Ideas & Tips

Salads are a popular meal choice for the nutritional content they supply. The cornucopia of vitamins and minerals they provide are key to a healthy lifestyle. A single salad can have anywhere from under 400 to well over 1,000 calories in one dish based on its ingredients.  Here are two tips to consider when making your next salad: Tasty foundation: Possibly the most important component of a salad is its base of greens. Not only does a good amount of greens load the meal with vital nutrients like lutein and folic acid, but you can use the foundation to add hunger-killing protein,...

It's that time of year again: Time to raise a glass with family and friends and toast to being safe inside with food, drink and a functional heating system. The holiday season is one of the biggest times of year for cocktails, given all the swanky parties that go on, so it stands to reason that there are an abundance of holiday cocktail ideas to choose from. Impress your friends and coworkers at parties by trying some of these out: Rosemary-scented champagne: Add rosemary-flavored simple syrup and a shot of rum to a flute of champagne for a holiday flavor with...

There are many upsides to maintaining or starting a garden in the winter, the first of which may be that gardens make for beautiful additions to the home. Also, the options are more profuse than normally assumed with greenhouses, indoor and outdoor gardening all serving as viable options, even with the extra care needed to defend against any oncoming frost. Some of the benefits that come with gardening, specifically during the winter, include the cost effectiveness of growing your own produce and the bonus of extra activity and exercise during the months when people are typically inclined to stay in...

The thought of a smoothie usually calls to mind the bright colors and tart flavors of the various fruits that are commonly used in blended concoctions, but the smoothie is so much more than that. Namely, the form of a smoothie can be used to convey any number of flavors and ingredients, including thematic seasonal blends. Also, seasonal smoothies are often much healthier than their non-smoothie counterparts, such as pumpkin pie and eggnog, so they are a good choice for people looking to stick to a diet without missing out on the flavors of the holidays. Don't put your blender...

When you spend Thanksgiving at someone's home, you know they've spent all day cooking up a feast and preparing the house for guests, so you'll want to bring something along to show your appreciation of their efforts. When choosing a host gift, it's important to consider your host's particular tastes, but there are a few categories that many good host gifts fall into. Useful in many situations, sometimes even during the meal itself, these versatile host gifts will make your hosts want to invite you back next year: A serving bowl: Oftentimes, hosts who are taking on the Thanksgiving meal for...