Clear out your medicine cabinet to make room for healthy herbs and spices instead. Besides just a healthy way to boost flavor, they provide numerous health benefits too.
To create interesting flavors, I spin our spice rack around for every meal I make. Its fun to try new herbs and spices to see what you can make; sometimes good (daddy/husband of the year!!)…. sometimes bad (hello, couch), but always healthy. If you don’t already have these 10 herbs and spices, stock up now and start adding taste and nutrition to your meals.
If you want to add a lot of intense heat to your food, cayenne pepper is the best spice for the job. A tiny bit of cayenne goes a long way (I know from experience; so does Kelley….again, sorry dear), so start with very little and work your way up to what you’re comfortable with. Several reasons to “just add cayenne” include its ability to relieve congestion by clearing mucus from the lungs and nose, boost immunity, prevent stomach ulcers by killing bacteria, help with weight loss, reduce blood cholesterol, triglyceride levels and platelet aggregation, prevent many types of cancer, and relieve pain. Use it in anything you want to make spicy; vegetables, salad, chili (duh), corn bread, various dips, soups, and even chocolate (you have to try it). An interesting note: The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains.
Slightly spicy and incredibly versatile, it’s no surprise that black pepper is the most common spice in the world. Black pepper is a great way to top off anything from eggs and salad to cooked grains and meat. For the best flavor and health benefits, freshly grind whole peppercorns using a pepper mill or coffee grinder. Black pepper has antioxidant and antibacterial properties; it improves digestion, helps prevent intestinal gas, is diaphoretic (promotes sweating), and diuretic (promotes urination). Black pepper provides high-quality amounts of manganese, vitamin K, iron, and the peppercorn’s outer layer is said to promote the breakdown of fat cells.
Cinnamon is one of the best spices around as it can be used in a variety of dishes. It is a very potent spice, and only a little cinnamon is needed to bring its signature intense flavor to a dish. Cinnamon aids in digestion, circulation, and helps to treat diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and menstrual cramps. This spice is also well known for its blood-stabilizing abilities.
A popular food spice, cumin has a deep smoky flavor that is used in a variety of dishes, mainly Mexican and Indian recipes. Cumin is one of the best spices for cooking because it can be used to add a smoky flavor without the spiciness of chile peppers. Cumin’s list of health benefits include aiding the digestive system, improves liver function, promotes assimilation of other foods, relieves abdominal distention, gas, and colic, as well as migraines and headaches. I put this on cooked foods and mixed into salads for a wonderful smoky salad.
Oregano is a powerful antioxidant rich in phytonutrients. One gram of oregano contains 42 times more antioxidants than apples, 30 times more antioxidants than potatoes, 12 times more antioxidants than oranges and 4 times more antioxidants than blueberries. Two of the most important components of oregano are thymol and carvacol which have strong antibacterial properties. A study showed that in Mexico, oregano was more effective against amoebas than prescribed drugs. Fresh or dried oregano can be added to Italian and Mexican dishes, salads, egg dishes, vegetables, meats and more.
Cloves are the top spice that contributes to the distinctive smell of Indian food and drinks like chai tea. Cloves, whether whole or crushed, have a strong flavor and are best used in small amounts. Sprinkle a bit of ground cloves in your coffee or tea for a nice chai flavor, or add a pinch to baking recipes for something sweet and spicy.
Turmeric ranks among the best spices for adding color to a dish, and has a warm, peppery flavor similar to ginger and orange; it’s what makes mustard yellow. Most of its benefits are from curcumin, a compound in turmeric that has potent antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. This yellow-colored spice is the highest known source of beta carotene. Turmeric tones the spleen, pancreas, liver, and stomach, and strengthens the immune system, enhances digestion, it may help control blood sugar in diabetics, and it helps to dissolve cysts and gallstones.
Coriander is known for being anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and cholesterol lowering. It increases HDL (the “good” cholesterol), and may help reduce free radical production. Coriander is a good source of dietary fiber, manganese, iron, and magnesium. The leaves of the plant, commonly known as cilantro in the United States, may have anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties.
Dried coriander is used for making baked goods, as a component in curries, and as a pickling spice. Cilantro is best when fresh, but either dried or fresh, it makes great salsa and adds flavor to dips, spreads, soups, and stews.
Parsley is found in two varieties, curly and flat leaf. Fresh parsley is more flavorful than the dried variety. The curly version tends to have a more intense flavor than the flat-leaf variety. Use it in soups, salads, and casseroles, or to top any savory meal with or without meat. Among parsley’s beneficial properties is its ability to fight cancer; Animal studies have shown that it can inhibit tumor formation, particularly in the lungs. It’s also known to reduce the effect of carcinogens including those found in cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke.
As with most on this list, parsley is a rich source of antioxidants and essential nutrients like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid. It is also a great breath freshener and is commonly served at the end of a meal. Which is why I buy and recommend the bulk 1 pound bag!
Spicy and pungent with just enough sweetness, ginger should be in the kitchen of every home cook. Great for adding an amazing sharpness to Chinese and Japanese recipes or a touch of spice to baked goods like cookies and cakes, ginger is one of the most unique spices because of its usefulness. It is warming, stimulates digestion, and boosts circulation, respiration, and nervous system function. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and is useful for colds and fevers, alleviates motion sickness and nausea, and destroys intestinal parasites.
You really can’t go wrong adding any herb or spice to your meals (unless you’re allergic), but these are what I consider some of the best to have and use daily. I think garlic powder deserves an honorable mention for the list, but this is best consumed as fresh cloves crushed and chopped in recipes.
How many of these do you currently have and use in your kitchen?
My typical mound of spices. And I still had more to add!
As a bonus, parents will love these bedtime books too. When it comes to books, it’s absolutely paramount for the parent to enjoy the book as well. Otherwise, we might not put enough into the story and therefore shortchange those eager little ears.
How we tell a story can be the difference from hearing a story, to hearing A STORY!!! Putting emphasis into the words of each character, changing the tone of your voice depending on the situation, and getting your kids involved by saying certain lines or finding something on each page.
You get the point, find something you like to read, and everyone will enjoy the book so much better. That is, until you’ve read it for the 87th time, and you will read it 87+ times! Here are 6 bedtime books I think you’ll enjoy reading just as much as they’ll enjoy hearing over and over again.
Most of us should remember this story from our own childhood, so why not share it with the next generation? Avery loves the crazy monkeys, and it makes for a good way to explain why she shouldn’t jump on the…..well, she jumps on everything.
We love all of Sandra Boynton’s books, so it’s only right to include this one. Our whole family cites the words from this book throughout the day, it’s definitely fun and catchy. Another favorite is The Going To Bed Book, our favorite page is when the exercise on top of the boat deck.
I grew up with my mom (g-ma) reading this to me all the time. Then, as I grew older, I read it all the time. Such a fun story and kids will love seeing the ways the little mouse tries to keep his cherished strawberry away from that hungry bear.
We’ve owned this book for a while, but only recently has our toddler shown interest. Now that she’s counting and “reading” herself, we sit and try to find the hamsters (there’s 10 with numbers on each page) together. It’s a longer book and is fun to read during the day too.
This is a fun rhyming book and it’s the most recent in our collection thanks to G-Ma. Ours came with a cute baby llama plush that Avery has added to her 6 other animals that go to bed with her. She loves the story, and there’s a great message about being patient in there. Maybe she’ll catch on soon…..
Going Mom and I switch off on who reads and who holds our precious Toddler for bedtime, and I’m sure these 6 bedtime books have been read well over 87 times. And it’s not all at night or nap time, no, a really good bedtime book is good any time of day!
Hope one or all of these books find their way into your home for you and your little ones to enjoy as much as our family.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking through one of my links, I earn a whopping few cents each time. It won’t change a thing for you, but I’d appreciate buying a cup of coffee without asking my wife at least one time. 🙂
Anyone who follows me on Twitter or my personal page on Facebook has probably seen me post plenty of puns. Some good, some so-so, and some that even make me cringe as I press the post button. You might find a good mix of all of these in the 10 I have to share with you today, but I count just one smile a win. Plus, it’s the weekend, so hopefully you’re smiling already!
Enjoy these 10 puns I found on Pinterest recently and enjoy your weekend too. If you’re a dad in need of some corny material, hope these will help you add to your arsenal gag-inducing jokes/puns. Hey, it’s just something we are good (or is not good?) at doing!
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2. Please tell me you get this one….
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I know what you’re thinking, “His poor wife and daughter.” I’ve had plenty of crinkle-faced reactions from Going Mom, but that never stops me. Dads, don’t let it stop you either!
Hope everyone reading found at least one they liked or hated less than the others. If you happened to laugh at more than one, chances are you’d like this cool board game I found called Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers. If you’re a pun lover, obviously you’ll love this game, it even says so in the name!
If you had to pick just one of these to share, which one would it be?
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
