Happy New Year, my friends! Do you remember that song, “this is the song that never ends?” It just goes on and on, my friends. I’ve had it playing in my mind on repeat all afternoon, with the word “flu” swapped in for “song.” Someone in my family has been sick with one thing or another ever since Thanksgiving and we are all sooooo over it. 

I thought we were in the clear at last and go figure, one of the boys spiked a fever yesterday. Super super fun times. However, when I think back to where we were a year ago, with Sean in the hospital and so many unknowns in our future, I’m grateful beyond words for a simple stubborn flu bug. Here’s hoping for a happy and healthy start to the new year for all of us!

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” Psalm 46:1‭-‬3 ESV

ON THE BLOG this week: Roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts are pure awesomeness from start to finish. Adding salty bacon and a splash of vinegar makes this one heck of a fantastic side dish.

This simple baked spinach artichoke dip is creamy, rich, and full of great flavors. My family reminds me quite regularly that there is nothing under the sun that is not enhanced through the inclusion of bacon.

Savory ham and cheddar cheese are layered into these fluffy biscuits. Served on their own or with a plate of scrambled eggs for breakfast or alongside a bowl of soup for dinner, these biscuits disappear almost as quickly as I can make them.

This creamy, rich slow cooker potato soup with a sprinkling of rosemary and thyme simmers in the crock-pot throughout the day, until you are ready to eat. I’ve been calling this my “Busy Day Potato Soup” for years.

Spiced pear oatmeal is full of rolled oats, cooked pears, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. It is a weekday breakfast delight that you can make in just a few minutes. When you have a few more minutes to spare, these Banana Coconut Pancakes topped with butter and syrup are a sweet and tasty way to change up your weekend pancake routine.

Want to know how to make gooey, soft, and chewy Rice Krispie Treats? Whether you’re serving them after dinner, taking them to a potluck, or simply making them for a fun snack with your kids after school, find out how t

Savory ham and cheddar cheese are layered into these fluffy biscuits. Served on their own or with a plate of scrambled eggs or alongside a bowl of soup, these biscuits disappear almost as quickly as I can make them.

Ham and Cheese Biscuits

I’ve been making these Ham and Cheese biscuits for about four years now and they are frequently found tucked into our freezer. While they’re delicious on their own, they also make a terrific egg sandwich and pretty amazing biscuits with gravy too.

We are huge fans of “leftover” recipes. Anytime I can cook a meal and then use the leftovers in another meal, that makes my day.

Ham is one of my favorites for making multiple meals. This Balsamic and Dijon Glazed Ham is frequently the main player in my ham recipes.

I often make Old Fashioned Ham Balls and this amazing Stir Fry with our leftover ham. Next on my list is this Cheesy Potato, Ham, and Egg Breakfast Casserole.

These Ham and Cheese Biscuits were originally made with leftover ham and they turned out so well, I made them again the very next day because my boys begged for more of them.

Since then, the biscuits have been more frequently made with chopped-up deli ham than anything else, because I crave these biscuits far more frequently than we happen to have leftover ham available.

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Giving up alcohol can be a massive challenge – but also brings many benefits. So, what can you do to help a friend or loved one on the journey?

When my husband decided to stop drinking alcohol, I wanted to do all I could to help him. But worries about what to say – or what not to say – and the supportive actions I should take, made it a challenge to know how I could best be there for him.

There are many reasons why someone may cut back, or stop drinking alcohol altogether. For some, challenges like Dry January and Sober October give us the chance to rethink our relationship with alcohol, while others may be experiencing alcohol addiction.

Whatever the reason, when someone we care about tells us they are going to stop drinking, it’s important that we respond in a supportive way.

“Making changes in relation to problematic alcohol drinking, for some, can be extremely challenging and difficult,” says Andrew Harvey, a psychotherapeutic counsellor and addictions specialist. “Support from people around the person making changes can be extremely helpful, but has the potential to be difficult to do.

“Problematic drinking can be devastating for people affected by it, the drinker and those around them,” Andrew adds. “There is help, there is support, not only for the drinker but also for affected others. Depending upon the severity of the issue, recovery with additional support might be the best option.”

Harmful drinking can often impact the people around them, says Andrew. “This can range from negatively affecting people’s mental health, emotional wellbeing, and can be devastating to relationships. Equally, recovery and positive change in people’s relationship with alcohol can enable stability, hope, and a strengthening of relationships for those around them.”

Support from the start

When our loved one tells us they are going to stop drinking, we need to show them empathy and compassion. “Patience is also often important, as change doesn’t always happen in a straight line or at a pace we would like,” says Andrew. “Sometimes people’s motivations and desire for change wavers. Often asking someone how they would like to be supported in making the change is helpful to them, and then following through on that, when we can.”

Try to have an open conversation with them, letting them lead, to help you understand how you can best be there for them. While you can gently ask about their reasons for deciding to stop drinking, avoid being pushy with this, as some people may not want to go into a lot of detail about why they have made this decision. Respect that they are making this change.

And, for many, it’s a hugely positive change to make. “The benefits to people making changes to their relationship with alcohol are often in proportion to the damage that the drinking is doing,” says Andrew. “It can range from marginal health gains to saving their lives.”

It can be dangerous for some people to stop or reduce their alcohol consumption too quickly, so they should speak to their GP before they go ahead, to make sure they can get the right treatment a

Roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts are pure awesomeness from start to finish. Adding salty bacon and a splash of vinegar makes this one heck of a fantastic side dish.

I served these Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes with balsamic glazed meatloaf (a family favorite!) and this easy creamed corn. The whole family loved this meal!

If I’m lucky enough to have any of this recipe remaining after a meal, I very happily call it my lunch the following day.

I’m always in favor of using as much fresh produce as possible for pretty much every meal. Sweet potatoes are a favorite with my family and we use them in as many recipes as possible.

Roasted sweet potatoes are my middle son’s favorite potatoes. I frequently use sweet potatoes in breakfast skillets. Topped with an egg, that’s a savory breakfast that always makes me smile.

Last but not least, these Vanilla Bean Whipped Sweet Potatoes have been Sean’s favorite Thanksgiving dish ever since we were dating. (With no added sugars and just the sweetness of the potatoes, Sean chooses a second serving of these potatoes over dessert most of the time.)

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We all know that exercise is important. But if you aren’t used to maintaining a routine, it can be tricky to know where to start. We answer your top exercise-related questions to help you get started – without splashing out on an expensive gym membership

Whether you’re looking to refocus on your exercise routine to help reach a specific goal, or are hoping to start living a healthier lifestyle, finding ways to exercise in your already busy schedule can be tough. Not to mention ensuring you’re in the right place mentally to move past the initial excitement and create a sustainable routine that works for you.

It can be easy to fall into the ‘New Year, new you’ mentality. As a new year approaches, setting resolutions can feel uplifting, encouraging, and like a big motivator. What better way to start the year, than with a big change? But the thing is, this all-or-nothing mentality can be more harmful than good.

According to research, just 16% of us stick to our New Year’s resolutions. Experts believe that this is often due to us focusing on a specific outcome – “I’ll reach X weight next year!” or “I want to be a size X by this time next year!” This can result in us treating our goal as a sprint rather than a marathon, meaning we ignore or underestimate the time, effort, willpower, and continued effort we need to put in to turn our end goals into an attainable, achievable, sustainable process.

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist and Hypnotherapy Directory member, Morag Stevenson, explains more.

“A resolution is a new habit that we want to create. To make your resolution stick, you need to understand how to shift a new habit from a wishy-washy thing that might or might not happen to a firmly rooted routine in your life. What could make the difference? What could help you not only start a new habit but stick to it? Be precise, be clear, and be realistic.”

So before you get started on your journey to exercising more, it’s worth asking yourself: Why do I want to do this? What do I hope to achieve? And how am I going to measure my success? Having smaller, attainable milestones towards a larger goal can be a big help in keeping motivation high.

Why is exercising important?

Exercise is essential at every stage of our lives. Regular physical activity can improve your physical and mental health, reduce your risk of developing serious health conditions, help you to manage, maintain, or gain weight, as well as strengthening your bones and muscles. Exercising can lower your risk of early death by up to 30% according to the NHS. And best of all? It doesn’t have to cost a thing.

Regular exercise provides a huge range of benefits. From boosting your self-esteem, mood, overall energy levels, and quality of sleep, to reducing your risk of stress, clinical depression, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and dementia – exercise can feel intimidating, but the benefits are substantial.

It’s recommended that adults try to do something active every day. Over the course of