7 TIPS TO ENJOY YOUR COOKING EVERYDAY

Have you found yourself in the kitchen creating a beautiful dish? Your kids are waiting quietly in the dinning room. Your partner tells you how beautiful you look. Everything is going just how you imagine, with the only difference is that your are dreaming. AHHHHHH  you don't want to wake up....( don't wake up, don't wake up) ..too late.

What a beautiful dream you say. The reality is you don't like to cook, your kids are screaming cause they are hungry, you are rushing thru the process, and you think you will never pull it off. You turn around and you see yourself in a big kitchen mess, so you start to panic, you tell yourself that this is the last  time you cook, and to top it off you get stuck with the dirty dishes.

These feelings and scenarios are more likely to be an everyday thing. Cooking can give joy and relaxation, for some people, but for others it's not that much fun.

There are many reasons why people don't like to cook, but I'm not here to judge . I'm here to help you look at cooking as a fun and easy task. 

What we are going to do together is get organized, before, during and after you cook.The french term is called "Mis en Plas", or "everything in it's place."  I figured out that a lot of people get overwhelm the moment they step into the kitchen, and mostly it's because the don’t know what to cook and how to relax and enjoy the process.

***Keep this in mind the next time you walk in your kitchen YOU ARE NOT A CHEF, so don't be so hard on yourself.***

1^st. Don’t Rush:

 When you get home, get into comfortable clothes. 

Okay, okay you might think I'm crazy if you want to look like this everyday, but you also don't want to receive your love one in sweat pants everyday right?. Try this once in a while it would built your self steam and why not add some spice to your love life.   

2^nd Pick a tune: 

Chose your favorite I Tunes or , Pandora channel. Music will change your mood and put you in a happy place.

3rd. Clean your work station:

 Before you start cooking, your kitchen should be free of clutter and clear of anything else not being used for the meal. 

No clutter =  more space for an open mind and for so many activities!

4^th Chose the recipe of the day.  

Thanks to YouTube or Google you are able to find recipes you will love. I love ABC's  The Chew, they have fun an easy recipes for couples and families. If you don't have all the ingredients don't worry you can always replace some ingredients, have fun with it! 

Extra tip: it's always easier to have a weekly menu set up. Chose the week menu, and write them down in your weekly board.

5^th. Prep: Organize anything that needs to be cut first.

Cut all the vegetables needed and place them in small bowls, pick all the spices and other ingredients required. Place them in your working area, so you don’t have to go back and forward looking for things (think like if you were in a cooking show everything is ready for the show to go on)

6^th Clean as you go:  

This is the most IMPORTANT step you need to follow. Cleaning as you go will make this experience a lot more enjoyable. Wash everything you used so far and start putting away the things you don’t need anymore. If you want to continue enjoying your family meal times this is an absolute must. All time is lost when you are knee deep in the sink washing everything afterwards. 

7^th Pop the cork: 

After everything is cooking and under control, open a bottle of wine or have a nice cold beer; you deserve it. You can do this as your second step if you want. (just have one glass you don't want to be tipsy before everything is cooked. 

      SALUD!! CHEERS!!

Meanwhile, work on the perfection of this art, because  "Eating is a necessity, but cooking is an art". let  someone else take care of the dirty dishes. 

You, Kids, and Toys

     


      Who would of thought  toys could give you some of the most amazing, fun memories of your childhood?Toys were there when we  needed company, when we needed to laugh, when we wanted to create a beautiful story. They were part of us and our room.

Having lots of toys is every kid's dream. For sure, it was mine as well. I was the little girl in love with dolls, tea sets, pink dresses and lots of stuffed animals. 

I'm the 3rd of four kids. Imagine all those toys, and my poor mother dealing with them and us. Having spent some time with my nieces and nephew, I understand the feeling my mom had. All those toys laying on the floor, some picking up dust in a box or closet.

All my mom wanted to do was get ride of them, but she couldn't. Why make us suffer?  Why put her kids through that?

Dear parents, kids love their toys and some more than others, but with all the toys and the few hours they have left of the day,  they don't have enough time to play with all them. Remember they will always get new toys, but until then you need to:

* Get your kids to pick the toys they are going to give away. Always do it with them, so they don't grow up thinking the dog ate the barbies.

* If they have 2 or more sets of the same toys, make them pick one for donation and one for the Rotation Box

* Make a Rotation Toy Plan. Switch toys every 6 months. That way the toys won't get destroyed and you have less clutter at home.

As a parent you might be holding to stuff as a memory of your kids, just remember that who ever gets your kids toys are going to create new dreams, new stories, a new best friend.

 Here are some places you can donate or you can always go back to the good old fashion Yard Sale.




BETACenter  Beta Center

KIDS Donation Kids Donation

Goodwill Goodwill

Donation Town Donation Town

Check for Charity or Donation places close to you.

AUTUMN THE SEASON OF COLORS

"October is here and the rain is my background music. I’m missing something, I’m missing autumn". (MF)

   Having lived in Virginia, I experienced the best season out of the four. Nature has created the fall to bring the beauty of colors in a cold, rainy, weather. 

I still remember watching through my window and admiring the colors of the trees.  Those colors were the last breath of happiness before they would become a pile of leaves. The weather starts to get chili, but refreshing. The cold and rainy weather may make you feel down, but when you look outside and see the ever changing colors  you can't help but feel happiness.

   Our bodies react towards the changing of the season. We start to crave hot teas and spiced coffees. Seeded vegetables become harvest and all you can think off is a nice hot chicken soup and a slice of pie.

The scents of apple and cinnamon becomes a signature smell, and the thought of a fire and a glass of wine will put you in the zone of relaxation.

Put together your feelings and memories and make this a perfect fall season. 
If you are ready to get inspired by autumn here are my favorite color pallets chose one and add it to your home decor.

    

                                                      Source PINTREST