Category: Nourishment

A swanky bit of caramel you can call your own

Caramel is delicious, right? In candies, cakes, muffins, pies. Drizzled over or covered on top of fruit (caramel apples, anyone?). Inside pieces of chocolate. Oh yeah.

But what about homemade caramel sauce? Eh? Ehhh? Yep, I thought that might get your attention.

Here’s Chef Swanky with the how-to on making your very own caramel sauce:

Got a question for the great Chef? Drop us a comment below, and we’ll pester Chef Swanky to impart some more wisdom.

Follow Chef Swanky here and on Instagram at chefswankyhw.

Feed Your Soul: self-care in the spooky season

Hot chocolate! Yum!

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

As we get more into October, it can be fun to incorporate some “spooky” into our self-care.

For instance: You can light black candles instead of white for meditation. Maybe find a fun Halloween coloring book. And if it gets cold enough at night, have a bonfire with some hot chocolate.

If you’re a fan of pumpkin spice lattes, I would definitely try a hot white chocolate with pumpkin spice marshmallows. (I just made that up in my head, and it sounds amazing!)

Also, as someone who lives in the Southeastern United States, I have to say that I wish it was chilly enough for a bonfire.

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Your Body: retro edition

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

Lately while cooking dinner or washing dishes, I have been propping up my iPad and turning on a show to watch at the same time.

It reminds me of my childhood, when I would visit my grandparents and saw that they had a TV in their kitchen … that seemed to be on 24/7.

My grandmother used to watch soap operas all the time. In honor of her, I am rewatching a soap opera called Once Upon a Time. (I don’t think it’s technically classified as a soap opera, but watch one episode and you’ll see.)

While I watched, I cooked up a potsticker stir fry with a ton of veggies that the little ones only “kind of” liked.

But I thought it was good.

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Yourself: get ready for spooky movies

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

Ready for some spooky movies? Of course you are — it’s almost October!

In no particular order, mostly because the order changes with my mood, these are my top seven spooky/scary/Halloween movies:

1. Scream

2. The Craft

3. Hocus Pocus

4. Practical Magic

5. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

6. Trick r’ Treat

7. Beetlejuice Why seven? Well, I tried to mention just the Top Three or Fab Five, but there was no way to narrow it down. There are just too many good ones.

(p.s. As promised, here’s the finished painting that I mentioned in a previous post — against a backdrop of one of my favorite Halloween movies.)

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Your Mind: do some seasonal crafts

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

It is now officially Autumn, and you know what that means.

Cozy scarves. Pumpkins. Leaves changing. Gathering your sisters under the full moon.

Haha, just kidding about that last one.

What I meant was: Painting you and your sisters gathering under the moon — whether the moon is full or half or new. Or even a Carolina moon, like it is in the photo.

The point is that a season change is a great time to tap into your creative side and make something awesome!

(p.s. I’ll show you the completed painting in a future post.)

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Swanky info about pasta

Do you love pasta? Of course you do. Who doesn’t?

But how much do you know about pasta? (Not that you need to know anything about pasta to love it.) Maybe you know some stuff, but I’m guessing you don’t know as much as Chef Swanky. And he’s here to share his swanky knowledge.

Check out his latest FYI video:

Got a question for the great Chef? Drop us a comment below, and we’ll pester Chef Swanky to impart some more wisdom.

Follow Chef Swanky here and on Instagram at chefswankyhw.

Feed Your Soul: take a break

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

My four-year-old is upset today that his big sister’s boyfriend wanted to sit down for a few minutes … after he had been playing and running in the house for 45 minutes.

I said, “Hey, sometimes big kids need to take a break.”

Four-year-old said, “But he’s not a big kid, he’s a dolt!” (He wasn’t insulting him. That’s four-year-old speak for “adult.”)

And you know what? He’s right. Big sister’s boyfriend is an adult, and sometimes the grownups need to take a little break. Have a sit. Meditate. 

Even as few as five minutes of meditation can help calm your system and settle nerves.

I like to light incense at the end of the day and “have a sit” after all the kids are in bed and the house is quiet.

It’s relaxing to know we made it through another day.

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Your Body: a rec of books and food

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

New Achievement! Bandwagon.

You’ve joined countless others who have delved into the World Dungeon. You are now committed to 10 books of absolute chaos. Lucky you!

Reward: You understand this reference.

(p.s. If not, here’s a clue.)

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Your Mind: R&R is not an option

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

I am a little embarrassed to admit that my family has not taken a vacation in about eight years! We have had some long weekends here and there, along with some holidays off work, but a proper vacation? Too. Long.

I did not want to acknowledge the burnout you can feel from dealing with the day in/day out of work with no real rest.

We recently had the absolute privilege of sailing on the Disney Destiny with my parents.

My mind needed the break from the chaos of work, and we gladly welcomed the chaos of a Disney Cruise with two teenagers, a preschooler, and a toddler.

10/10 would recommend this cruise line and this ship.

I am already looking forward to booking our next cruise … and the one after that!

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.