggie varieties. Mix and match with one of the kabob combination platters, which also include dips and sides of your choice. This place is BYOB, so be sure to grab a bottle of your favorite wine to pair with your dinner.

Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine
912 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 942-2321
www.aladdinshouston.com
www.yelp.com/biz/aladdin-mediterranean-cuisine-houston

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/stu_spivack

For as long as you can remember, there’s always been a certain pressure to provide your loved ones with a nightly “home-cooked meal.” Although it may sometimes feel like it’s impossible to prepare an elaborate dinner on busy weeknights, these smart tips will show you how to take the stress out of the classic home-cooked meal.

1. Start meal planning. Sure, making a home-cooked meal is difficult if you don’t have all the ingredients or don’t know what to make. By planning a week’s worth of meals on Sunday evening, you can get your cooking schedule under control.
2. Make preparations. Many at-home chefs use their weekends as a time to prepare the bases for the week’s meals. You can cook a dozen chicken breasts, bake a casserole, or even begin to marinate a steak to save yourself time the night of.
3. Choose basic recipes. If you don’t have time to experiment with fancy recipes from cooking magazines, choose recipes that you already know and love. Just because your favorite spaghetti and meatballs is pretty basic doesn’t mean that it’s not home-cooked.
4. Make it from scratch, but not entirely from scratch. Don’t feel like you have to crush your garlic by hand or chop each vegetable individually for your meal to count as home-cooked. Buying frozen veggies or garlic powder works just as well.

10 Secrets of Home Cooks (And How You Can Become One, Too!) [Real Simple]
6 Tips for Stress-Free Family Meals [Right @ Home]
How to Plan Your Weekly Meals, Stress Free [Lifehacker]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/Mathew Packer

Sound machines are smart devices that provide unassuming, natural background sounds to lull you into sleep or to create a relaxing environment for meditation. Although these types of machines can be pricey purchases, your iPhone or other Apple device can work just as well if you have the right apps. Here are three affordable (or free) apps that will transform your Apple device into a sound machine:

Relax Melodies
This app offers more than 50 soothing sounds that promise to help you fall asleep in 20 minutes or less. Users can combine sounds or melodies into a customized mix, or choose from the pre-made sound combinations that are already designed to relax your mind and body.

Rain, Rain Sleep Sounds
If you prefer the natural sound effects of a classic sound machine, this app is for you. It uses the sounds of rainfall, ocean waves and even the outdoor experience of rain against a tent to turn your bedroom into an oasis of whatever is most relaxing to you.

White Noise Ambiance
White noises are unobtrusive background sounds that fill the silence without sounding distracting. If you have trouble falling asleep in a silent room, this app offers 21 common relaxing sounds like campfires, floor fans and even a summer thunderstorm.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Anthony Sokolik