Today we're going to be talking about mozzarella as part of our series on amazing ingredients, ones with a rich history and amazing uses in the kitchen. Mozzarella is a unique cheese - it's very different from other cheeses.

Of course, we all love pizza. What would pizza be without mozzarella? When I was growing up, we didn't have mozzarella in our country, and so the pizza was made with yellow cheeses like cheddar, and it wasn't nearly as good. Mozzarella has the amazing properties of being gooey, melty, and stretchy, like a slice of pizza where all the cheese stretches from the middle.

So, mozzarella obviously originated in Italy - in the southern region of Campania, around Naples. It actually came into existence during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. The legend of mozzarella says that it was an accidental discovery. During the Middle Ages, cheese makers could have dropped curd into hot water, either during the cheese making process or by accident, and then noticed that it began to stretch and form those elastic strands which are the unique characteristic of mozzarella.

 Today we’re going to be talking about what we can learn from Türkiye about food, and cooking. We'll be inspired by the rich culinary heritage of Türkiye, and learn a bit about their cultural eating habits, things they do when cooking, etc.

Firstly, Türkiye generally follows the Mediterranean diet principles. Their cuisine is heavily influenced by the Mediterranean diet, which people say is one of the healthiest dietary patterns. Olive oil is a staple food used both in cooking, and on salads and dishes. Their meals are rich in vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fresh herbs. They do eat dairy, fish, and poultry, but in moderation, and they don't use a lot of processed foods or refined sugars. Their plates typically include grains like bulgur rice and protein like beans, yogurt, or meat with vegetables.

Let's get inspired!

 Today we're going to be talking about breakfast ideas, tons of ideas for breakfast on the go, packed breakfast for work, high protein breakfasts without eggs, breakfast for moms, healthy breakfasts, and all those things.

I think that breakfasts are one of the most chaotic parts of the weekday morning if your mornings are anything like mine. The moment I get downstairs, it's chaos. There's just a ton of things to do, and I often forget to have breakfast myself while just saying “I'll quickly do this, I'll quickly do that,” looking after everybody else. So, what do you do?

Hopefully you'll find some solutions in this epsiode!

familyfoodformoms.com

 Today we're going to be talking about breakfasts from around the world. I wanted to do a couple of episodes this week to help you to think of good ideas for breakfasts, and before we narrow it down to anything, I thought it's a good idea to expand our thinking in terms of breakfast.

We’re going to talk about different things that they eat in different countries - to break out of the mold a little bit so that we can try some new things.

I'm always looking for more ideas, and perhaps you are too. If you have something you love to eat in the morning, that’s great, but sometimes it's nice to try different things, and you may even find something new that you love - either for you, or for your kids and your family. Today we're going on a global breakfast tour. Then on Wednesday, we’re going to talk about ideas that are specifically for us, ones that you can add to your breakfast meal list.

But for today, let's get inspired by what people eat for breakfast in different countries.

 Today I want to talk about last-minute dinner ideas!. On those days when you suddenly realize you need dinner and you don't have anything planned, you’re desperate to make a quick and easy dinner, not have to get takeout or spend more money, and you have to make do with what you have in your kitchen.

To have a list of ideas is very helpful because in that moment of panic, it's very hard to think of something to make.

Yesterday afternoon at about 4pm, I suddenly thought “Oh my goodness, what's for dinner?” I’d planned lunch. I'd planned dinner for the following night with guests, but I’d forgotten to plan dinner for that evening, and nothing was defrosted.

I’m gonna give you some ideas of what you can do at the last minute, and then help you to make your own list of last-minute dinner ideas.

Also please go to familyfoodformoms.com/lastminute to download a free printable of Last-Minute Dinner Ideas complete with all the meals I mentioned in the episode plus PANTRY and FREEZER items lists with place to fill in your own ideas!

Today I want to talk about how to pack a lunch for a child who's a picky eater. Does this sound familiar? You spend some time packing what you think is a healthy, cute, or a delicious lunch, and it comes home barely touched, and that can be frustrating.

Here are some tools and tips to take the pressure off, to get your kids involved, and maybe spark their curiosity with what's in their lunchbox. You still want to make the meal nourishing, but it has to be realistic, and stand a chance of being eaten by the pickiest kids, so I'm going to give you some tips and ideas.

I'll only be publishing one episode this week - next week I'll be back on track with episodes coming out on Mondays and Wednesdays.

 Thanks for joining me today. I want to talk about how to make an everyday dinner a little bit special, and how to add little touches that make a meal memorable!

Turning a regular dinner time into something special doesn't have to be complicated or fancy, so here are some easy ways that you can elevate your everyday meals. I think it's the small, thoughtful touches that can make it feel memorable, even if the food is simple.

Let's talk about some ideas that can add charm, warmth, and a little magic to your dinner.

Check out our Elegant Easy Appetizers 5-ingredient Cookbook here

You can Download a preview on this page.

 Hurray! Our new recipe book is here - the first one to come out: Elegant Easy Appetizers!. Each recipe has only five ingredients, they're very easy to make, they look elegant, and they lift your meal to the next level.

I'll be taking a break from the podcast this week to celebrate Easter with family and friends. I'll be back on Monday 28th April! See you then.

Picture your dining room table beautifully set with charger plates, which are also called under plates, some elegant dinner plates, side plates, beautiful glasses, and your best cutlery or silverware, with your lovely cloth napkins folded into an elegant shape on the side or on the dinner plate. Maybe it’s a celebration meal, or just a fun, fancy dinner with your family. In the center of the table, you could have some candles or little twinkle lights, maybe beautiful colored electronic candles, some flowers, or any of your favorite centerpieces.

If you're celebrating something, perhaps Good Friday and Easter, you can make your meal more meaningful by having an appetizer, and by having multiple courses. You could do an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert, or just an appetizer and main course. It gives you more time at the table, and it helps you to connect as a family and have some really good conversation. Because you're having three courses, you have more time to talk to people, relax more fully, and start to really take part in the conversation. This is because you can focus on each other, rather than just having a quick meal and then leaping up to do the clearing and all going your separate ways.

The appetizer course starts the meal in the right way. It helps everyone to see that it's not just going to be a rushed meal, so they have the right expectation coming to the table. They know there's going to be a few courses that they’ll get to enjoy, so even if one is not their favorite, perhaps another will be. They know they can take their time, relax, and enjoy good food. The goal of this meal is not just to eat, but to connect as a family, and to have good fellowship at the table.

Go to familyfoodformoms.com/shop/ to buy our Elegant Easy Appetizers Book.

It's on sale with $3 off making it only $15 plus shipping!