NY Foodie Family

Weekend Chef’s Book Review: Why We Get Fat

Posted on October 21, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Book Review- Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It by Gary Taubes

I included this book in my September favorites post a few weeks back. Nancy picked it up from the library and asked me to read it for a post. I thought I would battle through it as it certainly looked like a fad diet book, one which I had little interest in reading. I was certainly surprised to find that the format of the book is historically driven and scientifically backed, both good things. And it’s really not a diet book at all. Gary Taubes is a journalist and merely reports the facts as supporting evidence to a larger truth. He had previously written Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health. As I understand, the book was as long and dry as the title suggests. He was inspired to cut the book down so more people could access the valuable information he presented. The first book was just too much for most people to dig through.

The follow up, Why We Get Fat supports the same basic argument: carbs and sugar are the root of obesity and a host of illnesses. He provides the science behind this claim and looks to dismantle the arguments against it: Eating less food and increasing exercise is a popular however frustrating way to try to lose weight because it chemically just doesn’t work, eating fat has never been proven to increase belly fat, the list goes on. I know it all sounds pretty crazy. Just eliminate starch, carbs and sugars of all kinds and eat as much of the correct foods as your want, no calorie restrictions. The book has really hit home for me. After getting back from Disney World in August, I really felt like a mess and I blamed it on the excess calories as we’re taught to do. What I think the real problem was, in hindsight, was the desserts at every meal including the doughnuts at breakfast. My mom is diabetic and it’s a path that I’m trying to avoid. Looking back, she always had ice cream every night and started using Weight Watchers to get back on track 20 years ago.

The one ask I have is for everyone to read the book and make their own decision about food and the science of what really makes us fat. In an upcoming post, I’m going to share some of the book-inspired changes that I’ve made to my diet for the long term, not as a quick fix. A little preview: I’m missing chocolate and ice cream but unlimited bacon makes up for it.

Please share any of your thought or experiences in the comments section.

-The Weekend Chef

Turn It Up Tuesday #109

Posted on October 19, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Once again it’s time for Turn It Up Tuesday where I am guest hosting for the month of October. Come link up your favorite posts from the past week! It’s been fun reading through everyone’s posts each week and I can’t wait to see what you are sharing with us this week.

As promised, we are announcing the winner of the Turn It Up Tuesday 2-year Anniversary Giveaway this week. The winner is…

Christy D.

Congratulations go out to Christy for winning the giveaway! She was super-duper surprised, grateful, and extremely happy. Her response was so heart-warming!

Please be sure to congratulate Christy with a comment below!

Last week, we had an amazing time linking up and reading all of your posts – it’s always great to see so many cool ideas all in one place!

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Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for October is Humbird.

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HumBird is located at the base of the bavarian mountains in Germany and is a mother-daughter creation which began in 2010. We currently make 3 different types of wool covers; boiled wool, merino wool interlock, and upcycled. Along with sewing I enjoy hiking, running, and gardening. Free shipping on all orders $25 or more.

All month, Turn It Up Tuesday partygoers will receive 10% off all orders using the code Epic10.

Are you looking to get your blog or website in front of numerous people per week? Do you enjoy Turn It Up Tuesdays? Interested in having your blog or website featured for an entire month? Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month by clicking here!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for October!

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(from the top – left to right)

Kayla from Scatterbrained Mom | Lyn from Mid Michigan Mom | Donna from Two Chicks and a Mom | Nancy from NY Foodie Family | Glenda from Mommies Point of View

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

DIY-Comic-Book-Letters

Donna chose DIY Comic Book Letters from Mom’s Messy Miracles.

Nancy also chose this post. “My son love super heroes and comics. This is a great DIY project that he can help me with to decorate his room.”

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Donna chose Post 57: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread from Ariel Louise.

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Dawn chose DIY Body Cream {Whipped} from Little Miss Dexterous. “There is nothing nicer than getting out of the bath and popping on some beautiful smelling body cream. This would even make nice Christmas presents for the family. Thanks for sharing xx”

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Dawn chose Mummy Meatballs Recipe- Halloween Snack for Kids from Serendipity & Spice. “What a fantastic idea. I will definitely be serving these up for a Halloween snack for the Gruesome Twosome. Thanks for sharing xx”

PartyTracker

Lyn chose How to Make a Link Party Tracker from Purfylle to Embellish. “It can be so confusing to keep track of which posts have been linked to where. This method is a great tool to stay organized…and it doesn’t require another password and login.”

Bev also chose this post. “Trying to link up to parties and keep track of which ones you posted to is daunting. This is a great way to keep track of all the details.”

This post also had the most views this week!

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Elaine chose Crockpot Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake from Intelligent Domestications. “Pumpkin streusel is my fall indulgence and if it can be baked in a crockpot it shoots to the top of my bake this now list.”

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Tina (Kidz Activities) chose 25 Sweet and Spooky Halloween Treats from Crystal & Co. “I love this list of Halloween treats! A mix of cute, spooky and awesome ideas.”

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Tina (Kidz Activities) chose Halloween Trick or Treat Bags: An Easy DIY Idea from Kenarry. “I love DIY projects for kids and this is a useful one for the Halloween season.”

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Lyn chose Rock Your Subscriber Opt-In and Email Newsletter from Earning & Saving with Sarah Fuller. “Great tips on gaining subscribers! Something that most bloggers want =)”

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Kayla chose Potato Soup from Fitness Food Diva. “Love potato soup, Its A big dish made during Thanksgiving for my family!”

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Kayla chose Halloween Candy Bark and Creating the Perfect BOO Basket from Delightful E Made. “A great Idea for all that candy the kids can’t have…but mom can!”

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Mari chose Caramel Apple Pudding Cups: A Sweet Treat for Fall from Kenarry. “Carrie’s pudding cups look so yummy can’t wait to try. Great combo too!”

Stacey also chose this post. “These look wonderful! Caramel apples are on of my favorite Halloween treats and these look so fun to make with the kids. Thanks for sharing!”

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Mari chose Candy Corn Recipes from The Jenny Evolution. “Loved Jennifer’s share because ever since I could recall I have loved candy corn. There is a bag of mini ones from Walgreens in my car as a matter of fact lol!”

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Nancy chose 31 Favorite Casserole Recipes from Intelligent Domestications. “Casseroles feel like comfort food to me, which is perfect for the cooler weather that has arrived. This is a great collection of all kinds of casseroles.”

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Bev chose Stacked Halloween Pumpkin Tower from Flamingo Toes. “Love this Halloween tower with the black and white pumpkins. The hat on the black bird is adorable.”

Tina (Happy Creations) also chose this post. “What a wonderful Halloween decoration. Chic and beautiful,black and white looks fabulous. Thanks for sharing your creativity with us.”

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Stacey chose Halloween Sugar Cookies from A Pretty Life. “What an adorable Halloween idea! And sugar cookies are always a light tasty treat. Thanks so much for sharing!”

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Tina (Happy Creations) chose DIY Spider Family Halloween Wreath from Pastels & Macarons. “A simple easy to make Halloween DIY. Ribbons and spiders make a beautiful wreath. Thanks for sharing your creativity with us.”

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Silvie chose Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins Walnut Streusel from Fitness Food Diva. “This post had me at “Cream Cheese”! These muffins look so delicious and I can’t wait to try this recipe.”

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

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And the Best of the Best goes to…

PartyTracker

How to Make a Link Party Tracker from Purfylle to Embellish

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Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

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So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back. – Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier! – Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends! – Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

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Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week! **Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source. **

An InLinkz Link-up

Interested in reading all of our favorite posts on Turn It Up Tuesdays – past or present? Or do want to know if your post was featured before we go live next week? Follow Natasha Peter’s board Featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays! on Pinterest.

Weekly Meal Plan {Week 16}

Posted on October 19, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Here is a look at what was on our menu last week. You can read all about how we meal plan and hopefully get some inspiration and cooking ideas from these weekly posts!

Saturday – My sister and her family were visiting and we ordered Chinese takeout.

Sunday – We went to my parent’s house for dinner and had Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage.

Monday – The Weekend Chef was off from work for Columbus Day and made a Slow Cooker Whole Roasted Chicken which he served with homemade French Onion Soup and Buttered Egg Noodles.

Tuesday – I made Creamer Potatoes with Sausage and Peppers from The Cookie Writer. Except, I didn’t use creamer potatoes. I used Eastern potatoes that I had in a bag in my pantry. This dish wasn’t difficult to make but it took awhile to cook everything. Overall, we found it just okay. I wouldn’t bother remaking this one.

Wednesday – I made Slow Cooker Cola Barbecue Beef from Melanie Makes. We don’t eat a lot of beef and this was my first time cooking with a chuck roast. Even with me adding the ketchup to the slow cooker and not making the recommended sauce, this came out really great! The meat was really tender and flavorful. I served this with mashed potatoes and veggies.

Thursday – I was going to make Pierogis a la Sobieski Voda from Living the Gourmet. However, I realized that I didn’t have the cream for the vodka sauce. I was tired and lazy, so I threw a can of tomato sauce with some Penzeys Pasta Sprinkle over Mrs. T’s Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Pierogies and voila, dinner was served. I had never thought of pairing a tomato based sauce with pierogies before, but I think the flavored pierogies worked really well with the tomato sauce. My son, who’s not a huge pierogi fan even enjoyed these!

Friday – I made Apple Cheddar Turkey Burgers from Rachael Ray Magazine, August 25, 2008. This is a recipe repeat, meaning that I’ve already previously made these before. It was several years ago, but regardless, they are good and worth repeating. I served these with fries.

What was cooking in your kitchen this week?

Friday Favorites {Week 34}

Posted on October 16, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I know I’m probably saying this every Friday, but where did the week go?! Last weekend flew by with my sister and her family visiting from out of state. Having Monday off seemed to throw off our entire schedule. But here we are again, having survived another week! Some favorites of this past week:

1. Apple picking – Even though my son went apple picking yesterday on a class trip, we still decided to make a quick trip to a local orchard. We went while my sister was up visiting and our kids loved picking apples with their cousins. And of course it wouldn’t be apple picking without stopping for some cider doughnuts and apple cider. It was ridiculously crowded and we waited in line for over an hour to get doughnuts. They were good, but they weren’t even hot! Definitely not worth the long wait with antsy children. We have been enjoying eating the apples, which are almost all gone. I’m hoping to bake some type of treat with a few of the ones we have left.

2. Bike Riding – Our son, who has been fighting learning to ride his bike for what feels like forever, finally learned to ride his bike! We all had off from school and work on Columbus Day, so the Weekend Chef had wanted the family to go on a hike. The kids were not into it at all and our daughter suggested instead that they go bike riding (since the Weekend Chef and I don’t own bikes!). We have a local park near us that has a track that is perfect for bike riding. After a couple of shaky laps, our son finally got the hang of it and was riding like a pro! It was very exciting. And of course, the boy who complained about not wanting to go bike riding didn’t want to leave to go home!

3. Favorite bookmarked recipe of the week – This Buffalo Chicken Shepherd’s Pie from Cupcakes and Kale Chips. I think I’ve mentioned a few times that I love all things buffalo chicken. This sounds like a perfect cold weather comfort dinner that will be making it onto our weekly meal plan soon.

4. Netflix – The Weekend Chef and I have just finished watching the last episode of The Killing on Netflix this past week. I know I’ve mentioned in previous Friday Favorites that we’ve enjoyed this show. This show kept us up much later than I had planned on several nights because an episode would end on a big cliffhanger and we’d have to start the next episode to see what happened next.

5. NYCC – a.k.a. New York Comic Con. My brother-in-law’s company is in the process of creating two comic book series. He was in town with my sister and her kids since he had a booth at Comic Con to promote the comic books. He had an extra ticket, so the Weekend Chef spent pretty much all day Saturday in the city, helping at the booth. He did get a chance to walk around a bit and saw lots of people in costume and displays like the ones pictured above.

I’m linking up with Tif @ Bright on a Budget, Amanda from Meet @ The Barre and Andrea @ Momfessionals! Have a great weekend!

Universal Yums! August 2015

Posted on October 15, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

We have been subscribing to the Universal Yums! snack box for several months now. We are still a little behind in our reviews of our boxes but have finally gotten the August review post published! The August box featured snacks from India. Based on last month’s clues, we had figured this out prior to the box arriving. We were excited to try snacks from India, since we had never had any before. The box ships mid-month and usually arrives a couple of days after being shipped. This month’s box included a new feature, a playlist of songs from the country that you can listen to while enjoying the snacks.

This box included the usual variety of sweet and salty snacks. There were two varieties of Kurkure snacks. The Chili Chatka Kurkures were spicy, as the name and chili pepper pictured on the front of the bag suggest. The Naughty Tomato flavor Kurkure is described on the information card as “a snack that tastes like tomatoes, but these have a hint of spice with a sweeter, almost cinnamon aftertaste.” I found these to be spicy as well and didn’t enjoy this variety either. The Weekend Chef enjoyed them both so they got eaten. The kids didn’t bother trying either when they heard they were on the spicy side.

Also included were Parle Kreams Bourbon (2.65 oz). There were eight cookies in the package. These were chocolate sandwich cookies with tiny sugar crystals on top of the cookies. There was nothing extraordinary about these cookies and they tasted like cookies that we could get locally in the supermarket. However, we all enjoyed them. The Weekend Chef gets annoyed that the wrapper notes that there is one serving per container, with a serving size being 6 pieces. However, there are eight cookies in the package.

The Brittannia Treat Mango Cremes (1.3 oz) were a sugar cookie filled with a mango crème filling. There were four cookies in the package. This was another snack that we all enjoyed. The information card noted that In 2013 the Girl Scouts sold Mango Cream cookies which tasted very similar to these cookies. Unfortunately, our Girl Scouts did not sell these, so we missed out!

The Nestle Smarties are like large M&Ms. Although the chocolate discs had different colored candy coatings, they all tasted the same…..except for the orange colored coated candy that tasted like oranges. This was another winner.

The picture below shows Britannia Date Rolls. This 3.17 oz. package included eight cookies. The cookies were similar to a fig newton but had a harder, crumblier cookie. The filling was only a very thin layer that was not too sweet. The Weekend Chef called these the “not fig newtons.” He normally doesn’t like dates but enjoyed these cookies. Everyone but our daughter liked these cookies.

In the green bag were Candyland Jelly Amrood. There were about ten pieces of pear and/or guava shaped gummy candies in the bag. The gummies had little flecks of pepper and had a “sour, sweet, and pepper” flavor. Our son ended up eating most of these.

One of my favorite snacks in the box was the Best Value Bansi Peanut Chikki (3.5 oz). This was peanut brittle. Good peanut brittle! Nothing stood out to us that made it an “Indian” snack. However, the card noted that this brittle is made with jaggery, a non-centrifugal cane sugar that is eaten in Asia and Africa.

The box also had a 0.88 oz. bag of Snack City Chillz Spicy Potato Sticks. These were spicy as well and only the Weekend Chef at them.

There were four pieces of Mango Moody Candy. These hard candies are made from mango pulp. These weren’t my fave, but the kids liked these.

Finally, there was a bag of Lay’s Masala Magic flavored potato chips. These were ruffled potato chips with a spicy seasoning blend. They were a little spicy for me and the kids, but again, good thing the Weekend Chef likes spicy snacks!

Overall, we were happy with the variety of snacks in the India box. There were several snacks that the family couldn’t enjoy because they were too spicy. However, it’s always fun to try snacks from a different country!

September 2015 Reads

Posted on October 13, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Yeah, it’s time once again to blow up my goodreads to-be-read list! Today I’m linking up with Jana and Steph for their monthly Show Us Your Books link-up to share what I read in September. While I read a bunch of books this month, unfortunately, not many of them were really recommend worthy. I’ve listed them by rating below:

5 Stars
No books this month (Insert sad face here.)

4 Stars

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Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin – I am a big fan Gretchen Rubin. I loved The Happiness Project and enjoyed Happier at Home. In this book, Rubin, using research and personal experiences, tackles the subject of habits. She came up with “The Four Tendencies” framework, and provides a short quiz to help readers identify which Tendency they fall under. I am an Obliger – while I hate letting others down (outer expectations), I have difficulty following through on things for myself (inner expectations). Your tendency affects how you operate and how you can change your habits. While I didn’t love this book as much as her first two, I still enjoyed it and learned more about myself.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon – This book is a recently published young adult novel. It tells the story of Maddy, an eighteen-year-old who has a rare disease, and as a result has never left her house. But then Olly moves in next door. The two form an unlikely friendship and then eventually a relationship. Maddy suddenly gets to really experience life and is willing to suffer the consequences. The book is told in e-mails, illustrations and diagrams which make for a quick read.
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The Martian by Andy Weir – Thank you Lisa for recommending this book. First she told me I had to read Ready Player One, which I was a bit hesitant to, but then really enjoyed. This is another book that I would normally not read on my own. Space, science, Mars….not really my usual reading interests. But, knowing this was going to be out soon as a movie (which wasn’t out yet when I read it) I decided to give it a try. This book was suspenseful and emotional. Despite all the technical science and math talk which I kind of skimmed over, it kept my interest and made me want to continue reading. Now….to see the movie in the theater or wait for DVD?!!!

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The Same Sky by Amanda Eyre Ward – This book tells the very different stories of thirteen-year-old Carla and forty year-old Alice in alternating chapters. It deals with issues of illegal immigrants in the United States, infertility and adoption. It’s a sad but realistic story that made me appreciate what I have.

3.5 Stars
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Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica – I wish goodreads let us give half star ratings because this book I rated 3.5 stars. This psychological suspense book is told from multiple points of view. In a very condensed summary of this book, Heidi sees Willow on the train platform, holding a baby and eventually ends up helping the girl. It was suspenseful and had me reading to see how it would end, but it didn’t wow me. I’ve heard Kubica’s previous book The Good Girl was better, so I plan on eventually checking that one out.

3 Stars

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Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead – This book was a recommended read from The Skimm. It is about ballet dancers and, while not aimed towards ballet lovers, I think it might appeal to readers who have an understanding of the dance world. It was slow in parts for me and I wasn’t a big fan.

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Mosquitoland by David Arnold – When I think of one word to describe this young adult novel, “quirky” comes to mind. This book follows Mim Malone as she embarks on a journey to find her mother. It’s a coming-of-age novel in which Mim discovers things about herself and her family.

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Paper Towns by John Green – I read this young adult novel in anticipation of eventually watching the movie…on DVD. While I loved The Fault In Our Stars, this one was just okay for me.
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Summer Secrets by Jane Green – I’ve read and enjoyed a bunch of Green’s other chick lit type books. This one was just eh for me though. This book revolves around Cat and her struggle with alcohol. Not sure if it was the subject matter or that I couldn’t relate to any of the characters, but this wasn’t a favorite read of mine.

2 Stars

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Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont – This is a recently published debut novel from Pierpont. Jack cheats on his wife but his children end up find the box of letters proving his infidelity, which results in his family coming apart. Very “eh” read for me. There are much better books out there worth reading.

DNF
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The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George – This book was on the New York Times bestseller list for what seems like forever. While I don’t read everything on the NYT list, I often use it as a guide when I’m looking for something new to read. I decided to give this book a try and wanted to like it. A book about a bookseller sounds like my type of read. But I’m not even sure I made it to the 50 page mark with this one. It was wordy and just didn’t capture my interest. That’s not to say that I won’t give this one another try. Just not in the near future.

Turn It Up Tuesday #108

Posted on October 12, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I am guest co-hosting the monthly Turn It Up Tuesday linkup over at Epic Mommy Adventures. It’s time once again to come link up your favorite posts of the week! So, come, stop by and stay awhile. There are all kinds of posts linked up, including great recipes, crafts and home organization tips to name a few. Last week there were almost 400 posts linked up. Come and add your post and join the party!

We’ll be announcing the winner of our Turn It Up Tuesday 2-year Anniversary Giveaway next week! Be sure to look out to see if you’ve received the winning e-mail!!

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SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for October is Humbird.

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All month, Turn It Up Tuesday partygoers will receive 10% off all orders using the code Epic10.

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for October!

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(from the top – left to right)

Kayla from Scatterbrained Mom | Lyn from Mid Michigan Mom | Donna from Two Chicks and a Mom | Nancy from NY Foodie Family | Glenda from Mommies Point of View

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Easy-Crayons

Lyn chose DIY Pumpkin Crayons from Growing Up Gabel. “I love how this project is super easy but yet so thoughtful. My son has food allergies and we will probably have to confiscate half of his candy. He would love approaching a home like her. Thank you for sharing an option to candy!”

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Lyn chose Homemade Orange Scrub from Pastels & Macarons. “I like how this is natural, simple and so yummy looking.”

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Nancy chose Four Life-Changing Podcasts from Healthy Helper. “I have recently become a big fan of podcasts and am always looking for new recommendations.”

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Nancy chose Decluttering and Organizing All Things Paper: Week Five of {Sparking Joy} from Making It In the Mountains. “No matter how much I clean and declutter, tackling and organizing paperwork is always a struggle! I am going to have to check out the book that Kristi is using to help her declutter.”

Tiffany also chose this post. “Kristi gives such a simple way to declutter something that definitely has a way of sneaking into our piles of ‘stuff’ becoming no more than clutter. Love This!”

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Bev chose Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls from LouLou Girls. “These sourdough cinnamon rolls are so mouth watering. You will be doing your happy dance when you have these for breakfast.”

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Bev chose Six on Saturday: New Uses for Salt from Inspiration for Moms. “Who knew that salt could be so practical and useful. Great for so many uses and yet inexpensive.”

Elaine also chose this post. “Great information. I learned 6 new uses for salt.”

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Donna chose Boneyard Wreath from Crafty Journal. “I chose this one because I love Halloween and I love wreaths! Easy, too.”

How To Maintain Flawless Nails

Donna chose How To Maintain Flawless Nails from The Organized Dream. “I have almost always had nice hands and nails and gotten a lot of compliments. This is a good article about caring for those hands and nails.”

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Elaine chose Baked Pears with Honey, Cranberries, and Pecans from Small Green Kitchen. “I think this is the quintessential Fall fruit recipe.”

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Free chose Organize Your Online Shopping Strategy for Maximum Savings from Organizing Moms. “I love shopping but when I can save money and shop all at the same time it’s a win win for me.”

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Free chose How to Declutter Your Computer from Krystal’s Kitsch. “My laptop is so cluttered it stresses me out most days. Taking the time to declutter my home screen is going to help relieve a lot of my stress.”

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Mari chose 20 Different Uses for Crates from My Sweet Things. “I loved Pili’s share because I am always impressed by recycling things that are already around especially wood. Can’t wait to try some of these.”

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Mari chose Caramel Apple Turnovers Recipe from Creatively Homemade. “Jennifer’s turnover was a yummy looking surprise I hope to try over the holidays. I love caramel on everything lol.”

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Stacey chose Halloween DIY: Candy Sticks from Drugstore Divas. “What a wonderful and fun idea to use for Halloween fun at parties. Thanks for sharing!”

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Stacey chose Spider Pumpkin Candle Holder from The (mis) Adventures of a “Born Again” Farm Girl. “What an adorable decoration idea. They look very easy and fun to make. Thank you for sharing!”

Tiffany chose 11 Amazing Ways To Grow Pinterest That You Need to Know Now from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus. “Tina gives some really great ways to increase your Pinterest presence many of which are very easy to do and keep up with. Great Post Tina!”

Natasha also chose this post. “I have always wondered how to grow my Pinterest presence; reading this post helps me to know that I’m on the right track! Great share!”

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Kayla chose Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Peppers from A Pretty Life. “Yum to the tenth power!”

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Kayla chose Frozen Halloween Coloring Page from Mommy in Sports. “My daughter just discovered her love of coloring and Free Printable Coloring pages are a must! Saves on buying books.”

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Tina chose Trick or Treat! Chalkboard Decor from Lemon Thistle. “What an amazing DIY Halloween decoration.Looks so nice,love it!!A simple and chic chalkboard decorations.Thanks so much for sharing.”

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Tina chose Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes from The Gold Lining Girl. “I love peanut butter and chocolate, never tried this with pancakes.Looks so delicious. Great for a Sunday morning treat. I’m going to try this.Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.”

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The post with the most views is Easy Pumpkin Cake Pops for #PumpkinWeek from Dizzy Busy & Hungry.

Natasha also chose this post. “We absolutely love cake pops in my household – this looks like a great recipe that we’ll definitely try!”

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

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And the Best of the Best goes to…

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Caramel Apple Turnovers Recipe from Creatively Homemade

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20 Different Uses for Crates from My Sweet Things

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

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So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Weekly Meal Plan {Week 15}

Posted on October 12, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Columbus Day! We hope you had a great weekend! My sister and her family were up visiting so we had lots of fun spending time with family this weekend. We are all off today and are enjoying a relaxing day together. Here is a look at what was on our menu last week.

Saturday: We had our monthly supper club. This month’s theme was cheese grab bag. At our last dinner we all wrote down the names of two different cheeses. We each randomly picked a cheese from the bowl and had to make a dish featuring that particular cheese. The Weekend Chef picked halloumi and he made a Butternut Squash, Halloumi & Chili Omelette from Good Food. I first picked smoked gouda and traded it in for a new pick, which ended up being AGED Gouda. There were a lot of goudas in that bowl! I made Savory Bread Pudding with Aged Gouda & Cheddar Cheese from Adventures in Cooking. Both of these dishes were really good!

Sunday: Leftovers.

Monday: I made Broccoli Rabe Turkey Burgers from Skinnytaste. I added slices of mozzarella to our burgers and I served these with fries. These burgers were okay. They were lacking a little in flavor and weren’t my fave.

Tuesday: I made Pizza Casserole from The Grant Life. Honestly, I’m not sure if you can call this a recipe. It’s basically a baked ziti with pepperoni, using jarred marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. The kids really enjoyed this though and it was super easy to make.

Wednesday: I made BBQ Chicken, Apple, Bacon and Cheddar Quesadillas from Closet Cooking. The kids enjoyed these a lot. I served these with rice and sautéed zucchini.

Thursday: I made Apple Pie Pancake Rolls from Crazy for Crust. I served these with breakfast sausage and yogurt. The kids love anything breakfast for dinner and these were no exception.

Friday: My sister and her family are visiting and we ordered pizza.

Friday Favorites {Week 33}

Posted on October 9, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Friday! Hope everyone a great week! We are looking forward to a three day weekend filled with family fun and relaxation! This week I’m sharing some of my favorite blog posts that I’ve found this week. Hope you enjoy!

1. I found Cait’s post How I Will Improve Goodreads When I Rule The World via Erin’s Blogger Love vol. 2 post. If you use Goodreads, you have to read Cait’s post. She had so many improvements that were spot on!

2. I have bookmarked The Nectar Collective’s post on 7 Great Alternatives to Photoshop to Create Graphics for Your Blog. Blogging is a hobby that the Weekend Chef and I started as something fun that we could do together. It’s not paying the bills and I’m not ready to invest a lot of money in it at this time. I know I need to step up my photography and graphics skills for the blog, however I don’t have a lot of time to learn Photoshop, nor do I want to pay a monthly fee for a program…..yet. This post offered several alternatives that I have to check out.

3. I found Cristina’s post 5 Things Beginner Food Photographers Should Know pretty informative as well. At this point in my blogging career, I find any photography tips helpful!

4. I always enjoy Megan’s posts. Her most recent post How do I measure success? describes her goal to get in shape and lose weight, imparted with her usual humor and realism.

5. Finally, Lisa recently posted Asian cartoon characters I like and don’t like. Lisa’s children are a bit younger than mine, so I was unfamiliar with many of the characters that she wrote about. I was impressed with the number of shows that she identified that have Asian characters in them. I am Korean and I think it’s important that my children see characters in the media (television, movies, games, etc.) that they can identify with, appearance-wise. Her post got me thinking about shows targeted toward elementary children…..and I’m not sure that I can identify many Asians being represented.

***NY Foodie Family finally has a Facebook page! Stop by and check us out!

ICYMI on the blog this week:

Monday I shared our weekly meal plan.
Tuesday I shared a recipe for Feta Poblano Corn Muffins.
Wednesday I posted October Currently.
And Thursday I shared How I Use My Bullet Journal.

I am linking up again with Tif @ Bright on a Budget, Amanda from Meet @ the Barre and Andrea @ Momfessionals. Have a great weekend!

How I Use My Bullet Journal

Posted on October 8, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I love to make lists! Or, more specifically, I love crossing things off lists…..especially my to-do list. I used to write daily to-do lists on pieces of scrap paper. Other random pieces of paper noted books or movies I wanted to watch, spices we needed to restock, days the kids were buying lunch, and even a list of hashtags for Instagram photo challenges I was participating in. Like almost every blogger out there, I was getting ready to purchase one of those fancy designer planners. That is until my friend Ashley, fellow Supper Club member and food blogger at Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen, introduced me to the Bullet Journal.

So, what is a Bullet Journal, you ask? It’s more of an organizational system rather than a “journal.” The below video gives a quick overview of the system.

The beauty of it is that a Bullet Journal can be ANY notebook of your choosing. I chose a black squared Moleskine notebook that I purchased at Staples for under $20. As for pens, I have been happy with Pilot G-2 0.7 gel pens. I bought a variety pack at Walmart and enjoy switching up the colors each day.

The first page of my bullet journal is the index. Here I list the different lists and page numbers that are in my bullet journal.

I found the below free 2015 printable calendar pages from Zoot that, with a little trimming, fit perfectly in my bullet journal. I started out with three of these in my bullet journal. One for the family’s activities, one for my menu plan and one for my blog posts. However, I’ve actually phased these out since I wasn’t using them consistently.

I use my bullet journal mostly for my daily to-do list. Every day I create a new “to-do” list with the day, date and what we are having for dinner. I then draw a box and write each task that I need to do and list any events or activities going on that day. If I end up not completing a task that day, I draw an error in front of the empty box and carry it over to the next day’s to-do list. I try not to do that too often though, since it’s so satisfying to put a check in each box!

I added a weekly breakfast and lunch calendar for the kids at the bottom of the pages. This helps the Weekend Chef who prepares the kids’ “main” part of the lunch before he leaves for work. Since I like to mix things up and not give the kids the same thing every day, I now have a record of what they’ve eaten for breakfast and lunch. They also can’t complain that they’ve had pretzels EVERY day with lunch, since I can show them that they indeed have not.

Next to tasks that require payment like registering for cub scouts or sending in money for a class trip, I write the dollar amount that was spent in red and circle it. This allows me to loosely keep track of additional expenses.

I like that I have a record of my to-do lists. I used to throw out my scraps of paper each night. Now, I have a daily diary of sorts. I also list tasks that I need my husband to do. I leave the bullet journal open on the counter and he checks it daily! It’s become our daily household organization system. My son accidentally spilt a cup of water on the counter and my husband was most concerned about saving my bullet journal from getting wet!

After having using my bullet journal now for five months I can say that I am a big fan of it. Yes, the outside of my journal is not as pretty or as personalized as some of those fancy designer planners. However, the inside can be as personalized as I want. If I was motivated enough, I could decorate the pages of my journal with washi tape, stickers and other accessories that I often associate with traditional planners. Sometimes I’ll tape my fortunes from fortune cookies in the journal or glue or write in inspiring quotes. It’s literally a blank canvas for your own creativity and organization.

For additional information on the Bullet Journal:
Check out the blog Tiny Ray of Sunshine. Kim hosts a monthly Instagram Bullet Journal challenge. Check out October’s challenge here. Her blog is focused on bullet journaling and productivity. She features pictures of how different people use their bullet journal.

What type of organization or planner system do you use?