6 Ways to Be a More Informed Meat Buyer

Going to the butcher shop can be intimidating. If all you've known is pre-packaged big box supermarket whatever, the sheer sensory overload of a full meat case can leave even the strongest person catatonic. But the good news is that just by going into your local butcher's place you've already made the biggest step towards getting great meat, the trick is just to avoid being paralyzed by choice. Here's five-ish tips that I think can help anyone become a more clued-in meat buyer

3 Ways to Cook Bacon

There are three ways to cook bacon, and the way you do it is a matter of choice. In a skillet
A mistake that many people make is putting cold bacon into a frying pan that has been heated to a hot temperature. Take the bacon out of the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes before you cook it, which allows it to soften a bit. Then place it in an unheated pan on medium heat. It will cook more evenly and is less likely to burn. This method also helps to avoid spattering, which is caused by moisture in the bacon coming into contact with a hot pan. To further reduce spattering, the slices may be wiped with a paper towel to get rid of moisture before cooking, especially if they have just been thawed.

Make Your Own Easy Butter Spreads - Sweet and Savory

Butters are spreads that are used like butter, but only one of them contains butter. They are called that because they are smooth and spread like butter.
What are fruit butters?
Fresh fruit is cooked slowly with some sugar and then pureed. They don't have any butter, but are smooth and spread like butter. They are cooked with far less sugar than jams and jellies, and so have less calories. Apple butter is the most popular, but many different kinds of fruits can be used. Because they are sweet they taste great on toast, or on waffles and pancakes instead of syrup, and can often be used in place of jams or preserves.
There are four ways to cook fruit butters - in a crock pot, on top of the stove, in a microwave or conventional oven. Whatever way you make them, they are healthy and delicious!

The Key To Eating Healthy

In my health coaching business the most common thing I hear is that people don't have time. Time to workout, time to cook, time to eat breakfast, time to pack a lunch, etc. So for me, the quickest way to get someone eating healthier is to save them time.

Time is a necessary part of health. You can spend more of it prepping food or you can spend more of it on medication. You can spend it shopping for groceries or waiting in doctor's offices. It's really not avoidable, it's just where you want to spend it.