6 Ways to Ensure Salad Satisfaction

 

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We all know that salads are good for us and they can be pretty delicious, but sometimes they are just not as satisfying as we would like, and they leave us feeling like something was missing from the meal.

It doesn’t have to be like that! There are lots of things you can do to spice up your salad and ensure that it makes for a satisfying eating experience as you will see below…

1. Make it meaty

If your salad is not special enough, then adding succulent chunks of meat is often enough to ensure that it is more satisfying than before. This barbecue chicken salad recipe is a good example of using meat to make a salad special because not only does it contain tender chicken, but also sweet and satisfying BBQ sauce and tortilla strips which transform it from a side to a delicious meal in its own right.

2. Add an avocado

If you do not eat meat or you are simply looking for a veggie option, slicing an avocado and dressing with a little lemon or lime juice, salt, and chili flakes, will elevate even the most basic salad to a spicy, satisfying meal with a slightly Mexican twist.

3. Season your greens

So many of us rely on our salad dressings to do all of the heavy lifting when it comes to flavorful salads, but there is something else you can do - season your greens. Salt them add pepper and herbs, squeeze a little lemon juice onto them and ensure they are packed with flavor before you even think about adding a dressing and you will find that the dish is much richer for it.

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4. Add nuts

Nuts are a great addition, along with seeds, to any salad. They add a satisfying crunch as well as creaminess that is not often found in salads. They are also a source of healthy fats and proteins, so they should help to fill you up better. Smoked nuts, BBQ nuts, and chili nuts, rather than plain ones, will add some extra depth of flavor to your salad bowl too.

5. Add an egg

If in doubt, poach an egg and perching it atop your salad. The yolk, when you break it will run down onto the salad making it much richer than it was prior, and you will get an extra hit of protein to keep you satiated for longer too. Just make sure to season your egg liberally with salt and cracked black pepper!

6. Leafy greens are not the only option

Most of us turn to leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and kale when we are whipping up a salad for lunch, but they are not the only options. Some more satisfying additions include celeriac, squash, broccoli slaw, and even kimchi. Try mixing it up by trying out new combinations to see what makes you feel the most satisfied.

Salad can be truly special if you take the time to make it so!

How To Personalize Your Home

 They say home is where the heart is. As a result, you should find a way to showcase as much of your heart and the things you love in your home as possible. After all, this will help turn your home into your safe haven, a place where you can retreat after a busy or stressful day.

Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash

With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to personalize your home! 

DIY your decorations. DIY is more than just a method for tackling home improvement or maintenance tasks, it can also be a great way to add an extra personal touch to your home. For example, if you had a diy cnc router, you could use this to turn a regular old piece of wood into a coveted work of art, which you can proudly display in any room of your home. You could also use this to create bespoke furniture, such as a coffee table or desk. 

Make use of all the spaces available to you. Another way in which you can make sure your home caters to your every need is by ensuring you make the most of every space you have available to you. For example, if you are a bookworm,  instead of using your attic as a glorified (and rather dusty) storage unit, you could convert your attic into a reading room. This way you have the perfect cozy space to retreat to when you fancy entering another world for a few hours. Alternatively, if you work from home, you could turn this space into a stunning WFH station. 

Paint your walls a bright, bold color. Many home interior guides encourage homeowners to use neutral shades when painting their walls. This is because it allows your furniture to take center stage by acting as a blank canvas. However, as color impacts our emotions and behaviors, featuring your favorite colors in your home (no matter how bright or bold) can truly transform your home and how you feel when spending time there. 

Reupholster your furniture. Learning how to reupholster furniture such as sofas and chairs is another great way to add a more personal touch to your home, without having to buy new furniture outright. It can also be a great way to breathe life into older furniture items, making them look good as new. Try to keep an eye out for bright, bold, or eye-catching fabrics you can use to achieve this goal.

Create a photo wall. Personalized crafts are a great way to spruce up your home. As a result, creating a photo wall is always a great idea. This way you can look back on some of your favorite memories, from vacations to wedding ceremonies every single day. This will not only brighten up any room in the home but can also contribute significantly to your happiness as “photos remind us of people, pets, places, and activities that we love as well as remembering the past. This has been shown to reduce our stress and enhance our mood and overall wellbeing”. There are many ways in which you can create a dynamic photo wall. For example, you could use a variety of different print mediums, from framed photographs to canvases. Alternatively, you could choose a theme for your photo wall, such as black and white images. 

Paint the front door. Home makeovers should include both the interior and exterior of your property, especially if you want to make a real difference. As a result, you could add an extra personal touch to your home by repainting the front door and window frames. Again, do not feel as though you have to choose a plain, neutral color for your door (even if other homeowners on your street have gone down this route). A splash of color will help your home appear bright and inviting! However, you must ensure that you invest in quality, durable paint so that it does not fade quickly or require regular topping-up. 

Paint a Canvas. Hanging art in your home is not only an excellent way to brighten up a dull, blank wall, but it can also trigger creativity and decrease stress. You could take this to the next level by painting your own canvases instead of buying some. This will save you a great deal of money, and will also work to ensure that you have a unique piece of artwork to display in your home. Furthermore, this could be a fun activity that the whole family can partake in, and who knows,  maybe you have a budding Picasso in the family! 

Great Tips On How To Make Homeschooling Enjoyable For Parents And Kids

 There's no doubt that homeschooling can be a big challenge for parents. Not only do you have to manage your own time and resources, but you also have to juggle your children's needs. However, there are ways to make homeschooling more enjoyable for both you and your children. 

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Here Are Some Tips On How To Make Homeschooling More Enjoyable For You As A Parent:

Get organized

One of the most important things you can do to make homeschooling more enjoyable is to get organized. This means creating a schedule and sticking to it. It also means having a designated space for learning, whether it's a corner of your living room or a dedicated home office. Having everything in its place will help reduce stress and make homeschooling run more smoothly.

Take breaks

Homeschooling can be intense, so it's important to take breaks when you need them. This means taking a few minutes to yourself every now and then, as well as scheduling regular field trips or other activities outside of the home. Taking breaks will help you keep your energy up and avoid burnout.

Get involved in the homeschooling community

There are many benefits to getting involved in the homeschooling community, both online and offline. Doing so will give you access to support, resources, and friendship. It's also a great way to meet other families who are homeschooling and get ideas for making your own homeschooling experience more enjoyable.

Integrating Educational Products

Utilizing educational products can enhance and enrich the homeschooling experience for both you and your children. Educational products range from interactive apps and websites for self-paced learning to board games and hands-on science kits. ABCmouse can promote self-paced learning across various subjects while engaging educational toys can reinforce topics covered during lessons for increased retention and understanding. Whenever selecting educational products to support homeschool learning make sure they match both age- and skill-level appropriateness so as to facilitate your child's journey toward their educational journey successfully!

Have realistic expectations

Homeschooling is not going to be perfect, and that's okay. However, trying to achieve perfection will only lead to frustration. Instead, focus on setting realistic goals and being flexible when things don't go as planned. Having realistic expectations will help you enjoy homeschooling more and feel better about your progress.

Make time for yourself

It's important to remember that homeschooling is not all about your children. You also need to make time for yourself. This means taking care of your own needs, both physically and emotionally. Whether it's getting enough sleep, exercising, or reading a good book, make sure you're taking care of yourself so you can be the best parent possible.

Find a balance.

It's important to find a balance between structure and flexibility in your homeschooling routine. Don't be afraid to mix things up from time to time, and let your kids take the lead on some days. A little bit of variety will keep everyone interested and engaged.

Take advantage of technology.

There are so many great homeschooling resources available online these days. Use them! There are tons of great inferences graphic organizers to try, websites, teacher apps, and online courses that can make homeschooling more fun and effective.

Have fun

Last but not least, don't forget to have fun! Homeschooling can be a lot of work, but it can also be a lot of fun. Make sure you're enjoying the process and taking time to celebrate your successes. This will help you stay motivated and make homeschooling more enjoyable for everyone involved.

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It can be difficult to find the right balance between structure and freedom when homeschooling your children. On the one hand, you want to give them the education they need to succeed in life. 

But, on the other hand, you don't want to make it so rigid that they hate learning altogether. So how can you find that sweet spot? 

Here Are A Few Tips On How To Make Homeschooling Enjoyable For Your Kids:

Let them have a say in their curriculum.

One of the great things about homeschooling is that you have the flexibility to tailor the curriculum to your child's interests and needs. Sit down with them at the beginning of each school year and ask them what they would like to learn about. You might be surprised at what they come up with!

Make learning interactive.

Nobody likes being lectured for hours on end, least of all kids. So make learning interactive! Get them up and moving around, doing hands-on activities, and engage in discussions. The more they're involved, the more likely they are to actually enjoy it.

Take advantage of outside resources.

There's no need to go it alone when homeschooling your children. There are plenty of great resources out there to help you both with the curriculum and with planning fun activities. Look into local homeschool groups, online forums, and websites specifically for homeschoolers.

Reward good behavior.

Everyone loves a little bit of positive reinforcement! So if your kids are doing a great job with their homeschooling work, be sure to let them know how proud you are. A small reward now and then can go a long way in keeping them motivated.

Give them some downtime.

Homeschooling can be intense, and it's important to give your kids a break every now and then. Make sure to schedule some downtime for them to just relax, play, and be kids. This will help them stay motivated and focused when it's time to get back to work.

Take a field trip once in a while.

Field trips are a great way to mix things up and make learning more fun. They're also a great opportunity for your kids to socialize with other homeschoolers. Look into local museums, zoos, parks, historical sites, and anywhere else that might be interesting and educational.

Let them teach you something.

One of the best ways to learn is by teaching others. So why not let your kids teach you something for a change? It can be anything they're interested in - from how to play their favorite video game to what they're learning in their homeschooling curriculum. Not only will they love being the teacher for once, but you might actually learn something new!

Make it fun!

This is perhaps the most important tip of all. If you're not having fun, chances are your kids aren't either. So find ways to make learning fun! Get creative with games, activities, and projects. The more enjoyable it is, the more likely your kids are to want to keep doing it.

The Worst Type of Love: 8 Tips for Disguising Love Handles

 

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We all have parts of ourselves that we feel like we need to disguise. Love handles are one of those things that most of us have to contend with. The excess fat around the sides of the waist is something that we can either feel that we are proud of ourselves to show off, or we need to feel more comfortable in ourselves. This is why some of the following styling tips can work wonders.

The Right Shapewear

Whether it's women's boy shorts, panty girdles, or control briefs, the right type of underwear or shorts will flatten the bulge around the stomach area, which creates a slimmer effect and lifts evenly. Make sure that you wear them above your belly button so you can conceal the tummy bulges.

Black or Dark Outfits

A lot of people tend to forget about the notion of illusion. Dark colors are fantastic to make your body look more in shape without highlighting bulges. Dark colors in the form of blacks, maroons, blues, or dark browns can work together to make the use of light and dark paneling, which can conceal and highlight curves. You don't have to completely dress in dark colors. You can mix it up with bright colors on the top of the body, but dark colors on the bottom are great for hiding any sort of creases, bumps, and folds.

Vertical Stripes

Another illusion tactic. It fits with vertical stripes and can make you look taller. Be warned, horizontal stripes can have the opposite effect because they add that illusion of width and can make you look shorter as well as broader. Vertical stripes have the effect that can make somebody look slimmer while also disguising the love handles because it draws attention away from the curves to the height of the person.

Empire Waistlines

Dresses with a silhouette that is sitting up between the bust and the waist give an illusion of curves. There are a wide variety of options you can work with here, including A-line dresses. When using A-lined silhouettes, it’s going to make your curves more flattering because they will conceal those love handles and will widen the space in an area, creating an illusion of slimness. You need to stay away from materials that are more body-hugging, such as polyester, lycra, or satin but choose a chiffon or sheer fabrics for the A-line dresses.

Wear Thicker Fabrics

It's important to remember that if you wear finer fabrics, this can tend to stick to your body and this will show the unwanted bulges. When you choose a thick fabric with detailed designs, it will sit on your body better without clinging to the curves and not make these things so obvious.

The Right Accessories

It is a very common fashion tip to distract attention from the parts of your body that you don't want to put on display. And this is why you've got to make sure the accessories are from the neck upwards. For example, a scarf will divert attention towards the neck, but you've got to remember that the scarf should have bold patterns or bright colors. But if you are concerned about wearing scarves during the summer, you can always use thin scarves that are made of cotton or linen. Additionally, you can go for flashy and bold earrings. And while you may not want to go for large earrings, especially in professional settings, you can opt for bright-colored studs that come with bold patterns or studded ring-shaped earrings.

Avoid Baggy Clothing

You have to choose clothes that are the right fit rather than being figure-hugging, but if you choose loose clothing. as much as it can disguise love handles, it can make you look bigger. It's so important to go for the right thing. It's not just for aesthetics, but it will make you feel more confident because it gives a more appealing look.

Look at the Length

When you are putting together a final look, you've got to address the length of your skirt or dress, so when you are picking a fitted dress, it needs to be just right. If it's too short, it will make your thighs look bigger. Having dresses that end just above the knee tends to suit all body types.

Whether you are trying to make a great first impression or you are now trying to feel more confident in yourself, those love handles can be critters to remove. It's about having the right combination of tactics to disguise them.

How to Freeze Asparagus

Freezing vegetables is a great way to save money during the winter months. This easy tutorial will have you freezing asparagus now for enjoyment this winter. With this method your asparagus will be as fresh tasting as it was the day you purchased it. 

I am a major farmers market fan. In fact, it is the thing I get the most excited about! I want to get there early and I come prepared with bags and baskets to carry home my fresh finds. In fact, it is not at all uncommon to find me standing in line on a Tuesday afternoon, patiently awaiting the bell that signals the start of the market. I have a favorite farmer and he sells out FAST! LOL. I find it to be worth the wait.

You would likely find it worth the wait too. I got a steal on asparagus and mini peppers recently. I am talking $1 a pound for the freshest asparagus in town. I bought 10 pounds of it without hesitation.

Asparagus for days is my jam. But, these gorgeous stalks are meant for a cold, blustery day, when asparagus doesn't look this good at the store, but it packs a hefty price tag of up to $6 a pound where I live. To preserve asparagus this is what you need.

I do use a foodsaver, but you can get a vaccum sealer for about $30 on amazon and big rolls of the bags. They are well worth the investment if you are going to do a lot of freezing! I know every expert will tell you food goes bad fast; but honestly I have had veggies frozen for 2 years that are still super fresh when packaged properly with a food saver... but, I guess now you know my secret. I rarely defrost my deep freezer HA!

So here is what you need:

Supplies:

A bowl of ice water

1 pound of asparagus

6 cups of water

Paper Towels

Food saver or freezer bags

Directions:

Snap the ends of the asparagus and discard the woody ends.

Boil 4 cups of water.

Place 2 cups of water and the ice into a large bowl.

When the water has come to a boil, drop the asparagus into the boiling water.

Allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the asparagus turns bright green.

Remove the asparagus from the boiling water and immediately place it in the ice water.

Remove after 30 seconds.

Place the asparagus on paper towels and allow to drain.

Pat the asparagus dry.

Place it in a food saver or freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.

Place in the freezer for up to a year.

If you are looking for more ways to save money; here are some reader's favorite posts. 

5 Baby Items You Won't Need

6 Things Not to Bargain Shop For

How To Save Money on Back to School Clothes