Get the Best Sleep of your Life: 6 Healthy Sleep Tips

Sleep can set the routine for the whole day. Waking alert and rested can put you in a successful frame of mind, and prepares you to tackle the day. As part of my Get Healthy 2015 series, with collaboration from Casper Mattress, I am sharing some helpful tips to get more restful sleep at night. Being a busy mom and blogger, and naturally a night owl, getting enough sleep isn't an easy task for me. I have incorporated these 6 tips into my daily routine to help ease transition from being awake to falling asleep, to wake up more rested.

*Disclosure: I was asked to write an article on my best sleep tips and tricks for Sleep Awareness Week by a representative at Casper, a sleep start-up company. I was not compensated in any way. This article is written 100% by me and includes my honest opinion that was in no way influenced by a third party. For even more tips to ease you to sleep, visit the blog at Casper.*

Fabulous Friends and Finds Friday: Pizza and Wine

Welcome to the first edition of Fabulous Friends and Finds Friday!

There is nothing better then spending an evening with friends and family, especially if that evening includes never-ending handmade pizza and wine. Sure, you could order a pie or two from your favorite delivery place, but what do you do when you run out of pizza before the evening is over? And what if you wanted to have a truly unique pizza, say broccoli and kalamata olives, or shrimp with asparagus and feta?

Spinach, Kale, and Garlic Pizza (and tips for making pizzas at home)

St. Patrick's day is over, are you sick of green yet? I hope not, but if you are, this spinach, kale, and garlic pizza might just change your mind. A pizza with a full serving of vegetables, you can't feel guilty about eating that! With kale featured in both the pesto and on top of the pizza, you get a double dose of super greens. Just don't be trying to kiss any vampires afterward, since garlic gives this pizza a kick! Add a soft-cooked egg on top, and you have a perfect vegetarian lunch or dinner.

You can make this pizza using store-bought pizza dough, or make a batch of pizza dough at home ahead of time. (I hope to have a pizza dough tutorial up soon, I have a dear friend who is a "master pizza-man"- I have learned quite a few lessons from him.)

Some tips to making pizzas at home:

• Go ahead and get yourself a pizza stone and a pizza peel. I found mine for about $15 each. They are a worthwhile investment for making pizzas, baguettes, or other crusty artisanal breads at home.
• Use a hot oven. To get that authentic pizzeria crust, I crank my oven to 450-475. Make sure to place your pizza stone while the oven is cold to prevent cracking. Don't remove it from the oven until completely cooled. (I leave mine in overnight just to be safe.)
• Prepare your dough ahead of time: Most pizza dough recipes can be made up to 2 days in advance and left to slowly rise in your refrigerator. It will result in a more tender, flavorful crust.
• Mise en place! Just a fancy word for get organized. Set out your sauce, cheese and toppings so you can have a pizza factory. When we have pizza nights, I like to make three or four pizzas and let my family join in on the fun of assembling them. I put vegetable toppings on one large plate and meat toppings on another, that way you can mix or match and find new flavor combinations.
• Balance is key: Don't overload your pizza with toppings. It will take longer to cook, resulting in a soggy crust.
• Think outside the box. Feel free to "chef" it up at home! Some of my favorite pizzas have been complete originals when it comes to topping them.

Spinach, Kale, and Garlic Pizza
Makes one 12" pizza

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough, homemade is best
• Fresh mozzarella cheese-sliced and pressed between paper towels
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 2-3 cups baby spinach/baby kale mix (or equal parts of each)
• Parmesan cheese
• Basil-Kale Pesto, see below, or substitute in your favorite pesto
• eggs, optional

Directions:

1. Heat your oven. Make sure that it is really hot so you don't lose a lot of your heat when transferring your pizza into the oven.
2. Stretch your dough into a disk, leaving a bit of a border around the outside. I always hand stretch it, so if it isn't a perfect circle, don't worry!
3. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced garlic, let sweat for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add your spinach and kale, and let wilt down. Remove from heat.
4. Spread a layer of pesto on the dough, then top with the sliced mozzarella.
5. Squeeze out any moisture out of the spinach/kale/garlic, then evenly top your pizza.
6. Grate a bit of parmesan over top, then bake until the crust is browned (10-15 minutes)
7. Top with soft-cooked eggs and a bit more fresh parmesan, and enjoy!

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Basil-Kale Pesto
Makes about 2 cups



 

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• 1 cup kale, ribs removed
• Olive oil
• Salt

You can make a huge batch of this at the end of summer, and store in your freezer in zip-top bags to have home-made pesto year round.

Directions:

1. Mince the garlic in the food processor with a pinch of salt.
2. Add the lemon zest and pine nuts, basil and kale; pulse until ground into a paste. 
3. While the machine is running, drizzle olive oil in until desired consistency.
4. Season to taste with salt.

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Three Dollar Photography Backdrop

After reading up on blog photography, I got a better understanding on how to really make your pictures stand out for your blog and on Pinterest. I saw some behind-the scenes photos and found some great tips for improving your photography skills. I pinned a bunch on my Pinterest board under Tips and Tricks-Blog and Photography.

The first thing I needed to improve my photography was a blank canvas to act as my backdrop. Think of it as step zero. I picked up some foam-core board at my local dollar store, taped two together for a sturdy background, then placed the third underneath for the base. When not in use it folds flat, perfect for storage.

Without a backdrop, I would have to creatively avoid eye-sores like my well-loved/well-abused kitchen table, and my unorganized pantry while still trying to get blog-worthy shots. I am still learning the ins and outs of the lighting in my home, so having one less thing to worry about is a plus!

I can use it as a white background, like with my morning Chai tea...

...or change my color palette simply by adding a fabric drape. Here is a Mandarin Ginger Fizz behind a striped teal number.

Speaking of fabric, doesn't it just remind you of spring? It reminds me of robin's eggs. I think I'll pick up a few more yards (and learn to sew while I'm at it) so I can make a fabulous spring skirt out of it!

Five Tips to Make Gourmet Burgers at Home in Under 20 Minutes

1. Start with good ground meat

Usually I use an 80:20 ground beef from the supermarket. If I'm cooking for my mom, I will use a 90:10 ground sirloin. If you have an option to buy ground beef from the butcher's counter, do it. Or you can be really fancy and grind your own (if only I had the grinder attachment for my KitchenAid, sigh...). Don't think you have to be limited to beef either. You can mix ground sausage with your beef, or use lamb, pork, turkey, or even chicken, depending on the flavor profile you are looking for.

2. Add interesting mix-ins

Salt, pepper, and Worcester sauce are my seasonings when making my basic burger patties, but why stop there? Try adding minced garlic, herbs, bacon, or cheese directly into the meat. Or add some zing by adding salsa or diced chili peppers.

3. Give your patties dimples, then don't overcook

Nobody wants a hamburger ball on a bun. When you form your patties, indent the centers a bit. This will prevent them from getting rounded when they cook. I like to cook my patties in a dry (no oil) cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. It gives them nice color on the outside while keeping the center juicy.

4. Add interesting toppings

Just because your having burgers doesn't mean your toppings need to be standard. Experiment with flavor profiles. Try caramellized onions with balsamic vinegar, salsa or pico de gallo, spinach, horseradish mayonnaise or fancy mustards. This is true for cheeses, too. How about using goat cheese, Gouda, or smoked Mozzarella? The combinations are endless.

5. Toast your buns, and then waterproof

Nothing ruins a good burger than a soggy bun. Pop the buns in the oven or under the broiler for a minute. I put my spread and lettuce (or other greens) on the bottom bun to prevent the meat juices from dripping into my bun, making it soggy.

What is your favorite way to eat a burger at home? I'd love to read your comments, and if you have an important tip I missed I would love to here it!

Five Tips to Get Dinner from Refrigerator to Table in Under 20 Minutes

There are days when I am wrapped up in an activity and before I know it, it's 6:40 and my family is hungry. I try to have dinner on the table by 7, when my husband gets home from work. Here are my 5 tips for getting dinner from the fridge to the table in less than twenty minutes.

1. Have a plan, and then have an alternate plan

I try to grocery shop twice a week, usually Tuesdays and Fridays. On Tuesday, I get to the farmers market in the morning, and then to the grocery store. On Fridays, I shop for the weekend meals. Since my husband and kids eat breakfast and lunch at work/school on the weekdays, I cook a few more meals on Saturday and Sunday. By looking at the weekly ads and through my store coupons, I figure out a meal plan for the periods between store visits. I always plan some meals that are quick to put together and maybe one or two that might take a bit longer. If need to, I can rearrange the days if my schedule gets impacted and need to have dinner on the table in 15 minutes.

 

2. Have a well-stocked refrigerator and pantry

Again, I accomplish this by shopping twice a week. We usually drink through two gallons of milk in about 4 days, so I use that as an indicator for how often I need to shop. I pick up a flat of eggs every other week at the farmer's market ($7 for 30 organic brown eggs). Keep your fridge organized, using first-in, first-out methods. Place older ingredients in front of new ingredients, and keep perishable foods in sight, so you remember to use them.
I keep fruit and salad ingredients in one produce bin and keep the longer keeping vegetables in the other, so that I can quickly assess what I have and what needs to be used first. I make sure to keep a few lemons or limes in my fruit bowl to add a citrus pop to dishes. I also stock my spice rack with the essentials plus I make some rubs and spice blends from scratch.

 

3. Know your knives

Start with quality: Quality knives are an worthwhile investment, especially if you plan to cook 6-7 times a week. Find knives that are comfortable in your hand, and you are comfortable using. They should be versatile enough so that you only need four, maybe five knives to do all your cutting tasks. I have a chef's knife, a paring knife, a carving knife and fork, a serrated bread knife, and pair of kitchen shears.

Keep your knives sharpened: Take care of your investment. I only cut on wood or poly boards. My knives never run through the dishwasher, I only hand wash them. I don't soak my knives in the sink (for safety reasons). I visit my local knife sharpener at my farmer's market at least once a season. Some specialty shops also offer knife-sharpening services.

Practice your cutting techniques. A sharp knife can be your best friend when cutting fast and accurately. You won't have to use as much pressure when cutting, reducing the risk of cutting yourself. Go at a pace comfortable to you, and try for even cuts when slicing and dicing. Practicing will allow you be able to cut quicker and with more confidence and your cuts will also be more uniform, leading to more even cooking times.

 

4. Don't be afraid to cook on a higher heat

Thin cuts of chicken or pork can benefit from higher cooking temperatures to brown both sides without overcooking. A high heat is also essential when searing off steaks or meat before roasting. Caramelization in vegetables lends great flavor, adding to the sweetness and nuttiness. Try roasting broccoli or carrots instead of steaming, they will have a totally different flavor profile.

 

5. Forgo the rice and potatoes.

So many people are trying to cut carbs out of their diet. I am not one of those people, and I do like to eat them. But these tend to take the longest to cook when you are trying to go from fridge to table in under 20 minutes. Rice takes at least 20 minutes on the stove, and potatoes need at least that much time if you are not using the microwave. If I'm in a hurry to get dinner on the table, I often look to salads and vegetables to round out the meal. If serve a green salad plus one or two more vegetable sides with a protein, I don't miss not having a starchy side. It's also a great way to get your family to get to their 5-7 serving of fruit and veggies daily.

What are your top tips for feeding your family quickly? I'd love to hear your comments!