Lifestyle & Travel

Do you find a great deal on fresh broccoli in season at the farmers market and you can’t resist buying a whole lot? Or maybe you are a gardening enthusiast and broccoli is your current crop. 

In any case, if you find yourself with large quantities of fresh broccoli on hand and don’t want it to go to waste, you can always freeze it. Broccoli is one of those durable vegetables that can last up to 2 weeks fresh in your refrigerator, or even longer if you freeze it. 

But it must be done right, in order to maintain its vibrant green color and wonderful nutritive properties. A cup of cooked broccoli has as much vitamin C as an orange, as well as being a source of beta carotene. 

It contains vitamins  B1, B2, B3, B6, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc and fiber. It is both high in protein and low in calories. It is truly a wonder vegetable.

Freezing vegetables is a time honored tradition. Those who endeavor to eat locally raised produce will need to lean on frozen fresh produce for the lean winter months. And since broccoli does not can well (too mushy and pale), freezing is the healthiest option. 

It will give you the many benefits of fresh broccoli during the winter months when that good nutrition is crucial for your health and well being.

First, broccoli must be blanched. Do not try to freeze it raw, or you will end up with a withered mess. To keep the bright green color and full flavor of broccoli, blanch it in boiling water for three minutes. 

Read Related Article: How to Shred Chicken

Blanching is easy. It basically means parboil, or “part” boiling. Immerse the broccoli in boiling water for just a few minutes. By blanching, you preserve the color and vitamins perfectly, while transforming the broccoli to a freezable state. 

Another option for freeze prep is steaming. You can steam broccoli for five minutes, drain the water, and it will freeze beautifully as well. 

Just follow these instructions, and you will have an easy, healthy component to a weekday meal waiting for you to harvest it; from the freezer. 

Blanching has several advantages. It is basically a quick cooking process that is stopped at just the moment when broccoli is at its peak vibrant color. Blanching brings out the green even brighter than when broccoli is raw. 

It will taste fresher, and look better when you are ready to use it, and the short blanching process preserves vitamins and minerals to a maximum extent. 

Prepare the broccoli by cutting off the tough stalks, with their hard outer layer. If you wish to save the stems, either peel this layer off, or cut it away with a paring knife. 

Make sure to cut away the bottoms as well. Broccoli should also be cleaned. Its intricate, tree-like structures are hiding places for bug infestation. Soak your broccoli in salt water which will draw the bugs out of their hiding places and cause them to float to the top of the water. 

Drain off the water before removing the broccoli, or you might be using the broccoli to inadvertently pick up the bugs that may be floating on the water’s surface. It’s worthwhile to peek in between the florets, as sometimes a fat green worm might be clinging within them. 

Rinse the soaked broccoli in cold water, and cut into even-sized pieces so they cook uniformly. If you can fill a large container with ice water, you can place the florets in the water after blanching to speed the cooling process. 

As we mentioned above, you can use one of two methods for flash cooking your broccoli: blanching or steaming.

Blanching

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Boiling the florets one pound at a time for 3 minutes. Time from the moment the water is boiling. 

The water may cool down for a moment when your first add the florets to the pot. So time your 3 minutes from when the water returns to a boil. 

Steaming

For steaming you will need both a pot, and a basket, as the broccoli florets (and stems) will cook by steam, yet not be actually immersed in water. 

Again, steam a pound at a time, adding your broccoli to a wire basket or steaming insert that fits your pan. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. 

Once you have either blanched or steamed the broccoli, immerse it in an ice bath to cool it down. Remove it and drain away all the water. 

Now you can pack and freeze the florets. You can either use plastic freezer safe boxes, leaving a little room at the top or just throw into zip lock bags. Tip: Don’t overstuff, as the shape of the broccoli will suffer. 

The very best way to freeze broccoli is to spread it out on a single layer on a tray, freeze, and then transfer to another container. This keeps the florets separate, so that you can use just what you need for cooking each time, instead of being stuck with a gigantic ice block of broccoli. 

Cooking

When you retrieve your broccoli from the freezer to cook it, it couldn’t be easier. Blanching has already partially cooked it, so it can be boiled briefly, sauteed in a little oil, or add to a stir fry. 

Overcooking really damages broccoli. The color, taste and texture will all suffer. Cook until just tender, and no more. 

There is no need to defrost the broccoli before cooking. Date your containers of frozen broccoli to ensure freshness. But rest assured, properly frozen broccoli will stay good to go for up to a year.

A Word About Stems

Some would argue that the stems of broccoli, when properly frozen and prepared, are the most delicious part of the vegetable. Just peel off the heavy outer layer, and chop into ½ inch pieces.

Read Other Related Article:

• How To Make Quinoa
• How to Shred Chicken

There is nothing like freshening up your wardrobe to make yourself feel a little perkier. Not all of us can afford to throw out our old clothes and splash out on a new look at the mall, so we need to resort to other methods. 

Putting a new print on a dull and uninspiring t-shirt that you have had for a couple of years can transform it from lifeless to fabulous. The only problem is, sending the t-shirt off to the printers can cost as much as purchasing a new one and that just defeats the purpose does it not?

What if you could print cool designs at home? Well actually, that is not as difficult as it sounds. These days you don’t need to send your t-shirt to a costly t-shirt printing company, there are ways of doing it yourself from the comfort of your own home. Here is our step by step guide to at-home t-shirt printing;

1.Purchase T-Shirt Transfer Paper

Make sure you buy a light transfer paper for light t-shirts and dark paper for dark t-shirts. 

2. Select an Image Or Text 

Upload your chosen image onto the computer. If you are printing something you drew onto the t-shirt, scan it onto the computer first and print it onto the transfer paper. 

3. Reverse the Image For Light Transfer Paper

Light transfer paper requires you to reverse the image before printing the design. This is because light transfer paper will transfer the mirror image onto the t-shirt. 

4. Print the Image 

Make sure the image is the right size for the t-shirt before proceeding to print it off. 

5. Cut it to Size

Cut the paper neatly before pressing the image onto the t-shirt. This is so that the image stays clear and neat.  

6. Prepare the Area

It is almost time to print onto your t-shirt, so set up your printing station. If you are printing on multiple t-shirts, make sure all the t-shirts and images are ready and available and that the heat press is hot enough for printing. 

7. Heat Press

Using a heat press, press the image onto the t-shirt for several seconds in order for the image to completely transfer. Remember, not pressing the design for long enough will result in it not fully transferring onto the t-shirt. Spend a couple of extra bucks on transfer paper that is heat sensitive so that it changes color when the transfer is complete. 

Top Tip: using a heat press allows you to print on the t-shirts faster than if you were to use an iron. This Is great for anyone that is bulk printing, check out this review on the 15 best heat presses on the market. 

8. Leave to Cool Down

Let the t-shirt cool down completely before peeling off the transfer paper. Peeling off the paper when the t-shirt is still hot may cause flakiness.

Have you ever been at a friend’s house or in a fancy office and found yourself enthralled by the activity in a beautifully lit fish tank? Before you know it, you’ve been there for ten minutes in a world of your own and are smiling!

Welcome then to the wonderful world of fish. We know they are good to eat but no we also know that they are good to watch. According to recent research at a British University, watching fish can lead to lower blood pressure and subsequently lower stress levels. This, in turn, has a very positive effect on your mental health and will make you feel happier.

Now, this may come as some surprise to you but the research is conclusive. So much so that there is now a turn for watching fish and it’s called Aquarium Therapy. 

So why are fish so intriguing to us? Could it be because it is once thought that we too came from the oceans so they spark a latent familiarity and peace? Well, we don’t know for sure but what we do know is these things:

1. Fish have different personalities and feature so once you have a fish tank and start to watch your fish on a regular basis, you will notice their little habits. My fish Big Ears (he doesn’t have any at all. Yeah, corny I know, but the name just stuck) has a habit of hiding behind a rock until his nemesis Noddy swims by. He then pops out of hiding and chases the poor little guy off in a fright. You will soon notice your own fishes little quirks.
2. The colors of the fish are mesmerizing. They come in every shade you can imagine and some can be incredibly beautiful in their luminosity. Just seeing them swim around makes us feel we are snorkeling in the Red Sea even if it is actually the middle of winter.
3. Caring for fish is also part of wellbeing. Even though they aren’t communicating with us in the way a cat or dog might, you will see their excitement at feeding time or their pleasure swimming around in a clean tank. This, in turn, gives us purpose and, let’s face it, they are much easier to care for than our furry friends!
4. Watching the plants in an aquarium also makes us feel good. They add to the beauty of the tank but their motion is also hypnotic helping us forget our troubles and bring back our smiles of contentment.

So, if those reasons aren’t enough to make you run to your nearest pet shop instead of the pharmacy for a tonic, I don’t know what are. This is the 2020 must-have therapy to practice. It’s much cheaper than a shrink and healthier for you than a beer.

Creating your own underground world is also a lot of fun. Tanks come in all sorts of shapes and sizes so decide what size suits your home and go for it! For a look at a range of amazing 40-gallon breeder tanks and how you can stock them, visit https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/best-40-gallon-breeder-tanks/ 

Say hello to a new de-stressed you!

This post was sponsored by Dramamine® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

As a child, the best motion sickness remedies were not something I worried about.  However, when my oldest son was born in 2003, I suddenly found that I would get carsick.  At first, I thought I was just coming down with a bug, but when I got out of the car and felt fine for hours, then felt bad as soon as I got back in, I realized that I had finally learned what my poor mom and sister dealt with for years.  Motion sickness is an affliction that is truly horrible.  So, after years of sharing about our vacations with you, I decided to share some of the Best Motion Sickness Remedies For Adults & Kids.

Best Motion Sickness Remedies For Adults

As we hit the road to vacation, go on business trips, or most recently looking at homes out of state for our upcoming move, motion sickness is sure to rear its ugly head.  I hate feeling sick in the car, but I also hate feeling overly medicated.  I have tried a lot of things in the past, but these are some of my favorite and best motion sickness remedies for road trips.

Always pack Dramamine

I had heard of Dramamine for many years, but it wasn’t until my youngest was a baby that I actually purchased the little tablets and started keeping them in my purse.  My only problem was how sleepy they made me, and that wasn’t always convenient when traveling.  I was excited to test out the Dramamine® Non-Drowsy Naturals on our recent trip from Arkansas to Michigan.

The Dramamine® Non-Drowsy Naturals is formulated with the specific dose of ginger that has been clinically-tested for treatment and prevention of motion sickness.  While I have used various ginger supplements in the past, I found that this was easy to take and definitely helped settled my queasy stomach in record time. They fit easily into my luggage and went right alongside my bottle of water in the car when we stepped out to look around the state.

Right now, you can even print a Digital Coupon for Dramamine® Non-Drowsy Naturals to help save money while using one of the best motion sickness remedies I prefer.

Wear glasses instead of contact lenses

Strangely enough, this is a big thing for me in helping with motion sickness if I don’t have myDramamine® Non-Drowsy Naturals on hand.  I have found that wearing my contact lenses when we travel tends to leave my eyes dry and tired.  That results in a headache which will result in me becoming nauseated much easier in the car or on an airplane.

Stay hydrated

When you don’t feel well, staying hydrated is really hard.  However, dehydration can make things a lot worse.  I always try to drink plenty before we hit the road and keep both bottled water and an electrolyte drink on hand.  Even small sips can help you to stay hydrated. Especially when traveling in the heat of the summer months.  I also like to add slices of lemon to my bottled water since citrus often helps with nausea.

Don’t eat too much or too little

 One big issue I have found is that when I travel on an empty stomach I tend to get sick easier.  The same happens when I eat too much.  I prefer to eat at least an hour before getting into the car for a long trip so that my stomach isn’t empty or overly full.  When we stop for meals on the road, I make sure to eat simple meals that aren’t too spicy or greasy, and of course, not overindulge.

Use aromatherapy

It is well known that citrus, mint, and ginger can be great aromatherapy choices for when you are feeling unsettled.  I like to use essential oil jewelry while traveling since it helps keep the smell mild yet always nearby.

Best Motion Sickness Remedies For Planes & Boats

All of the above will work great, except perhaps for where you sit.  While I don’t know how others feel, for me personally these tips are ideal for riding on a boat or taking a flight.

• Find a seat or stand on a boat facing the direction you are going.
• Avoid looking down over the side of the boat.
• Avoid smells from fish, etc. that are being caught that can be pungent and cause nausea.
• On planes, take an aisle seat.  This gives you more room, and makes it easy to get up if you feel the need to be sick.
• On planes, keep the air directed on you to stay cool and feel fresher air circulation.
• On planes, sit behind the wings or closer to the back of the plane.  This is a personal preference that has been tested over and over for ME and I find that I only have motion sickness flying when in front of the wings.

If you too struggle with being carsick or just having motion sickness from airplane travel, being on the water, or amusement park rides, these are my best motion sickness remedies to suggest to you.  Make sure to always keep Dramamine® Non-Drowsy Naturals on hand, and the other tips on reserve.

My Favorite Motion Sickness Remedies For Kids

This post was sponsored by Dramamine® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central

As I have mentioned before, the Wee Child seems to get carsick like I do.  So, I have decided to share some of my favorite motion sickness helps for kids with you as well today.  Since we love our road trips, it is really important that we make sure we are all happy and healthy on the road.  These tips make it just a bit easier to manage with kids.

Last month I was asked to review Dramamine® for Kids.  I already knew I loved the brand, but I had never used them with the Wee Child.  For our 15 hour drive from Arkansas to Michigan, I found out just how awesome they are.  While he doesn’t usually vomit with motion sickness, he does get nauseated and feels miserable.  So, it was a great time to test out the product and share our other top tips.

Sit in the middle seat

If your vehicle has a middle seat where your child can have a view of the road without obstructions, make sure they get that seat.  It works easily in both of our cars as the Wee Child loves the middle seat.  Since he is now tall enough and heavy enough to be out of a booster seat, he finds the middle seat even more comfortable.  The seatbelt fits him much better in this spot in our cars, so it’s a double duty bonus.

Avoid candy and greasy snacks

One of the tried and true things for both myself and the Wee Child is to avoid candy and greasy snacks.  So, that means avoiding most fast food on the road. We like to pack bananas, pretzels, nuts, and yogurt to snack on when possible.

Stay hydrated

We always try to stay hydrated, but it is even more important as a motion sickness relief for kids.  In the summer it can be hotter and thus a need for more liquid, but any time you are traveling it is important.  We expect to make multiple bathroom stops along the road, so we never limit water or electrolyte drinks.  We encourage him to drink as much as he can and always pack water, electrolyte drinks or green tea.  Some prefer to have Ginger Ale or Lemon Lime Soda on hand.

Pack Dramamine® for Kids Chewables  

He chewed the recommended dosage as we started out on our trip.  Despite a few twists and turns, he was actually able to read in the car this trip with no problems.  I was totally sold.  Not only are they a tasty grape flavor, but they are in a simple to pack package that makes it easy to grab and hand over to him when needed along the trip. Since Dramamine® for Kids is the only motion sickness medication formulated just for kids ages 2-12, it is definitely a product that anyone can feel comfortable giving their child. It’s great for the long road trips like ours, but could also be great for that back to school morning or afternoon drive when kids might find motion sickness to be annoying.  Right now you can grab a Dramamine For Kids® Coupon to help stock up for your next vacation.

Avoid reading or movies in the car

While this trip he managed reading easily, I typically recommend avoiding reading or watching movies in the car.  Both can really cause motion sickness to be worse. Instead, listening to music and napping in the car are often safer choices for those who tend to have motion sickness issues.

Pack supplies for “just in case”

While you hope that the above-mentioned items will prevent your child from being sick, you have to know that sometimes it just isn’t preventable.  I recommend packing a small bucket with multiple liners in the back seat for those moments you can’t pull over fast enough.  Also pack some extra trash bags, wipes, and a change of clothing in a bag that is easy to grab as needed.

These tips for dealing with motion sickness in kids are just what you need to keep your next family vacation easy to manage!

More Travel Tips:

• 50 Practical Travel Tips
• Tips For Using Public Transit When Traveling
• Tips For Traveling On Holidays
• Tips For Traveling Alone