In February, I met with Presbyterian minister, Reverend Jonathan Mitchell, Chairman of the Board of the Ministry Center in Maryville, Missouri, to discuss ways to help the low-income clients that are served by the Ministry Center. The biggest issues Americans face related to feeding their families are: cost, time, health, and picky eaters. My cookbook, Mealtime Magic: Delicious Dinners in Half the Time, addresses those issues. Using the strategies in Mealtime Magic, a family of four can save $500/year, waste less food, spend fewer hours in the kitchen, and eat a variety of delicious, healthy meals. I contacted area businesses to inquire about underwriting the cost of my cookbook to distribute copies to families who are served through the Ministry Center. I am so thrilled to announce that we have exceeded our goal of offering 50 books by Mother’s Day thanks to SSM Health St. Francis Hospital, the Northwest Missouri Regional Credit Union, and Compass Dental. My book will be an added tool to help these families use the food they are given more efficiently. My book helps in important ways:
• Save $500/year
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, American households throw away an average of 20 pounds of food/month costing hundreds of dollars each year. Using the strategies from Mealtime Magic, families can save up to $43/month or over $500/year. How? In Mealtime Magic, one dinner becomes the basis for two additional meals. Recipes incorporate leftovers to create completely different meals, so they don’t look or taste like leftovers. Each “Three-Day Plan” clearly shows what to serve and what to save.
• Save hours in the kitchen
A well-documented survey found that an average family spends 175 hours in the kitchen per month. Mealtime Magic’s tried and true method--a three-day cooking strategy—saves time and energy not only through its cooking methods, but by washing fewer pots and pans.
• Encourage good health
In statistics published by the National Institutes of Health, in 2009–2010, more than two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults, age 20 and older, were considered to be overweight or obese. One reason Mealtime Magic works is because vegetables and grains are added to the main dish, not only to stretch the meal, but to create new flavors and textures. The result is healthier, more appetizing dinners that satisfy hungry kids and adults. Cooking at home is healthier than eating out because families can choose a cooking method and control the amount of salt added.
• Please picky eaters
Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care book discusses the anxiety parents feel when their child is a picky eater, one of the biggest challenges at mealtime. Combining my educational background (at the Culinary Institute of America) and practical knowledge cooking for my family the last 40 years, I’ve created delicious main dishes that have been requested again and again.
Click here to look inside Mealtime Magic. Contact me, Amy Houts, for details and benefits Houts & Home can offer your business if you want to help the Maryville Ministry Center or food pantry in your area by offering Mealtime Magic to its clients.
• Save $500/year
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, American households throw away an average of 20 pounds of food/month costing hundreds of dollars each year. Using the strategies from Mealtime Magic, families can save up to $43/month or over $500/year. How? In Mealtime Magic, one dinner becomes the basis for two additional meals. Recipes incorporate leftovers to create completely different meals, so they don’t look or taste like leftovers. Each “Three-Day Plan” clearly shows what to serve and what to save.
• Save hours in the kitchen
A well-documented survey found that an average family spends 175 hours in the kitchen per month. Mealtime Magic’s tried and true method--a three-day cooking strategy—saves time and energy not only through its cooking methods, but by washing fewer pots and pans.
• Encourage good health
In statistics published by the National Institutes of Health, in 2009–2010, more than two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults, age 20 and older, were considered to be overweight or obese. One reason Mealtime Magic works is because vegetables and grains are added to the main dish, not only to stretch the meal, but to create new flavors and textures. The result is healthier, more appetizing dinners that satisfy hungry kids and adults. Cooking at home is healthier than eating out because families can choose a cooking method and control the amount of salt added.
• Please picky eaters
Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care book discusses the anxiety parents feel when their child is a picky eater, one of the biggest challenges at mealtime. Combining my educational background (at the Culinary Institute of America) and practical knowledge cooking for my family the last 40 years, I’ve created delicious main dishes that have been requested again and again.
Click here to look inside Mealtime Magic. Contact me, Amy Houts, for details and benefits Houts & Home can offer your business if you want to help the Maryville Ministry Center or food pantry in your area by offering Mealtime Magic to its clients.
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