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3 Extra Ways to Make More Time for your Family

No one wants to spend hours in the kitchen cooking one meal. While I feel it’s important to cook Healthy Food for my family, I also want to spend quality time with said family. So how do I cook quality food and still have time to spend quality time with my favorite people in the world? This article will give you three ways that I cook family meals so that I spend less time cooking and more time creating memories.

Plan Ahead of Time

Some people like to fly by the seat of their pants when it comes to planning family dinners. Personally, when it comes to the dinner table, I’m more of a planner. With work, relationships, and hobbies, I just don’t have time to cook gourmet meals most nights. You probably don’t, either. Even if you’re a planner by nature, give it a try. You’ll notice the extra time you’ll have at the end of the evening. I did, and I’m never going back to my old way of doing things.

When I plan my Family Meals for the week, I try not to fall into the “It’s Tuesday? We’re having pasta tonight” trap. Before I go grocery shopping for the week, I plan 7-9 dinners that we will eat as a family. I give my children a couple of readily available choices so they’re not eating the same thing on the same day of the week. I also look for recipes online and in cookbooks for variety’s sake.

Make More Food Than You Need

When I prepare the meals, I make more than my family could eat in one sitting. By making extra food, I’ll have leftovers that can get saved for a rushed morning or evening meal. I also like the fact that I’m not wasting food. To prevent myself from throwing away excess food, I only make extras of the meals that my family loves to eat on a regular basis.

By eating leftovers whenever we can, I also save money in the process. Because I go to the grocery store less often, I’m not spending nearly as much money. I now put this extra money towards doing fun family activities all over Hawaii.

Keep Cleanup To a Minimum

Who wants to spend time doing a sinkful of dirty dishes? I certainly don’t. What I try to do on a daily basis is cook meals that use a minimum of equipment. Vegetarian pasta and one skillet meals I buy at the grocery store are just two examples of meals that don’t use a lot of pots and pans. When I don’t feel like doing a ton of dishes, I drag out the paper plates and plastic utensils and call it a day!

I don’t have to go the fast food route to cut down on meal preparation time. By following these tips and doing some work before you go grocery shopping, you too can cut down cooking time down to a minimum and use that time to spend with your family and friends.

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Three Hawaiian Cooking Ingredients to Add to Family Dinners

One of the best ways to add some excitement and pizazz to your everyday meals is to enhance your dishes with a few Hawaiian ingredients. Although traditional, there are three Hawaiian cooking ingredients to add to family dinners that will more than satisfy every taste bud.

POI, WE HAD TO START WITH POI

Poi is a traditional staple food in Native Hawaiian cuisine. Not only is this amazing staple food hypoallergenic but it is naturally gluten free. In fact, poi is considered one of the best digestible foods on the planet. According to Nutrition Data, poi is high in vitamins and minerals, is a good source of vitamin B6, high in slow-release fiber, contains vitamin A and C, and is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, thiamin and phosphorus. Poi also offers quite a few possible health benefits like creating strong bones, preventing cavities, reducing gastrointestinal issues and is good for those who are undernourished.

Poi is made from the corm or stem of the taro plant (known as kalo in Hawaiian). Generally it is steamed or baked and then mashed. Traditionally, it is baked for many hours in an imu (an underground oven). During the puree process, water is added to get the desired texture. In regards to consistency, Poi is known as “one-finger,” “two-finger,” or “three-finger”. One finger would be the thickest and so forth. The flavor is very subtle and rich, similar to sweet potato but not as smooth. It has a beautiful purple color that had a nice contrast to many Hawaiian recipies.

Traditional poi recipes include poi banana pudding, crispy poi pancakes, poi noodles with shrimp, peas and scallion, poi fries with chili lime and Poi-machha ( a spinach dish and fish plate that has many popular spices like garlic, chili powder, fennel, mustard seed and turmeric).

PURPLE YAMS

Purple yams are another favorite food in Hawaii. The tubers are typically a bright lavender or intense violet in color. Purple yams are in fact a delicious yam grown locally that add the perfect color and taste too many traditional Hawaii dinner plates. Actually, there are several Hawaiian recipies with purple yams that are quite inviting. Some of the dishes include Hawaiian yam casserole, mashed purple sweet potatoes and purple sweet potato Haupi (a cream pie with shortbread crust, sweet potato filling and rich coconut cream).

LILIKOI GOES WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING

Liliko’I or passion fruit is a delicate tropical fruit that goes with just about anything. It is often used in creamy desserts such as chiffon pie, mouth-watering cheesecake, as a mousse and as a curd (which is very popular), butterfly cupcakes, scones and Liliko’I lemon bars. Liliko’I is also made into a butter which is similar to a curd or fruit butter. It is a common staple found in most every fridge in Hawaii. Liliko’I butter is served on toast, pancakes and crepes.

On the spicier side, Liliko’I is added to many tasty Hawaiian recipies like Liliko’I lemon chicken, chicken and rice with Liliko’I and passion fruit dressing for salads and greens. This tasty fruit is also added to numerous beverages and cocktails. Some favorites include Liliko’I and coconut smoothie, passion fruit and orange soda, Liliko’I mango cocktail and Liliko’I Mai Tai.

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Hawaii Meal Delivery Service Is Saving Residents Serious Time

Aina Meals is Oʻahu’s premier Hawaii meal delivery service. The goal of Aina Meals is to serve their community by offering flavorful, cleaner, and healthier meals through the customized Oahu meal delivery.

Aina Meals is Offering Fresh Custom Menu Selections Weekly

Each week, Aina Meals releases an eclectic menu featuring an ideal mix of local and international cuisines. All of our ingredients are sourced locally to provide our customers with the island’s freshest foods. By supporting local farmers, Aina Meals provides a valuable service to customers and vendors alike. With a variety of subscription service levels, this Hawaii meal delivery service makes it easy to choose the weekly menu that best fits your needs. From a starter meal plan to a weekly meal plan to a comprehensive monthly plan, there is an option for every family size and appetite. Each weekly menu features unique food combinations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our meals are packed with an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean premium meats and seafood, and healthy whole grains. Aina Meals makes it easy to skip a week or pause your subscription so that you never feel locked in.

Families on the Go Can Spend Less Time Cooking

This exclusive Hawaii meal delivery service provides families with an invaluable way to nourish their bodies and souls in the most convenient and cost-effective way possible. Each week, the customers of this Oahu meal delivery program can choose their personalized menu program. Aina Meals makes it possible to get out of the kitchen and spend more time outdoors and doing the things you love, while still feeling great about what you are putting on your kitchen table. Let us do the work for you so you can spend valuable time on the things that matter most.

This Oahu Meal Delivery Program is the Perfect Gift for Busy Working Families, Homes with New Babies, and Seniors!

Aina Meals offers three meal pick-up locations, conveniently located in Waialua, Aiea, and Honolulu, with more locations coming soon! For an additional $5 more per delivery, customers can choose the convenience of having the meals delivered directly to their homes. Meals are delivered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to ensure that every meal package is the freshest it can be. These convenient options make Aina Meals an ideal Hawaii meal delivery service choice for working families and seniors. We take the work out of food shopping and preparation. The only thing left to do is to sit down, relax, and enjoy your delicious and healthy home cooked meal made fresh to order on the island.

For more information or to place your first delicious and personalized order, we invite you to visit our menu page!

We look forward to serving you and your family today! Aloha!