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How to Transform Your Next Family Meal Into a Night of Fun
Something that you likely look forward to every week is your family meal night. There is nothing better than finishing a long day of work or school and coming home to eat a delicious meal. The family meal is a great time for you to chat with your family members and see how their day was.
It is a time when people can voice their complaints, share any news about their lives, and generally have a catch-up. Though everyone loves family meal night, there is no denying that it can get a bit boring.
If you regularly eat a meal with your family, then it is likely that you have fallen into a repetitive routine and you are starting to get bored. The last thing that you want is to start to dislike family meal night, as it is a time where all of your family can spend time together and maintain your relationships.
Something that you can do is add excitement to your regular family meal night and you can make it a lot more fun than what it usually is. Here are just some ways that you can transform your next family meal into a night of fun.
Play Some Games
A great way that you can make your evening much more exciting is by including some games. After you have finished eating, it is likely that all of your family members go their own way and go to their bedrooms.
Instead of breaking apart after your meal, something you can do is finish the night with some fun games. There are plenty of games out there that are made for families and if your family likes a bit of competitive fun, then they are bound to love to play a game or two.
The perfect game that you can play with your family is Family Feud. You can split your family into two teams and ask a series of questions. If you are not sure which questions to ask, I would recommend taking a look at Ponly.com where you can find a wide array of questions for family feud that you can use when your family decides to play.
If you are worried that your family can get too competitive, you can play a game where you have to work together. For example, you can get murder mystery cases delivered to your home that you can solve as a group and work together to figure out. This is a lot of fun and it will bring your family together.
Serve The Meal Family Style
If you are the person that is in charge of serving the food for your family meals, then it is likely that you usually just plate the meal up and serve it to your family. It is also likely that you have fallen into a routine of serving the same meals, which your family likely love, but can be very boring.
If you want to make the meal much more exciting, something that you can do is try a brand new cuisine. I would go for cuisine that you can serve family-style, as this will require your family to socialize and talk to each other about the food.
A great style of food that is best served family-style is Mexican food, as you can serve all of the independent components and your family can just help themselves.
When planning your next family night, don’t be afraid to ask your family what they are interested in doing as they may have some suggestions that can make the night very fun.
How to Make Your Outdoor Restaurant Stand Out From The Competition
Opening an outdoor restaurant can be very daunting, it is already a very crowded market with people not always being ready to try something new when they have existing favorites that they can rely on for a good meal. This is why you must try twice as hard to show people that you are worth the investment and that they should trust you to provide service and food that is worth the expense. The good thing about working in this industry is once you have shown people that you are a good restaurant, the business should come flying in through word of mouth and repeat business.
There are many things that you must consider to help make your outdoor restaurant a success, as well as making yours stand out against the competition which will already be very well established with loyal customers. This article will be looking at some of the most important factors you should consider when getting started in this new business venture, which will hopefully lead to your new restaurant becoming a total success with plenty of profits to come.
Advertising
One of the most important things to remember especially in the earliest stages of starting your new restaurant business would have to be spreading the word of your opening through various channels of advertising and marketing. Using things like social media as well as older methods of advertising locally you should be able to generate plenty of excitement for your opening across a variety of different people. If people do not know that you are opening then how will they know to choose your restaurant, it seems after so long of being cooped up indoors people are ready to try something new, which is a good opportunity for those of you starting from scratch to take advantage of and build your customer base up straight away.
Menu
It should go without saying that your menus are hugely responsible for the number of customers that you will receive, especially in the first few days since opening. Your menu should include plenty of variation with meals available for every dietary requirement you could think of. You should look in your area too to see what kinds of foods competing restaurants are offering, as mentioned previously people will already have established restaurants that they visit for certain foods as they know they will enjoy it from experience. This is why a good first impression really is vital in encouraging a new customer to visit, and you should be doing everything that you can to make your menu stand out and offer something new and interesting in terms of the meals you are providing.
Special Offers and Events
One way that you can help guarantee you will have guests to serve when the time comes for your opening day would have to be holding some sort of special offer event, this will encourage people to give your food a try and hopefully give you the opportunity to impress them so that they will return. A small discount could be offered in celebration of your opening which will encourage people who are not sure if they would enjoy your food to risk it and give you a try. As long as you are able to offer quality dishes and value for money I am sure that this strategy will pay off and you will have customers who are likely to return even from the first day of opening. This will help you to stand out against the competition also, especially if those competitors have never offered a special discount or something personal to bring the customers in.
Outdoor Areas
If you are going to market yourself as an outdoor restaurant and you want to stand out against existing outdoor restaurants then you need to make sure you have made significant investments into the gardens and seating areas outside of your building. You should look at the standards that have been set in your area and look to exceed them with your own exterior designs. In the Victoria area especially we have seen some huge feats in outdoor construction so finding a landscaping company that operates in Victoria BC should be very easy with amazing results to come.
New Drinks
Within outdoor restaurants in particular you may find that many people just want to stop by for a drink and not a full meal, this is why the bar and the drinks you serve should get just as much attention as your menu so you are not overlooking any big opportunities to make a large amount of profit. You could try new signature cocktails and hold a happy hour discount to bring in plenty of passing trade and attract more customers than the competition in your area.
Music and Atmosphere
The final aspect of opening a new outdoor restaurant that you must remember to consider is the music and the atmosphere you create. Many people will judge a restaurant based on these factors alone and how busy you are at that moment. You should have music playing with nice lighting and decor to create a welcoming atmosphere that will entice people to eat with you. People will not be likely to spend their money with you if you are not able to provide an upbeat and relaxing atmosphere where people can enjoy their meal, rather than sitting in silence in an environment without that required touch of luxury.
5 Great Treats you can Make for your Furry Friend
If you are a pet owner then you will be very aware of just how overwhelmingly in love they make you feel. Though you initially bought them with the intention of having a cute animal in the home, your pets quickly feel like a member of the family. We will all do absolutely anything for our pets, from paying hefty vet bills to chasing them around the house to retrieve whatever they have decided to try and eat.
We can all agree that pet food does not look like the most appetizing food and if you are someone that is absolutely mad for your pets, then you have probably tried to think up ways to improve the quality of what your beloved pet is eating. Unfortunately, there are few options when it comes to treats for your furry friends, so we suggest that you try and whip some up yourself. Do not be intimidated by this, as making treats is actually quite easy. Here are 5 treats that we recommend that you try to make for your furry friends.
Peanut butter balls
Something that absolutely all dogs love is peanut butter. You have probably seen the viral videos of dogs creating artistic masterpieces while enjoying some peanut butter, so it’ll be no surprise to you that dogs adore peanut butter. This is a very easy treat to make and all you need to do is take smooth peanut butter and put it into ball-sized portions. We recommend that you keep these balls relatively small as you don’t want your pet to overindulge in them, as peanut butter can still be unhealthy if overeaten.
Bacon Biscuits
This is a treat that should not be given regularly, but will certainly be loved by your pets. Dogs adore the taste of bacon due to its meaty taste. Bacon is not recommended to be a staple part of a dog’s diet, but there is no home allowing your dog to indulge in the taste in small measures. We recommend that you dice the bacon and use it very sparingly within the biscuit mixture, this will mean that your dog is getting all of the taste of bacon without eating far too much.
Frozen banana pop
This treat is especially great for hotter days. You may not know it, but dogs adore fruit. There are limitations on the fruits that they can eat, but there are many that your dogs can enjoy without worrying about getting sick. We recommend blending a banana along with whatever fruits your dog enjoys, you should then blend this fruit concoction and put it into an ice pop mold. Make sure that it isn’t too frozen as you don’t want your dog struggling to eat it too much.
If your pet is not a fan of bananas, you can recreate this treat with any fruit that is dog-safe. Be sure to not make this too much of a frequent treat for your pet. However, if you are concerned they are struggling in the heat, you can make a water alternative.
Pumpkin Bites
Much like peanut butter, dogs absolutely adore pumpkin. You can purchase pumpkin innards from local supermarkets and use this to make pure pumpkin treats that can be shaped in a number of ways. It is also very popular to combine pumpkin and peanut butter, as the animals love both the taste and texture.
When feeding your pet this snack, it is recommended that the pumpkin is cooked. This will ensure that your pet digests the food as well as it can and will also mean that they are getting an extremely tasty snack.
Cappuccino treats
If you have ever fancied having a coffee with your furry friend, then this is your chance. Of course, we do not recommend that you give your pets real coffee, but there are alternatives on the market. Many people choose to use puppuccino, the price of puppuccino’s may vary depending on where you buy it from but it is extremely cheap. Puppuccino can be added to biscuits and other foods to make a delicious coffee snack for your pet.
Hunting for Food: A Complete Guide to This Lost Art
Man has survived as long as it has due to our amazing ability to adapt. From the earliest days of our species, we have been able to survive in even the harshest of climates. And the biggest reason for this is our ability to find food. No matter where we go or what we are doing, we have found sources of food everywhere. But as technology and infrastructure have advanced, we have forgotten our roots of hunting for food and now rely on the huge industries and farmers. But for those who enjoy wilderness survival or enhancing their camping experience, below is a look into the art of hunting for your food.
Equipment
The first step is to decide what equipment you will be using. You may think that if you are foraging by hand you won’t need equipment. This is sometimes true if you are going for a more intense survival experience. But otherwise, you will need even some basic equipment. For foraging, you will want some sturdy gloves. This is to make sure you don’t get bitten by any pesky insects while digging and collecting and also to protect your hands from more hostile fauna like poison ivy. Having a pouch or basket to hold your food in while you forage is also useful.
If you are approaching fishing you will want to invest in a fishing rod and bait. Or if you fancy going more traditional you could invest in a gaff. Fishing is a great source of food when you are out in the wild, and relatively easy to cook as well. But if your choice of hunt is something more land-based, you will need to invest in a few things. Firstly a gun or spear. This is to take down your prey. Also having a sharp, solid knife is needed to skin and prepare the food. Having gloves for this can be useful to avoid any accidental injuries.
Fishing
If you are going to look into fishing, and you have the basic equipment like a rod, there is still so much more to think about. You will need to know what type of fish inhabit the area you are exploring. Do some research on great beginner tips at pursuingoutdoors to get a grip with the basics before you venture out. You will need to the habits of the fish as well, and what time of day it is best to attempt fishing. You can’t simply cast your line out at all hours and expect a hit. The early hours of the day are often the best for fishing. This does mean getting up extra early to make a go of it but it will be worth it. You will need to know what type of bait works best as well. Not all fish go for the same kind of bait. Understanding your target fish and their habits will improve your fishing game.
Foraging
Foraging is one of the most forgotten arts of food hunting. People often forget the gatherer part of ‘Hunter/Gatherer.’ But it is what led our species to where we are today. And there is still so much food out there to be found. But it isn’t as simple as grabbing the first thing you see and eating it. Chances are that attitude will get you killed. There are a lot of poisonous plants and berries out in the wild that will cause you serious harm. So the first step is research. You need to look at the area you will be foraging in and find out what plant life is local to it. But to go a step further you will need to know the often-minute difference between berries and mushrooms. The signs between toxic and not are often small and take a keen eye to spot. If in doubt, leave it be.
Trapping
Trapping is the art of laying small traps to capture small creatures, such as rabbits, or to capture birds. It is a nice middle ground between foraging and full-on prey hunting. The first step is creating a trap. You could come prepared with a pre-built one, but this is a great chance to flex your creative muscles. Something as simple as digging a large hole and layering it with strong leave will work for any small animals. Then it is simply a case of baiting the trap and waiting. But for this to work you need to understand what prey is living in your hunting area and their eating habits. Not all animals will enjoy the same things. But the good thing is, you will be able to find your chosen preys foodstuff within the area. For birds, you will need to create something a tad more intricate such as a cage or dropbox system.
Is the Yogic Diet Right For You
If you are someone that practices yoga, you will know that it is important to look after your body with what you eat, as well as with how you exercise. This is why many athletes have added the yogic diet to their everyday routine, but is it the right diet for you?
The yogic diet has no set menu so you can really customize it to fit your budget, your taste and what is available to you. The possibilities of what you can eat are really limited to what you can think of, if you want some inspiration I would recommend checking out these super fat burning foods where many food combinations are often discussed.
The yogic diet is extremely challenging though as it means you have to eat extremely clean. So you should say goodbye to high sugars and processed meals as they don’t make the cut. If you’re a fan of your indulgent food like pasta and other carb packed foods then you may also struggle with this diet as the yogic diet favors leafy greens and lean meats.
If you are a non meat eater you may also find difficulty with this diet as you won’t be getting as much protein as you would need, however this can be supplemented by vitamin tablets and other rich sources of protein.
The main focus of this diet is simply keeping what you eat light. The diet was made to cater to people who regularly practice yoga and benefit from feeling light. However, if you do more demanding sports on top of yoga, this diet may not be for you as it will not give you as much energy that you would need to carry out more physically demanding tasks. This diet is also not just about your body, its about clearing your mind so you shouldn’t eat things that pollute your mind, like junk food.
Vegetables vs Fruits: Which should I use
One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to be healthy is over using fruits in their smoothies under the mistaken belief that fruits are healthy. The truth is that certain fruits are better than others, and fruit is healthy, but only in moderation. Generally fruits like oranges, apples and bananas are very high in sugar. Apples in particular have a lot of fructose, which is processed differently through the liver and is actually worse than glucose. Normally this isn’t a problem because we would eat the fruits in their whole state, ie, before juicing. The fibers of the fruit would then slow down the absorption of sugar in the blood and additionally we naturally would eat less. It’s easy to drink a juice made from 5 apples, but try eating 5 apples and you’ll agree it feels like a LOT more.
What about Berries
Berries are the one fruit you can juice more. They’re naturally lower in sugar and also high in anti-ageing antioxidants. I recommend adding plenty of berries to every smoothie you make, especially blueberries which are delicious and healthy.
More Vegetables
The key to making a healthy smoothie is to use more vegetables. You can safely juice a lot of vegetables without the same issues as you find with fruit, namely making an overly sugary drink. With that in mind the best smoothies for your health are those with more vegetables, some berries, and just a little regular fruit to sweeten. For example, 1 apple, 1 orange added into your veg/berry smoothie to sweeten is ideal.
How to Make a Great Cocktail at Home
Cocktails are a luxury that we don’t always want to splash out on when we are in bars and restaurants so being able to make them at home is always a great skill to have under your belt. A great cocktail will always come down to your personal preference, to start with I would decide what kind of cocktail you prefer and research all of the components that you need to make it. Once you have found what you need, look into finding the ingredients that you enjoy drinking, there’s no need to go crazy with how much you spend a great cocktail can be made without breaking the bank. Supermarkets these days are very well stocked with quality alcoholic choices and these can come in a range of delicious pre flavored options to add a boost to your cocktail.
Once you’ve sourced all of the ingredients it’s time to choose how you want to present the cocktail whether it be in a jug so the cocktail can be enjoyed as a group or in a classy singular glass for independent enjoyment. Make sure to make a note of the recipe so that you can replicate any cocktails that you make and I would specifically make sure that you make a note of the ratios of alcohol to mixer . When making a cocktail the finishing touches can be key to adding a sense of luxury to your beverage and that can really make a difference whether you add some fruit to add some flavour and texture, go all out and add some decorative gold leaf for a classy touch or even keep it classic and cheesey with a tiny umbrella the simpler things can be the best when it comes to decorating a cocktail.