More than ever, this generation struggles with food. Body shaming is taking place left and right. People are viewed as too skinny, too fat, too muscular, you name it!

My moms message has always been about bringing families together around the dinner table. I believe in this with all of my heart! This family time is so important and special. My new message is going right along side of it. I keep hearing of parents who don't eat what they feed their kids. They meal prep their food and then have their kids fend for themselves. This is not right! Families should be eating together, and enjoying their food together!

We are all about eating a well balanced diet. Make your family delicious and healthy meals, and eat it! Make cookies and bread together, and enjoy those memories.

I have had so many followers reach out to me, and express how needed this message is. Lets give ourselves permission to enjoy life and enjoy food! There is no such thing as good food or bad food. Eat to make you feel good. Enjoy the delicious fruits and vegetables, but enjoy a treat as well!

Let's start showing our bodies the respect they deserve. Do I always love my body? Of course not! No one does. But there's no need to beat ourselves up.

I recently stumbled upon an article in The New York Times titled "Smash the Wellness Industry." If you haven't read it yet, click the link and check it out. I love everything she says! She hits the nail right on the head for me. I need to meet her, because I'm pretty sure we are meant to be best friends! A couple of my favorite parts:

• "When you have to deprive, punish, and isolate yourself to look 'good' it is impossible to feel good."
• Women, can two or more of us get together without mentioning our bodies and diets?"

So I want to extend that same mission to each of you: let us stop obsessing about diets and calories and everything we eat. Let's enjoy our lives, and not let food control us. Let's remember that we have so much more to offer the world than just what we look like! You are amazing, don't let the wellness industry make you feel differently.

xoxo, Lizi!

FINALLY!! We are posting our FAVORITES from Trader Joe’s! We are always up for trying new things.. but ALWAYS come back to these favorites!! When we walk into the door of Trader Joe’s right away we love to look at the beautiful flowers! Their prices are always fabulous for flowers! We love the seasonal selections and then our staples that seem to always speeak to us which are the Hydgrangea and Israeli Ruscus and Tulips !! When its cold and cloudy outside flowers seem to brighten our every day. Fresh, or dried arrangements seems to bring a sense of peace into the home. Make sure to grab a basil plant to have on hand for cooking!!! Place the plant into a cute canning jar and add water to keep it fresh. Next stop Produce- love their produce!! Always love to make sure to remember to get a bag of lemons and limes. Super great price and love to have them on hand to add to sparkling water and soda. Not to mention we use them in cooking and baking all day long! Their fruit is always a fabulous price!! Then we love to grab some tomatoes on the vine or grape tomatoes. We have realized the smaller the tomato the better! They are the most consistent in flavor and freshness!! Then we stop at the Meat Deparment- Honestly we love their meat. Love the quality and you can tell the difference! If you are on a tight budget or cooking for a large family, we wouldn’t suggest that its the best place to purchase meat! Costco is more affordable. Danish Kringle- We saw it every time we came to Trader Joe’s and never bought it because we didn’t know what it was! Now when we go into the store we have others asking us what it is and why we are buying it??!! HAHA!! Because it’s seriously yummy!! They constantly change the flavors. We love the almond, pecan and raspberry. These Kringle remind us of a cheese danish! You can eat it cold or you can heat it up in the oven either way.. we LOVE IT!!! You can even freeze it, they freeze really well! You can freeze for up to 2 months! Perfect for a breakfast or just a dessert! Give it a try !!! Pound Plus Milk Chocolate - We have seriously become famous for our Mexican Hot Chocolate! We have followers that are saying they have never liked hot chocolate until now!! We get comments that they cant stop making it!! There was even a time that a Trader Joe’s in Utah was completely sold out of it because of us!! It is that amazing and you can get the recipe here !!! Your family will love it and its a must for these winter months!!!! Apple Cider - We have tried every homemade version and this is the best! We love to heat it up with a couple of cinnamon sticks. After it’s warm, put a dollop of homemade whip cream! It is seriously good! Canned Tomatoes- These are a serious must when you come to Trader Joe’s Stock up! They are the best prices out there and the quailty and taste is AMAZING!! You have to get the Tomato Sauce, San Marzano Tomatoes and Tomato Paste. The diced tomato’s are great too !! Their Mariana is super good and so inexpensive! We love to get the marinara for our Mostociolli and also for one of our Tomaot Soup recipes ! Cheese Deparment- This is where our HEART is!! We seriously feel like we relate with the French so well about their love for cheese! Eating fresh cheese is a huge part of our every day diet!! You won’t find a better price or quailty then at Trader Joe’s! These are the staples that we constantly have on hand! The fresh Mozzarella , Manchego, Gruyere, Emmentaler (especially for our fondue) , Chevre Honey Goat Log, Parmesean Reggiano , Comte, Unexpected Cheddar, Gouda, Creamy Toscano. These are the ones that we seriously cannot get enough of ! Crackers- Love their crackers espeically to go with the cheeses! We love to eat this for lunch or if your ever doing charcuterie board! Their crackers are a must. We love the Fig and Olive Crisps and Rasin Rosemary Crisps! The BEST! California Estate Olive Oil- I love this olive oil because it has a fresh peppery taste! I love that its American Grown in California and its a great price! Makeup Wipes- This is a random product that we love! We have tried many different makeup wipes and they are the perfect wetness and perfect size! They really get off the makeup well for a great deal! Wine- We also buy most of the wine that we cook with at Trader Joe’s. Here in Utah the wine is not available. Purchase some if you are out of state, the wine stores forever! When we post something that we really love.. your getting our stamp of approval!!! We will always add to this list whenever we find other must haves, that we cant live without from Trader Joe’s!! XO Liz & Lizi

Parmesan Reggiano – Italy Taleggio-Italy Manchego- Spain Gouda -Holland Chevre- Goat Cheese- France Honey Goat Cheese- Trader Joes Comte- France Camembert Bri – France Boursin- France Guyere- Switzerland Emmentaler- Switzerand St. Agure – Blue Cheese -France Blue Cheese - Gold Creek Farms- Woodland Smoked White Cheddar – Gold Creek Farms- Woodland Parmesan and Romano- Gold Creek Farms- Woodland Serve Honey with Parmesan Reggiano Serve Jam or Chutney with the others. I love our Cranberry Jalapeno Freezer Jam in Book 2 . I also love Blackberry Buzz Jalapeno Preserves. I like to serve Red Grapes, Pears, or Honeycrisp Apples with the Cheese Favorite go to Crackers: Wheat Thins Triscuit Thin Crisps Raisin Rosemary Crisps -Trader Joe's Pistachio Pomegranate Crisps – Trader Joe's Fig and Olive Crisps -Trader Joe's

Upholstery in Kitchen

We love upholstery in the kitchen!! The kitchen is where we spend most of our time in a day! A great way to make a kitchen cozier and inviting is to have an upholstered furniture piece. Even if you have a small space, putting a little chair or a small bench.....whatever fits your space and style! You will be surprised how often you and others will use it. I promise it will become one of your favorite spots in your house!! XO

Simplify your week and try our meal plan. If you click on the 'Meal Plans' link, our template is waiting for you to create your own! Happy Monday!

My inspiring books are a perfect gift for almost everyone on your Christmas list!

In my two books, I have over 400 excellent recipes to choose from. My food is not gourmet food, just good, hot, healthy food.... served with plenty of vegetables and eaten with portion control. I have included my famous "Nanny Plan" and "Shopping List" to make preparation less stressful and easier for you. The hardest part about dinner is trying to decide what to cook.

Waiting until 4 p.m. to decide what to cook is too late. That is where my "Theme Nights" will help. Even if you are cooking for yourself, you deserve a meaningful dinnertime. In my 2 books I have tried to motivate those who don't want to cook anymore, and teach those of you who don't know how to cook, that cooking is essential in creating a strong family. World wide, I have observed that dinnertime is the most natural setting for your family to sort out and talk over their day. To look each other in the eye. To learn the art of conversation. You cook for who is home. Cook and they will come home! I know that applying my meal plan can work for your family as it did for mine for the past 30 plus years. XOXOXO The Food Nanny

THE DECOR

We wanted everything about this party to be very simple...the guide, the decor, and the menu. We love these simple yet elegant decorations Becky came up with. Make sure to visit her website for all the decor details! http://designandsimplify.com/2015/11/holiday-event-decor/

We can't wait to start sharing Our Menu ideas! Grandma Eva's spud-nuts (donuts) might just become your family's new tradition! We will have the details and recipes to share...Stay tuned.

Now that school is in full swing many of you have extremely busy schedules! Why go to the effort of dinner time at the house? Having a consistent dinnertime each night ensures good communication and helps maintain positive relationships within the family. Not to mention a healthier diet. I love eating out.... but as you know when you eat out too much you start to lose control of the dinner hour. Around the dinner table is the most natural meeting place for communicating with our families on a daily basis. It is a comfortable , natural setting. Good communication is the most important quality to have between parents and children and among siblings. Maybe you don't know what to talk about........ I don't think dinner talk has to always be serious. My cookbooks give plenty of conversation starters. I just like to use the dinner hour to talk about issues that your family might have. Try making dinnertime happen for your family today!!!! My books will help you get started. They are much more than just a recipe book. They are a guide and a how- to book for living the LA VITA VERA LIFE!!!!! (The true life) XOXOXO

WE REMEMBER AND HONOR THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES AND LOVED ONES ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. HERE IS MY OLDEST, CUTE SON WHO SERVED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR 20 + YEARS...

WE ARE A FAMILY OF PROUD AMERICANS! MY HUSBAND, SONS AND SONS-IN-LAW HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY AND COMMUNITIES IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES...AIR FORCE, SECRET SERVICE, DIPLOMATIC SECURITY SERVICE, AND COUNTY SHERIFF. I AM PROUD OF THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY AND LOVE THEM FOR IT!

I WILL NEVER FORGET WHERE I WAS ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY...AT THAT TIME IN MY LIFE...I HAD 3 FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE SKY THAT DAY...THE EAST COAST TO BE EXACT...FLYING AROUND FOR BOTH UNITED & DELTA AIRLINES. MY HUSBAND, STEVE, WAS A PILOT AT DELTA AND MY DAUGHTER, EMALY, A FLIGHT ATTENDANT. MY SON-IN-LAW, COLIN, A PILOT FOR UNTIED. MY DAUGHTER LIVED IN MANHATTAN AT THE TIME... I REMEMBER WAKING UP AND TURNING ON THE TELEVISION AND WATCHING IT ALL UNFOLD...ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS AND I STARTED FRANTICALLY CALLING CELL PHONES CHECKING IN... WAITING TO HEAR FROM OUR LOVED ONES... WE FELT THE SAME TERROR AS MANY OTHERS DID THAT DAY AS WE WAITED TO HEAR FROM EACH OF THEM..... HOW LUCKY WE WERE TO HAVE OUR FAMILY SAFE AND ACCOUNTED FOR!! OUR HEARTS BROKE FOR THOSE THAT DIDN'T.. IT HIT SO CLOSE TO HOME FOR US THAT DAY!!! WE SEND MUCH LOVE TO NYC AND ALL THOSE EFFECTED BY 9/11. XOXOXO

YES, BUT....THE TOP TEN MOST COMMON EXCUSES FOR NOT COOKING!

Parents, you cannot use your many excuses for not having family dinnertime. I call these the "Yes, buts." You know how great it would be to cook for you family and sit down to dinner together at home...But...and then come all the excuses. Let's talk about those excuses. Let's talk about the many distractions of real life today. Let's take away all the excuses.

1. I don't know how to cook; I'm not good at it. Nowadays there are so many ways to learn how to cook. There's always trial and error, but you can reduce the errors significantly by learning a few cooking essentials through cookbooks like mine, videos on Internet websites, and the Food Network on TV. All it takes is desire and the belief that you can cook as well as many of the folks whose food you've been relying on until now.
2. I just don't feel like cooking or eating tonight. If you don't, who will? This is what you will face: "I wonder what we can eat for dinner tonight?" asks a starving 12-year-old as the hunger pangs start to burn. "What's for dinner?" another child yells out from the TV room. Nobody has a clue. "Cereal," Mom yells from a nearby room. "Leftover pot roast from three days ago. Microwave a hot dog." "Do we have any buns?" someone yells. "No, but we have plenty of ketchup and mustard." "Microwave one of those frozen pizzas," Mom yells. "Dad, aren't you hungry?" "No, not really; I had a big lunch out today. I'm still full. Maybe later I'll have a piece of toast or a bowl of cereal." "Mom, do you want me to throw in a pizza for you?" "No, thanks, I'm not eating tonight." What are we teaching our children through this "conversation"? How can we ask them to do well in school if we can't give them proper nutrition? How can we not care enough to have dinner for our family?
3. I'm on a diet and can't be in the kitchen. Some mothers seem overly concerned about gaining weight if they cook. Food must be out of sight, out of mind. If this is you, you have decided to let your family fend for themselves. But you need to decide instead that your family comes first in your life, not your "diet." The key to healthful eating is not dieting or fat content or calorie or carb counts. It's been proven over and over that diets don't work long-term. Healthful eating is about eating a variety of freshly prepared foods and paying attention to portion size. My cry to any mother who wants to keep her feminine form: Don't be afraid to eat!! Your job is to teach good nutrition to your family. You cannot teach them to be afraid of eating. For too many girls, putting food into their mouths involves great pain and anxiety, which can lead to eating disorders. Enjoy sitting down and eating, not until you are full, but until you are satisfied. There lies the difference. Don't think only of yourself when it comes to dinnertime. Your family deserves a well-balanced diet and all the benefits that come from sitting down together for a home-cooked meal.
4. We both work and get home too tired to cook. Children whose parents are gone all day need consistent dinnertime. It's the bonding as a family that will carry them through each day. Sitting down together at dinner gives everyone time to unwind and to take notice of one another. Mom and Dad have a chance to give a nod of appreciation to each other. My plan will help you do this no matter what your situation. Theme nights make meal planning easier. And my cookbooks are full of great recipes that you will be excited about cooking and your family will be excited about eating! If you plan menus a week or two in advance, you can have most of the stress out of the way. Come home and unwind in the kitchen with the kids or your partner helping you. Share in the cooking. One can do the chopping and one do the assembly. If your kids are old enough, give them assignments for after-school so you don't always have the sole responsibility.
5. We get home too late to cook. Little ones cannot wait much past 7:00 pm to eat, and they need to be in bed by 8:00. So hopefully your late work schedule will not have to last forever! School-aged children can make a sandwich to tide them over to a late mealtime. As long as they know dinner is coming before they go to bed, they will be fine. They will look forward to it. Your children can help. Preteens can help in many of the preparations that do not involve the cooktop, such as putting potatoes in the oven to bake, taking something from the fridge directly to the oven, making lemonade, mixing cookie batter, setting the table. Teenagers can definitely be trusted with the burners. IF the recipe is laid out and the ingredients are in plain sight, anyone can cook, boys and girls alike. All they have to do is follow the directions. Many dishes can be put together ahead of time. Get the whole family together on Saturdays or Sundays to put together dishes for the week, or assemble them the night before, or in the morning before heading to work, or just do any chopping or pre-prep and finish them when you get home. Some of my recipes are prepared in the slow cooker that can go all day long. Others are quick to make, and dinner can be prepared start to finish in a short time.
6. My spouse and I just aren't getting along. You may feel that your own problems are bigger and more important than worrying about getting dinner on the table. So do you let the family fall apart? No. Why make the kids suffer? How about putting the kids first? Putting dinner on the table will give your mind something positive to zero in on. With my meal plan, dinner will be something you will be proud of at the end of the day, even though your life seems in turmoil. Your spouse may actually come to the table in a better mood. We all love a hot meal. Both of you may decide to be home on time to participate int the family dinner hour. This could be a healing power in your relationship. You both need that interaction with the kids. Bring everyone back to the table and begin again, work out your misunderstandings, and start fresh.
7. Everyone is going in different directions. Jobs, extra-curricular activities, the gym- all of these can keep family members away from home at the dinner hour. But if you can get even half of the family home for dinner, you can set the other meals in the fridge (with a plate all ready to heat in the microwave) for when the absentees get home. They'll be famished so they'll be glad to know dinner is waiting for them. I can remember many, many nights of teenage kids coming in late and popping their plate in the microwave. Oh, how their eyes lit up to see wonderful hot food for them! Nothing fancy has to be waiting for them. Something hot and easy will be the best every time. I visited with my kids as they ate, as did other family members who were still up. The energy from those who had been home for dinner was great, because those who came in late could still benefit from it.
8. Everybody wants something different to eat. Some families have gotten into the habit of everyone eating their own thing. No wonder mealtime means stress. It's time to change that habit and have everyone sit down to the same meal. Besides easing your workload and giving everyone a chance to bond over dinner, this provides other benefits, Think about this: When the parent becomes a "short-order cook" to please everyone, and children are allowed to eat their favorite food every night, children eat more. But when children eat a family meal, they learn to enjoy a greater variety of foods. Some of these are not their favorites, so they eat smaller portions. Start serving everyone the same meal together and make this the new pattern in your family. You and your family can decide together on the theme nights you want to have so that everyone regularly gets his or her "favorites."
9. The kids ate big snacks and are not hungry. Children who are famished right after school can have a snack, but when they know that a great dinner is coming soon, they are satisfied with less at snack time. They will want to save their appetite. Offer just enough of a snack to take the edge off before dinner. Have a piece of fruit or cheese and crackers. On cold days serve a cup of hot chocolate. Make popcorn and serve with a soda. Make cookies one weekend, freeze them, and take out just enough each day for a snack. This is one reason I wasn't big on desserts most nights of the week. If the kids and I had had a cookie for a before-dinner snack, we didn't need sweets after dinner too. More snack ideas are in my cookbooks. Limiting snacks and keeping a consistent dinnertime ensures proper eating habits and helps us as parents see what our children are eating. We can get control of obesity or eating disorders before they get out of hand.
10. There is nothing to eat in the house. This is where meal planning comes in. If you keep your pantry stocked with the basics, plan a week's worth of menus at once, and buy all the groceries you will need for those meals you will always have on hand everything you need to make dinner. And my theme nights and the recipes in my cookbooks make it easy to plan a week's worth of menus in 10 minutes. No more wondering what to have for dinner. Problem solved.