Serendipity Mommy

For happy, healthy, thriving moms

Top Healthy Finger Food Menu For The Perfect Party

by

Whether for the holidays, a special occasion, or just because you feel like it; everybody loves a party! One of the most important parts of any festivity is the food. The hors d’oeuvres we serve are always a treat, but they don’t always treat our bodies as well as our mouths. Luckily, there’s no reason your next party platter cannot be both delicious and healthy. In that spirit, here is a healthy finger foods menu which you can prepare at home, or hire a caterer like Flavours Catering to provide, which is sure to have your guests gossiping about what a smart party planner you are!

Cauliflower Crackers

Chips and dip are classic party fare, but the fat and salt add up fast. You can control both by making these savory crackers. Simply chop one head of raw cauliflower into large chunks and steam until tender. Allowing them to cool to room temperature first, you will want to transfer them into a food processor and mill until they have the consistency of dried oats.

Next, add spices like oregano and garlic powder for an Italian flair. Blend in a tablespoon of your favorite olive oil, two eggs, and enough flour to bind into a dry but malleable dough, and spread the mixture evenly onto an oiled pan. Pop them into a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown, and allow them to cool before slicing the sheet into any finger-sized shape you like! These savory crackers pair well with any dip, but tapenade is a particularly apropos choice.

Avocado Crostini

Sometimes the best foods are the ones you fuss with the least, allowing the natural flavors to be the center of attention. Crostini topped with slices of rich, healthy avocado and cherry tomato halves is the very embodiment of this culinary principal!

Simply cut a whole grain baguette into quarter-inch slices, brush them with olive oil, and dust with freshly cracked pepper before toasting them for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Once they’re golden brown to your liking, top them with spoonfuls of avocado, garnish with a cherry tomato, and finish them off with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Shrimp

Bacon wrapped treats, and seafood dipped in buttery sauces are a staple of any party scene. While decadent, they are also loaded with extra calories. By substituting prosciutto for the bacon, and substituting the buttery sauce for one rich in healthy fats, your guests can enjoy all of the decadence without the regret.

You can begin by steaming shrimp or buying them pre-cooked from your seafood counter. Cut your prosciutto into thin strips which you can wrap around your shrimp and roll them up. For the sauce, drain a can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes and blend with olive oil and sweet basil. Add a few teaspoons of crushed horseradish for a healthy, spicy take on cocktail sauce.

Why Amara Is A Top Rated Baby Food

by

Finding the right baby food can be complicated. The ideal food will lack preservatives and chemicals while delivering nutrition. Fortunately, companies like Amare have it right. In fact, Amara has recently ranked as one of the best baby food companies in 2017. Here are just a few reasons that Amare is so popular:

Unparalleled Nutrition: Having nutritious food is critical for babies and toddlers- especially when they are in the delicate period of transition from milk to solid food. Amara boasts foods that are well balanced and full of crucial nutrients and minerals that children need. While the foods are packed with vitamins, they are also easy to eat and gentle on young digestive systems.

Easy Prep: Until fairly recently, organic baby food was limited to food that was made at home with raw ingredients. While organic baby food has a myriad of benefits, making your baby’s food for every meal- especially when the majority of said meal ended up on the floor rather than in your child’s digestive system, was daunting. Fortunately, companies like Amara noticed the lack of organic baby food and began designing foods that were healthy without the extensive preparation time. Amara provides a great option for busy mothers who do not have the time to prepare each meal but still care about their baby’s nutrition.

The Yum: While baby’s taste buds are still developing, good taste is still important. Many baby foods can be good for your kiddo, but will taste terrible- just try them. Amara customers, however, report that the baby food genuinely tastes good and can be enjoyed by their toddler. Tasty food is especially important in the early stages of switching from the familiarity of breast milk or formula to the novelty of mushed or even solid foods.

While choosing the right baby food can be challenging, it is important to consider the previous experiences of parents who recommend products like Amara’s baby food in pouches.

Four ways to clean your home quickly

by

With so much going on in our lives these days, juggling our work and home commitments, it can be tough to find time to keep on top of the cleaning chores. Know what I mean? If that’s you, then you probably leave things until the weekend or do a quick tidy up now and then. But, in the back of your mind, you know you want to get on top of the housework. Here are five ways to keep one step ahead of the dust and dirt – and on a daily basis.

Tidy up where you wake up

It can be really tempting to crawl out of bed in the morning, toss the sheets or duvet to one side, and leave the pillows hanging over the edge of the mattress. Sound familiar? Yes, we’ve probably all been there. Throw in some discarded clothes on the floor as well maybe?

But thinking clean on a daily basis needs to start in the bedroom. When you climb out of bed bleary-eyed, take a few minutes to tidy up the sheets, plump up the pillows and throw any dirty washing in the laundry bin. It’s quick and easy and will set the foundations for you to make cleaning and tidying up part of your daily routine. Having a tidy bedroom also helps to keep a tidy mind. You’ll also be glad you made an effort when it comes to going back to bed at the end of the day, a made bed is much better than a messy bed.

Don’t go solo

If there’s more than one of you in your house – family, friends or housemates – then get them all involved in the daily cleaning chores. If everyone takes 10 minutes each day to do their bit, it can really lighten the load.

Yes, that means keeping their bedrooms tidy. But it also means keeping on top of the washing up, putting dirty cups and plates in the dishwasher. Putting coats on the coat rack and shoes in the cupboard. And not leaving garbage around the house. It’s important that you regularly empty your bins and dispose of waste properly, to avoid any nasty invaders – and home pest control may be needed.

Pre-sleep clean

Get into the habit of setting aside 10 or 15 minutes before you go to bed, to do a quick clean around your home. Get everyone involved as just mentioned. You may have some laundry to fold up and put away, bins to empty and garbage to put outside. You could even run the vacuum around quickly, if you’re not going to wake any neighbours! Doing this each night will a) save you the pain of it when you get up in the morning and b) will stop things piling up over the course of the week.

Have cleaning products to hand

You’re far more likely to clean up in the bathroom or kitchen as you make a mess if you have the right cleaning products at hand. So, in the kitchen, make sure you have surface cleaners, oven sprays, washing up liquid in easy supply – somewhere you can just grab it from. Similarly, in the bathroom. And ensure you have some clothes nearby too. It’s far too easy to say: ‘I’ll do it later’ if you don’t have the tools you need to clean at hand. You may want to think about using some green cleaning products too!

What Do You Learn in Audio Engineering College Courses?

by

Today, you can complete a lot of audio engineering college courses, all of which are designed to prepare students to take on entry-level positions in the field of audio production. Today’s technology is all digital and this means that good courses also focus on digital work. Added to this is the fact that audio technology constantly develops, and courses must reflect those changes and stay current and up to date.

If you want to become an audio professional, you really have to come to understand what digital audio technology (DAT) is. This is because DAT goes beyond audio production only. It focuses on every element of entertainment, which is an industry that simply cannot survive without sound anymore. The days of silent movies are, thankfully, far behind us after all! Audio engineering colleges are there to make sure that you, as a graduate, have all the skills and knowledge required to make a difference in this industry.

What Will You Learn During Audio Engineering College Courses?

Exactly which courses you will do and what you will learn, depends on the school you go to. However, they will all focus on teaching you all the various principles and disciplines of audio engineering, and how to apply this. Hence, you will have to take part in various hands-on projects, including studio time at college and internships. It is common for a curriculum to include courses in:

  • Circuit design.
  • Computer engineering.
  • Digital signal acoustics.

Once you have completed your degree, some of the careers that may be open to you include:

  • Music producer.
  • Location recorder.
  • Dialogue and music editor.
  • Digital media entrepreneur.
  • Studio manager.
  • Post-production engineer.
  • Sound recorder.

If music is something that fascinates you, but you don’t want to become a performer yourself, then audio engineering may be right up your street. You can enter these courses being completely new to the field, although it is often beneficial if you already have some experience. But not too much, because if you are self-taught, it is likely that you will have picked up a wealth of bad habits as well. Rather, you need to rethink everything you already know, and be prepared to admit that you have been doing things wrong for a while. The reason why it is important that you do have some experience, even if that is as a hobbyist, however, is because it is a highly specialized field, and you need to be sure that it is definitely where your interests lie.

Choosing Your School

If you are determined to study audio engineering, make sure that you take the time to compare the different schools. Look at their curriculum, who their faculty is, and where alumni now work. Geographical location and cost may seem important, but they are in fact far less important than things such as reputation and accreditation. Take your time in comparing what is available and what their degree includes in terms of their curriculum before coming to a decision on one to enroll in.

How could online training software help you and your business?

by

Regardless of what type of business, health sector, retail, service sector, aviation or education all could benefit from using online training software. Year after year computer systems get more and more complicated and become extra difficult for employees to use. This makes using services offered by online training software very important to every business.  The complexity increases of computer systems are set to continue.  This will mean the demand for online training will also continue to get larger.  The specific needs of both larger and smaller companies, and the demands of both individuals and home education can be met by both generic and bespoke services offered by online software training vendors.

What are the uses of online training software?

Corporate online software packages can allow companies to train lots of their employees at once.  It allows training to be delivered flexibly over any period of time.  Online training means employee’s progress and understanding of each module they do can be monitored and any support needed to help them with their learning can be given.  Continuity can be established in a company through online training as processes across business units can be easily standardized.  Teams throughout a business and even worldwide can be connected via online training software.

What teaching methods do online training software vendors offer?

A key focus of many online training software is to engage the learner.  If a person is engaged they will be motivated, focused, more responsive, and they are more likely to learn effectively and faster.  Offering a range of activities to appeal to different types of learners is another technique used by online trainers.  Kinesthetic, visual or verbal learners are catered for and this means that everyone can access the training material.  Videos, presentations, virtual learning programs and many hands-on activities are offered which will mean people’s interest is maintained and effective learning will take place.

Are there any benefits of using online training?

A company or an organization can save money from their training budgets by picking an online training software vendor that can meet all of their training needs.  Every vendor offers generic training packages but it is possible to find a vendor who is willing to create a bespoke, personalized online training package that will perfectly suit their company or organization.  On the job training, training whilst people continue to work is another approach used by lots of online training vendors. This form of training has been found to be very productive.  It results in people being able to remember very complex processes with ease.  It also has the effect of boosting people’s confidence and helps generate a learning culture within the company.

Picking a suitable online training software vendor will affect many aspects of a businesses or a company in a positive way.  It can make the institution run more efficiently and be able to develop and expand.

 

 

 

get children’s educational toys from dhgate.com

Recent Posts

Calling All Moms!

Welcome to Serendipitymommy.com! The woman and parenting resource brought to you by a mom, for moms. I also write articles about travel, business, finance and many more subjects to take your super-momness to the next level!