De-Stress Your Holidays with Easy Meal Solutions! December J.A.M. (Just Add Meat)

Here’s an opportunity to purchase up to 12 different entrees to take home to your family. These entrees will come to you in freezer bags, containing all the ingredients (except the meat) for a delicious home-cooked entrée that feeds 4+ with leftovers. You simply J.A.M. (Just Add Meat)! It will also include freezer labels with preparation instructions, and leftover ideas. Most of these entrees can be slow-cooked! Just take the entree out of your freezer in the morning, put it into your slow-cooker on low, and you will come home to a hot, home-cooked meal, ready and waiting for you! Free assembly service with your order. Please call or email your order by:

Order by Tuesday, December 8th for pickup on Friday, December 11th
Order by Tuesday, December 15th for pickup on Friday, December 18th

HOW MUCH? Only $6.00 Per Entree!!

Did you know that a family of 4 dining at Olive Garden 8 times spends around $480? Eight pizza deliveries cost about $200! Eight trips to McDonalds run about $180! What I’m offering is a fabulous deal! Plus it’s a great chance to save time, eat healthier meals at home and stretch your grocery budget!

This Month’s Menu Includes: (Pick and Choose The Entrees You Want)

Kansas City BBQ Pork or Chicken – Enjoy a tangy, traditional BBQ flavor inspired by the great "rib joints" of Kansas City. You can add pork or chicken. Can be baked, slow cooked or grilled.

Cilantro Citrus Chicken – Along with the sweetness of pineapple, cilantro naturally boosts the flavor of lemon in this distinctive and delicious marinade. Can be baked, slow cooked or grilled.

Chicken Enchilada Marinated Chicken - Authentic chicken enchilada flavor! Serve with refried beans, chips, salsa and rice…you’ll think you’re at a Mexican restaurant! Can be baked or slow cooked. (*Diabetic Friendly)

Italian Mozzarella Round Steak –Seasoned with Italian spices and mozzarella cheese puts a new spin on an American favorite! Can be baked or slow cooked. Best prepared in the slow cooker. (*Diabetic Friendly)

Italian Mozzarella Chicken –Seasoned with Italian spices and mozzarella cheese puts a new spin on an American favorite! Can be baked or slow cooked. (*Diabetic Friendly)

Garlic Basil Pork or Chicken – Our Garlic Basil seasoning mix, with tomatoes is so full of flavor and so healthy! This will quickly become a family favorite! You can add Chicken or Pork Chops. Can be baked, slow cooked or grilled. (*Diabetic Friendly)

Grandmother’s Sunday Pot Roast – Just like it sounds. Flavorful and simple. You can make this entrée with either pork or roast. Add one 3-4 lb. Beef or Pork Roast. Slow-cook.

Margarita Chicken or Pork – Our Garlic Lemon seasoning with the flavor of a Margarita (no alcohol included!) The light and refreshing flavor of lemon with a hint of garlic. You can make this with chicken, pork, shrimp or fish. Bake or Slow cook.

Southwest Chicken - Our Southwest seasoning mix, with tomatoes is so full of flavor and so healthy! You can add chicken, pork, beef, fish or shrimp. Serve over rice for a south of the border meal. Can be Baked or Slow-cooked.

Asian Pork Tenderloin – Uses a combination of our Garlic Lemon seasoning, soy sauce and honey for out of this world flavor! This is best prepared in the Slow-cooker.

Home Style Spaghetti Sauce – This is an easy slow-cooker meal. Just add browned burger and you will have a delicious sauce to be served over your favorite pasta for a flavorful Italian dinner.

Honey Chipotle Chicken or Pork - This sweet, smoky and spicy dish will have them craving more! Add 2-3 lbs. Chicken or Pork. Can be baked, grilled or slow cooked.

Yvette Mason | Homemade Gourmet® Meal Planning Consultant #848324 |
Phone: 304-262-4337 | Email me at: FamilyMeals@comcast.net

Does It Meet the Standards?

We are responsible for providing opportunities to our children to learn healthy lifestyles, including good nutrition. Our children learn these "lessons" from us...their parents, teachers, and adult role models.

To help identify foods that should be served to your children, ask these questions:

• Does it contain more than 199 calories per serving?
• Is it candy, soft drinks, chewing gum or flavored popsicles?
• Does it contain more than 8 grams of fat per ounce and more than 30% of calories from fat?
• Does it contain 10% or more of calories from saturated fat?
• Does it have more than 0.5 grams of trans fat?
• Does it have more than 200 milligrams of sodium?
• Is it a beverage other than low-fat or skim milk, pure drinking water w/ no additives, or fruit juice?
• Is it a fruit or vegetable drink w/ less than 100% real juice?
• Does it contain more than 35% of calories from sugar?
• Does the food contain artificial sweetener?

If the answer is YES to any of these question, you should think twice about providing it to your child. Instead, encourage healthy alternatives to the above.

If we all do our part as parents, teachers, and adult role models, we can make a difference by promoting healthy lifestyles for our children.

Homemade Gourmet® October Bundle - Casserole Creations

Includes 9 Products!
~ 9 Yummy Casseroles ~

CLICK HERE to see this month’s meal planner.

The Casserole Creations Bundle pays homage to an all-time family favorite. Casseroles are the original one-dish dinner and this bundle will help you create nine delicious and easy-to-prepare meals!

Available October1 through October 31, 2009.

The Casserole Creations Bundle includes 1 each of unless otherwise noted:

• Homemade Gourmet^® Garlic Basil Seasoning
• Homemade Gourmet^® Skillet Chicken and Biscuit Mix
• Homemade Gourmet^® Jalapeño Ole Soup Mix
• Homemade Gourmet^® White Chicken Chili Mix
• Homemade Gourmet^® Homestyle Spaghetti Sauce Mix
• Homemade Gourmet^® Chicken Enchilada Soup Mix
• Homemade Gourmet^® Shepherd’s Pie Casserole Mix
• Homemade Gourmet^® Cornbread Casserole Mix
• Homemade Gourmet^® Creamy Italian Casserole Mix

Homemade Gourmet® is Celebrationg Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Homemade Gourmet® is donating a portion of the sales from all loose Teas and the Tea Party Trio to fight breast cancer.

Encourage your family and friends to try our teas for the first time or try a new flavor!

Tropical Breeze Tea with Ginseng, Cinnamon Spice Makes Everything Nice Tea, Zentastic Blackberry Jasmine Green Tea, and Mojito Mint Tea - $7.00 each, yields
3 gallons.

Tea Party Trio - includes Cinnamon Spice Makes Everything Nice Tea, Zentastic Blackberry Jasmine Green Tea, Tropical Breeze Tea with Ginseng and pack of 40 hot tea infusers - $28.00.

Keep Fall Simple & Fun with 8 Dinners Already Done!

October 2009 J.A.M. (Just Add Meat) Menu

Here’s an opportunity to purchase up to 8 different meals to take home to your family. These meals will come to you in freezer bags, containing all the ingredients (except the meat) for a delicious home-cooked entrée that feeds 6 or more. It will also include freezer labels with preparation instructions, and leftover ideas. Most of these meals can be slow-cooked! Just take the meal out of your freezer in the morning, put it into your slow-cooker on low, and you will come home to a hot, home-cooked meal, ready and waiting for you! Free assembly service with your order. Please call or email your order by:

Order by Tuesday, October 13th, for pickup/delivery on Friday, October 16th.
Order by Tuesday, October 27th, for pickup/delivery on Friday, October 30th.

HOW MUCH? Only $6.00 Per Meal!!

Did you know that a family of 4 dining at Olive Garden 8 times spends around $480? Eight pizza deliveries cost about $200! Eight trips to McDonalds run about $180! What I’m offering is a fabulous deal! Plus it’s a great chance to save time, eat healthier meals at home and stretch your grocery budget!

This Month’s Menu Includes:

Southwest Chicken - Our Southwest seasoning mix, with tomatoes is so full of flavor and so healthy! You can add chicken, pork, beef, fish or shrimp. Serve over rice for a south of the border meal. Can be Baked or Slow-cooked.

Asian Pork Tenderloin – Uses a combination of our Garlic Lemon seasoning, soy sauce and honey for out of this world flavor! This is best prepared in the Slow-cooker.

Home style Spaghetti Sauce – This is an easy slow-cooker meal. Just add browned burger and you will have a delicious sauce to be served over your favorite pasta for a flavorful Italian dinner.

Raspberry Chipotle - You can add Chicken, Shrimp, Pork Loin or Pork Chops for this flavorful mix. A little kick from the chipotle seasoning, mixed with the tart sweetness of raspberry preserves. Bake or Slow-cook.

Italian Chicken – Diced bell pepper and special herbs and spices create a savory Italian entrée. Bake or Slow-cook.

Garlic Basil Chicken – Our Garlic Basil seasoning mix, with tomatoes is so full of flavor and so healthy! Bake, Grill or Slow-cook.

Sunday Roast Chicken or Beef – Just like it sounds. Flavorful and simple. You can make this entrée with either chicken or roast. Bake or Slow-cook.

Garlic Lemon Chicken – The light and refreshing flavor of lemon with a hint of garlic. You can make this with chicken, pork, shrimp or fish.


Yvette Mason
Homemade Gourmet® Meal Planning Consultant #848324
Phone: 304-262-4337 Email me at: wahmbiz@comcast.net

VIEW MORE INFO & CURRENT MENU AT: http://familymealsforyou.blogspot.com

Join me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FamilyMealsForYou

The Benefits of Eating Together - Families That Eat Together Stay Together

It's here, National Eat Together Week!

There are so many benefits of eating together as a family. Wondering what some of those benefits are? Here's a great article I found on SparksPeople.com. Read the article and take some time this week to enjoy dinner with your family and reap the benefits!

The Benefits of Eating Together

The Family Who Eats Together Stays Together

-- By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietician

"Come and get it!" It may be dinnertime, but when was the last time your family sat down and enjoyed a mealtogether? With music lessons, ball practice, play rehearsal, and work schedules, it can be tough. Rounding up the troops for an evening meal can be almost impossible! However, research is beginning to show that eating as a family has great benefits for your children and teenagers. Here are 8 more reasons why you should try to sit down together 5-6 times a week, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Reason #1: Communication and Well-Being
Conversations during the meal provide opportunities for the family to bond, plan, connect, and learn from one another. It’s a chance to share information and news of the day, as well as give extra attention to your children and teens. Family meals foster warmth, security and love, as well as feelings of belonging. It can be a unifying experience for all.

Reason #2: Model Manners (and more)
Family mealtime is the perfect opportunity to display appropriate table manners, meal etiquette, and social skills. Keep the mood light, relaxed, and loving. Try not to instruct or criticize—lead by example.

Reason # 3: Expand Their World…One Food at a Time
Encourage your children to try new foods, without forcing, coercing, or bribing. Introduce a new food along with some of the stand-by favorites. Remember that it can take 8-10 exposures to a new food before it is accepted, so be patient. Trying a new food is like starting a new hobby. It expands your child’s knowledge, experience, and skill.

• Include foods from other cultures and countries.
• Select a new vegetable from a local farmer’s market.
• Have your child select a new recipe from a cookbook, web site, newspaper, magazine or check out the recipes on SparkPeople.

Reason #4: Nourish
Meals prepared and eaten at home are usually more nutritious and healthy. They contain more fruits, vegetables, and dairy products along with additional nutrients such as fiber, calcium, vitamins A and C, and folate. Home cooked meals are usually not fried or highly salted, plus soda and sweetened beverage consumption is usually lower at the dinner table.

Reason #5: Become Self-Sufficient
Children today are missing out on the importance of knowing how to plan and prepare meals. Basic cooking, baking, and food preparation are necessities for being self-sufficient. Involve your family in menu planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation. Preschoolers can tear lettuce, cut bananas, and set the table. Older children can pour milk, peel vegetables, and mix batter. Teenagers can dice, chop, bake, and grill. Working as a team puts the meal on the table faster, as well as makes everyone more responsible and accepting of the outcome. Improved eating habits come with "ownership" of a meal.

Reason #6: Prevent Destructive Behaviors

Research shows that frequent family dinners (five or more a week), are associated with lower rates of smoking, drinking, and illegal drug use in pre-teens and teenagers when compared to families that eat together two or fewer times per week. Even as older children’s schedules get more complicated, it is important to make an effort to eat meals together. Scheduling is a must.

Reason #7: Improve Grades
Children do better in school when they eat more meals with their parents and family. Teenagers who eat dinner four or more times per week with their families have higher academic performance compared with teenagers who eat with their families two or fewer times per week.

Reason # 8: Save Money
Meals purchased away from home cost two to four times more than meals prepared at home. At present time the restaurant industry’s share of the total food dollar is more than 46%. Due to scheduling, commitments, and activities, families eat out several times each week.

It is time to bring the "family" back to the dinner table. Sharing dinner together gives everyone a sense of identity. It can help ease day-to-day conflicts, as well as establish traditions and memories that can last a lifetime.

It's Apple Season - Pick An Apple Today!

It's apple season. It's the time when we all want to go pick a bushel of fresh apples for our families to enjoy.

Apples are one of my family's fruit of choice and what better time to enjoy apples than in the Fall when you can get fresh local apples at your nearest farmer's market. Did you realize that the average American eats 17.8 pounds of apples each year??? That's a lot of apples!

There are so many varieties of apples out there. You are not limited to the Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples any longer. Here are a couple new varieties you might be interested in trying:

• Jonagold - This apple is mostly yellow with flushes of red. It has a sweet taste and is high in acidity.
  
  
• Empire - This apple is a cross between a Red Delicious and a McIntosh. It has a sweet-tart flavor.

• Honeycrisp - This apple has a mottled yellow-red skin. It will satisfy your desire for a crunchy apple!

• Esopus Spitzenburg - This apple is aromatic and spicy.

So go ahead, visit your local farmer's market and try a new variety of apples. You know the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."!