The only problem now is, the fridge won’t close, thanks to an abundance of mashed potatoes and pecan pie. Looking for some ideas on what to do with your surplus of turkey and gobs of gravy? Check out these 10 recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers:

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Ready to get cozy and whip up some warm, comforting food?聽Here are 20 recipes to test in your kitchen this fall:

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Be realistic

On TLC鈥檚 鈥淭rading Spaces,鈥� Tutor and his co-stars transform the look and feel of a home for a few thousand dollars. But not all of the projects featured are best for the average homeowner to take on.

鈥淧eople see something on TV and, you know, it鈥檚 an episode and it looks like no big deal, but you don鈥檛 know that it really took 40 people and two months to do it. And materials cost a lot more,鈥� Tutor said.

For novice DIY-ers, Tutor suggests starting with a painting project. A new color on your front door, for example, can enhance your home鈥檚 curb appeal. And a new coat on the walls inside can brighten up your living space.

Kitchen cabinets are another relatively small project that can have a big impact.

鈥淐abinet doors are pretty inexpensive. You put some new doors on there, repaint the doors, put some new hardware on there and it can totally transform your kitchen,鈥� Tutor said.

Upgrade your toolbox

Tutor, a carpenter and former home inspector, has a shortlist of must-have tools. A good hammer is essential, he said. He also recommends an air compressor (which can be used as a nail gun and pneumatic paint sprayer), a table saw, a miter saw and a speed square to help with angles.

鈥淚f you can use a table saw, miter saw, air compressor and a nail gun, you can just about build a house 鈥� at least a doghouse,鈥� Tutor said.

Educate yourself

Tutor鈥檚 motto is, 鈥淚f I can do it, you can do it鈥� 鈥� especially if there鈥檚 internet access.

鈥淚 think a lot of things are changing now. There鈥檚 YouTube, there are all these home renovation shows, so I think there鈥檚 a lot more resources for people to learn. So I really like to encourage people to do stuff themselves,鈥� Tutor said.

The Capital Home Show runs Sept. 20-22 at the Dulles Expo Center. Brett Tutor will speak on the main stage Friday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. and Saturday at noon and 3 p.m. Tickets and detailed information is available on the .

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Sand and surf in the offseason

Summer may be over, but that doesn鈥檛 mean the Delmarva beaches should be forgotten. Moss said fall is the perfect time to experience a little sand and surf, without wading through a wave of tourists.

鈥淔or example, Bethany Beach 鈥� where it can be hard to find a house on a weekend in the summer 鈥� now you have a lot more options, especially for last-minute weekend getaways,鈥� said Moss, author of

Rehoboth is also a great option for offseason travel. Moss said it鈥檚 鈥渂ecoming more and more of a year-round town,鈥� so plenty of restaurants and shops stay open in fall and winter.

For those chasing the party scene, Moss recommends Dewey Beach for The Starboard鈥檚 famous 鈥渃losing weekend鈥� bash Nov. 1-3.

Wind down just west of D.C.

There are endless options for day and weekend jaunts just west of the Beltway.

Oenophiles can get their fill with activities and events organized around (October), including harvest dinners, concerts, festivals and educational events. Moss suggests heading to either Leesburg or Middleburg, where there are a number of vineyards to visit.

Fall is also a great time to visit Shenandoah National Park for a foliage-filled hike or a colorful cruise along the scenic Skyline Drive.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful drive. Roll the windows down and just go slow, check it out,鈥� Moss said.

Saturday, Sept. 28 is , which means entrance fees are free at all National Parks.

Check out a small town

Need to escape the hustle and bustle of the city? Switch to a slower pace in a nearby small town.

鈥淭here are so many small towns, and one of the fun things is just to get in your car and sort of explore and pop into a local diner or restaurant,鈥� Moss said.

She recommends Berlin, Maryland, which is 鈥渃harming鈥� with a 鈥渜uirky vibe,鈥� and just a short drive from Ocean City and Assateague State Park.

In Virginia, Moss suggests Staunton, whose downtown has a bustling arts and dining scene. Plus, Potterheads will love when the town transforms into a Harry Potter-themed wizarding world for the annual . This year鈥檚 festival takes place Sept. 27-29.

History by bike

The D.C. region and its surrounding areas are filled with history, so why not learn something new and get some fresh, fall air?

Moss said the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, has a number of bike trails, and so does the , which runs 125 miles through Maryland鈥檚 Eastern Shore.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just incredible. It kind of touches on the lands that she lived in and just tells all the stories of her life and the people that she worked with 鈥� and there are some great storytelling resources along the way, so you can really get a sense of that,鈥� Moss said.

A local taste

In the summer, Washingtonians are passionate about their crabs. But in the fall, the attention shifts to oyster season, and the Eastern Shore is a great place to get a taste.

鈥淪t. Michaels has a whole watermen history and there are so many charming places to eat. And again, fewer crowds than the summer, so it鈥檚 a great place to check out,鈥� Moss said.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland, hosts the town鈥檚 annual on Saturday, Oct. 26. Urbanna, Virginia, also has a big Nov. 1 and 2.

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[Part 1: A chef鈥檚 connection to Cuban, Cajun and frozen Oreos]
[Part 2: At Maydan, comfort extends beyond the cooking]

Daniela Moreira still remembers the hunger and frustration she felt walking 20 blocks home nearly every afternoon. The school she attended in Argentina didn鈥檛 serve lunch, so most students returned home for the midday meal.

鈥淚 would be cranky all day because I hated school, but once I opened the door to my house and smelled the frying of milanesas, that was heaven. It鈥檚 the thing I miss most of my mom鈥檚 cooking,鈥� Moreira said about the breaded and fried chicken dish her mother made often.

鈥淭hen just coming to her, hugging her and smelling garlic on her hands. That smell just reminds me of her.鈥�

Food played a prominent role in Moreira鈥檚 upbringing. Her mother and grandmother 鈥� who Moreira said made 鈥渢he best lasagna I ever had鈥� 鈥� ran a restaurant on the campground that her parents owned and operated in the central province of Cordoba. Moreira and her siblings were recruited to pitch in, and cooking became a chore.

鈥淪o when all the kids were playing in the river, I had to be helping out. This was in the middle of the summer, afternoons; it was a pain. So no, I did not like cooking,鈥� Moreira said.

She also didn鈥檛 love school, so when it came time to start thinking about college, Moreira proposed culinary school, instead. Only then did she realize her talent in the kitchen, and the more she studied food, the more she grew to love it.

Today, Moreira is the executive chef behind Timber Pizza and Call Your Mother 鈥� two D.C. restaurants that have received national recognition. Both establishments include a few nods to Moreira鈥檚 Argentine roots, like the empanadas at Timber and the alfajores at Call Your Mother.

But the menus really hone in on the childhood comfort foods of her business partner and boyfriend, Andrew Dana, a Northwest D.C. native.

鈥淚鈥檝e always had strong emotions toward warm carbohydrates,鈥� said Dana, who left a job in marketing to open Timber Pizza in D.C.鈥檚 Petworth neighborhood in 2016.

The idea to leave his 9-to-5 to start a restaurant came from Dana鈥檚 father, a successful D.C. lawyer who made weekend bagel runs a family tradition and who frequently told his kids, 鈥淚 should have opened a deli.鈥�

鈥淵ou know, most kids want to be like their dad, so I stole that tagline and said 鈥榩izza place鈥� 鈥� And it started as a sort of a joke, I think. It was, 鈥極h, I鈥檓 going to go into marketing, but I really want to open a pizza restaurant.鈥� And just the more I hated my job, the more I thought that would be fun,鈥� Dana said.

In 2017, Bon App茅tit named Timber Pizza 鈥溾�� for its fresh, farmers-market take on wood-fired pies. In 2018, Dana and Moreira went on to open their second concept, Call Your Mother, a Jewish-style deli with bagel sandwiches and creative takes on classic lunch fare, like a pastrami-style cheesesteak, pastrami fried rice and Jewish tacos (brisket, pastrami, cheese, jalape帽os, cilantro, onion and lime on a corn tortilla).

鈥淲e just put stuff on the menu that we really dig, and [stuff that] we鈥檙e eating,鈥� said Dana, who also opened a by-the-slice pizza outpost with Moreira earlier this year in Arlington, Virginia鈥檚 Ballston Quarter Market.

鈥淎nd that鈥檚 sort of the extent of it. I wish I could say there was some like board room with a white board where we鈥檙e drawing out why a taco makes sense on the menu, but truly at its core, we make stuff that we like.鈥�

As bold and bread-heavy as their food is at work, Dana and Moreira like to keep the food scene light and simple at home, by throwing something on the grill or ordering takeout. (Brownie sundaes also make a frequent appearance around the house.) Simple, however, does not mean meals are overlooked.

鈥淚t鈥檚 sort of how we unwind at the end of the day. So comfort food really is at the core of everything we do,鈥� Dana said.

鈥淚 think the vision of a warm piece of naan wrapped around some butter chicken at the end of the day is what keeps us together sometimes.鈥�

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[Part 1: A chef鈥檚 connection to Cuban, Cajun and frozen Oreos]

A few years ago, Chris Morgan and Gerald Addison embarked on the culinary journey of a lifetime. In Morocco, they dined in private homes on harira, bastilla and lamb tagine. And in Georgia, they ate roasted goat at outdoor parties and attended supras with strangers.

But on the last night of their food-filled trip 鈥� research for the soon-to-open D.C. restaurant 鈥� the two chefs were finally able to lead the cooking at a small party. A guest brought a few rib-eyes to the feast, so Morgan and Addison raided the host鈥檚 spice cabinet and rubbed the beef with blue fenugreek and adjika before cooking it over an open fire.

鈥淚t was one of those moments where we were like, 鈥榃ow, we have to bring this one back home,鈥� because it was so cool,鈥� said Morgan, a co-executive chef at Maydan who was originally against including a steak on the restaurant鈥檚 menu to encourage diners to venture outside the familiar.

鈥淚t was such a beautiful experience. We ate for like five hours and drank for forever and eventually sang 鈥楥ountry Roads.鈥� But that dish, to me, brings back this beautiful memory, and it鈥檚 just something that we scraped together,鈥� added Addison, also a co-executive chef at Maydan.

Travel has always been a source of inspiration for Addison鈥檚 palate. The D.C. native traveled often with his parents, and when he was home, would try new cuisines at friends鈥� homes. At 15, he landed a summer job in the kitchen at Restaurant Nora, a fine-dining establishment in Dupont Circle.

Morgan鈥檚 foray into food wasn鈥檛 as direct. He took the more traditional post-college route until he fully realized his love of cooking.

鈥淚t is one of those things where you kind of just know you鈥檙e meant to do that,鈥� said Morgan, who also grew up in the D.C. area.

In 2017, the chefs launched Maydan 鈥� a Middle Eastern concept in the historic Manhattan Laundry building from restaurateur Rose Previte. In 2018, Bon App茅tit named it one of .

The menu is filled with spreads like labneh and hummus, which are scooped up with warm bread. There are also small plates 鈥� ground lamb kebabs with pistachio, carrots with lemon and haissa, and shrimp with dried lime, tamarind and chile 鈥� plus a few options to share, including a rib-eye, rubbed with blue fenugreek and adjika. Nearly everything is cooked over a large hearth in the middle of the restaurant.

Morgan, Addison and their team brought more than recipes back from their journey through Morocco, Georgia, Tunisa and Beruit. Maydan mirrors the warm hospitality the chefs experienced in the homes of their hosts.

鈥淚t鈥檚 completely comforting just going to someone鈥檚 house that you don鈥檛 know, who welcomes you and brings you in for seemingly no reason,鈥� Addison said.

鈥淲e want to give people an experience more than anything. The food, obviously we want it to be great and we work really hard at that, but the overall feeling that you get when you come in and you see the fire and you sit down and have this crazy spread of a million things 鈥� that鈥檚 something that is really really hard to translate.鈥�

At the end of a long night spent cooking over the fire, Morgan and Addison don鈥檛 usually have the energy (or appetite) for a warm pot of lamb tagine or a grilled Georgian-style steak. That鈥檚 when they reach for a few other foods that bring them comfort.

Morgan gravitates toward a BLT (his wife makes him several at a time and keeps them stashed in the refrigerator) and Addison opts for a grilled cheese sandwich or, when cooking for his family, a roast chicken.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy and comforting and everybody鈥檚 going to like it. It鈥檚 a very safe option, and that鈥檚 kind of what I want in that scenario,鈥� Addison said.

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There鈥檚 a complex answer to why a particular food is so satisfying during times of sickness, stress or celebration. And a lot of it has to do with smell.

鈥淭here is a real neuro-anatomical link between smell and emotion and emotional memory that doesn鈥檛 exist between any of our other senses,鈥� said , a neuroscientist who teaches at both Brown University and Boston College and is the author of 鈥淲hy You Eat What You Eat.鈥�

Herz explained that the areas in the brain where smells are processed are the same places where emotions and emotional memories are processed and stored.

鈥淪o we have this really unique neuro-anatomical connection between smell in the brain and emotion and emotional memory and learning,鈥� she said.

鈥淲hen we experience a smell in conjunction with something going on around us, the way that we learn what it is has to do with the meaning of the situation of what鈥檚 going on and the emotions that are involved. So smells can literally become proxies for emotions. So when we smell them again, we immediately feel the emotion that was connected to them when we first experienced them.鈥�

That helps explain why the smell of mom鈥檚 chicken noodle soup gives you the warm and fuzzies, and why a whiff of grandma鈥檚 most beloved recipe puts you back in the kitchen with her.

One can also find comfort in compounds. Herz said people tend to gravitate toward foods high in carbohydrates, fat, salt and sugar when they need a pick-me-up, and this is because these compounds release neurochemicals in the body that make one feel good.

For this miniseries, we interviewed three D.C.-area chefs on their favorite comfort foods, and how the tastes, smells and experiences from their childhoods influence how they cook and eat today.

David Guas still remembers his first Cuban sandwich. It was with his grandfather, who would often take him to a family-run Cuban restaurant in New Orleans.

鈥淎nd I remember going in there with my grandfather and him just yapping with the butchers for like 30 minutes. And here I am, 7, 8 years old and he鈥檚 going on and on and on, and the guys have blood all over their aprons and stuff. I just thought it was so cool,鈥� said Guas, a chef and New Orleans native.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going on and on in Spanish and they鈥檙e like buddies and hugs and handshakes and he鈥檇 get special cuts of meat from them, and then in the meantime we鈥檇 order a Cuban sandwich to split. So that was my first memory of that [dish].鈥�

And it鈥檚 a dish that Guas still makes every Wednesday at his Arlington, Virginia, restaurant, 鈥� complete with homemade pickles and po’boy bread.

Growing up in New Orleans in a Cuban-American family, Guas said he was 鈥渄efinitely eating things that other kids weren鈥檛鈥� by the age of 5. Dinner might be his mom鈥檚 chicken liver one night and his grandmother鈥檚 croquettes another.

鈥淪he made these tuna ones that I can still taste today, and of course, I鈥檝e made them since. She would just serve them with a lime wedge and some salt and toss them in generic breadcrumbs and throw them in her little FryDaddy in her little tiny kitchen, next to her ashtray,鈥� Guas said.

鈥淏ut I remember that. I remember her cooking them, I remember her prepping them, and I remember devouring them, and that is a memory that sticks with me.鈥�

Then, there were the snacks in his grandfather鈥檚 pantry 鈥� guava paste, sliced right out of the can with a piece of sharp cheese on Cuban crackers.

鈥淛ust very strange things that I find on occasion at Latin markets and [they] just immediately send me back there,鈥� Guas said.

Southern cuisine has been the main focus of Guas鈥� culinary career. Bayou Bakery鈥檚 menu is stacked with gumbo, braised collards and a muff-a-lotta sandwich. But Guas, who recently traveled to Havana with his dad to learn more about his family鈥檚 history and culture while 鈥渃hasing some of the memories鈥� from his father鈥檚 childhood, also keeps a close check on his Cuban roots.

He also offers a Cuban menu weekly at Bayou Bakery with pastelitos con carne, picadillo with plantains and yucca, and yes, the Cuban sandwich.

However, even chefs have a guilty pleasures, and when Guas comes home after a long day in the kitchen, he heads straight to the freezer for a box of frozen Double-Stuf Oreos. H盲agen-Dazs vanilla ice cream is also at the top of his preference sheet, and Guas blames his mother for both of his go-to comfort foods.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something I picked up from her. She鈥檇 hide her candy in the freezer 鈥� and I definitely have that sweet tooth from her,鈥� he said.

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It鈥檚 not the tally of TV appearances he hopes to land or the amount of fine dinners he intends to serve. One million is the number of meals Harper and 27 well-known chefs plan to provide to D.C.鈥檚 hungry and homeless community with the funds raised at one of the city鈥檚 biggest food parties.

The annual event is back Sept. 26, with a 鈥淐hopped鈥�-style food competition for VIP-ticket holders, followed by an all-you-can taste soiree with signature cocktails for general-admission attendees. There will also be live music and an awards show recognizing local chefs who have donated their time and talents to the community.

鈥淭his is the best food event in D.C., hands down,鈥� said Harper, a D.C.-area chef and winner of the reality cooking show, 鈥淗ell鈥檚 Kitchen.鈥�

The event, held at the National Housing Center, benefits 鈥� one of D.C.鈥檚 oldest social service agencies which provides beds, meals, clothes, veterans services, and transformation and workforce development programs to those in need.

鈥淗omelessness doesn鈥檛 look like and act like many people think. It has many different faces, if you will,鈥� said Harper, who has been involved in the event for a few years.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really challenging to do anything 鈥� get a job, focus on school 鈥� when you鈥檙e hungry. So the impact is far reaching. When you can put a meal in someone鈥檚 stomach; when you can nourish someone 鈥� and maybe equally as important, tell someone, 鈥業 see you; you鈥檙e important to me鈥� 鈥� that鈥檚 really, really important as we fight together. Because no matter what, we鈥檙e all together on this. It impacts us all.鈥�

Other confirmed chefs for the evening include Peter Chang, plus Jonathan Till from Evening Star Cafe, Andrew Holden from Cedar Knoll, and 鈥楽ugaChef鈥� Padua Player.

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Three years ago, Paula Buggage sat on the edge of her hotel-room bed and counted her last bit of money. It wasn鈥檛 much 鈥� definitely not enough to keep the room for another night.

鈥淵ou keep counting your money as though it鈥檚 going to somehow magically turn into a lot more. It doesn鈥檛,鈥� said Buggage, now 57.

She was out of options. After moving to D.C. from Georgia to take care of her ailing father, her parents鈥� home was taken from her by a family member. Her father passed away, then four months later, her husband died.

Buggage and her sons slept in the car. Then, that was repossessed.

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e at the beginning of this situation, you actually believe you can fix it, that it鈥檚 a fixable situation. But what you don鈥檛 know is that you鈥檙e so incredibly damaged,鈥� said Buggage, who was also battling kidney disease.

鈥淚 was just drowning. I was homeless because of something that family did to me. It wasn鈥檛 because of alcohol, it wasn鈥檛 because of drugs, but because of someone that I trusted.鈥�

On her final night in the hotel room, Buggage picked up the phone and dialed 311 鈥� a toll-free line that connects D.C. residents to city services. It was on that call that Buggage first heard about , an organization that helps women overcome homelessness.

Buggage used her last few dollars to reach the Logan Circle-based nonprofit and got there just before it closed. The staff there told her the women were about to get on a shuttle to go to a shelter for the night, and advised her to follow them, but to come back in the morning.

She did.

鈥淚 kept coming back, and the healing began,鈥� Buggage said.

鈥淚t is not overnight, and you still continue to heal because when you鈥檙e homeless, it鈥檚 not just physical, it鈥檚 not just mental, it鈥檚 so many different things. And when you鈥檙e broken, it takes you a while to heal.鈥�

At meals with other women and through classes on nutrition, jewelry making, meditation and tai chi, Buggage slowly let go of the anger and bitterness that plagued her when she arrived. And, for the first time in a while, she had fun.

鈥淲hen you are broken, you don鈥檛 dream anymore. I had stopped dreaming,鈥� she said.

Like many of the nearly 2,000 women who rely on N Street Village each year, Buggage鈥檚 life has taken a dramatic turn. She is currently looking for an apartment of her own and just recently celebrated her first year of employment since becoming homeless.

鈥淚 have an office for the very first time. I walk in and you should see me smiling, because, to be honest with you, I close my eyes and remember the woman who was sleeping in a car,鈥� she said.

She is also able to purchase things on her own, including a ticket to N Street Village鈥檚 annual food-themed fundraiser, , taking place Sept. 14 from 3 to 6 p.m. A $37 ticket ($60 for VIP) grants attendees access to a number of 14th Street restaurants for food and drink samples at their own pace. All of the proceeds benefit N Street Village.

鈥淏eing at N Street, it gave me back my nerve, gave me back my joy, my determination, my dreams, my worth. Because if you are [made] homeless by someone you trusted, that does damage to you that takes a long time to heal. But I鈥檓 still healing,鈥� Buggage said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one step at a time, but the woman in the mirror is worth it. We are worth it.鈥�

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It was standing room only at D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser鈥檚 second annual on Tuesday, where health experts, policy makers and members of the local community gathered to discuss a range of issues threatening the health of American families.

Over the occasional coos and cries at the baby-friendly event, panelists spoke on topics ranging from racial disparities in health care, to the importance of healthy food access and the role fathers play in maternal health outcomes.

Bowser opened the conference at the Washington Convention Center by telling the crowd that 鈥渨e all have a role to play鈥� when it comes to solving the country鈥檚 maternal mortality crisis.

鈥淭oday and every day we continue to sound the alarm about maternal mortality rates in our nation and how African Americans are disproportionately affected,鈥� she said.

Despite medical and technological advances, the number of maternal deaths in the U.S. has in the last few decades.

About American women die each year as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications, and black women are more likely to die of pregnancy complications than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Plus, show that the majority of maternal deaths are preventable.

The recent statistics have sent care providers, public health officials and women鈥檚 health advocates on a mission to better understand why women are dying and how to reverse the trend.

D.C., which has one of the country鈥檚 highest , recently established a review committee to investigate maternal deaths in the District. And after last year鈥檚 inaugural summit, Bowser launched to link parents of young children to the city鈥檚 available resources.

Like many in attendance, Janille Thompson brought her young child to the event. The public health professional and mother came to the summit to learn more about the services available to local parents and hear about the latest research in maternal health.

Northern Virginia resident Janell Mayfield attended Tuesday鈥檚 summit to connect with other women and hear more about their experiences with pregnancy and motherhood.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very important that women support one another when we鈥檙e pregnant 鈥� and just be celebrating pregnancy, which I think is something that we don鈥檛 really do. We kind of keep it quiet,鈥� said Mayfield, who is expecting her first baby in a month after losing a pregnancy last year.

鈥淚 think it should be more of a celebration, and to be around such wonderful, powerful women makes me even more excited to be a mom pretty soon.鈥�

New at the summit this year was a focus on the role men play in the health of women, families and the community. A panel and afternoon breakout session discussed the importance of fatherhood in health outcomes and strategies to improve paternal involvement.

鈥淚 think when you think of pregnancy, the first thing you think of is the woman. So, just to hear men talking more is really exciting,鈥� Mayfield said.

Jason Wallace, executive director of the Mayor鈥檚 Office on Fathers, Men and Boys, said despite common myths and misconceptions, many dads 鈥� and especially black and Hispanic dads 鈥� are involved parents.

His office provides dads with the tools they need to succeed in their roles, including information on postpartum depression and mentor programs for young dads.

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But how do you get a child to love it?

Pamela Paul, editor of The New York Times Book Review, shares some tips from her latest book, 鈥�.鈥�

Baby bookworm

You don鈥檛 need to wait until your kids can read to get them hooked on reading. Paul said babies 鈥渃an get a lot鈥� from reading, including physical contact and bonding time.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e just getting that emotional connection with their parents. They鈥檙e seeing that this is something that you鈥檙e choosing to do. It becomes a ritual; it becomes pleasurable 鈥� it helps create a habit,鈥� Paul said.

Plus, books can be used for more than their intended purpose. Little ones can develop fine-motor skills with board books that have flaps and pop-ups. Some books can be colored in; others are designed to go in the bathtub.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a toy to them, too,鈥� Paul said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of child development expertise that has gone into publishing children鈥檚 books in recent years that recognizes that babies 鈥榬ead鈥� books in different ways.鈥�

Reading shouldn鈥檛 be rewarded

It may sound counterintuitive, but Paul cautions parents not to reward their children for reading, no matter how badly you want them to crack open a book.

鈥淭hat actually teaches kids something else,鈥� she said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a really important difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. If you鈥檙e doing something because you鈥檙e going to get a prize or you鈥檙e going to get a reward, you鈥檙e doing that thing to get to an end result.鈥�

Instead, you want a child to read because it鈥檚 something they enjoy, not something you want them to do.

In her house, Paul, a mother of three, treats reading as a privilege. Her kids have a routine bedtime. However, they are allowed to read in bed for 30 minutes beyond that set time.

鈥淪o what does that do? One: It puts the choice in the child鈥檚 hand, gives the child control. The child is making the choice for himself. And then second: Reading is a privilege, staying up late is a privilege. Three: It builds the habit of reading before bedtime, which is a really great way to end your day,鈥� she explained.

If you have a reluctant reader 鈥�

In today鈥檚 digital age, there鈥檚 a lot of competition for one鈥檚 attention 鈥� phones, video games, TV and more. If you notice your tween or teen is more interested in Instagram than 鈥淭he Iliad,鈥� Paul recommends setting some household limits on devices.

鈥淵ou might say, 鈥楢ll devices shut down at 8 p.m.鈥� Now the hard thing for parents is that means you too, because kids are looking at their parents as role models. They see what you鈥檙e doing,鈥� she said.

Also, talk to each other about what you鈥檙e reading.

鈥淟ittle things you can do at the dinner table 鈥� instead of just talking about what Netflix show you鈥檙e all [binge-watching] or what you read online that day 鈥� talk about the book you鈥檙e reading. If they see that you, a grown-up who has so many options and seemingly no limits, is choosing to read, that sends a strong message,鈥� Paul said.

YA is better than ever

Young adult literature (or YA) is better than ever. In fact, the YA genres are so entertaining that even adults are hooked. A found more than half of YA readers are adults.

鈥淭hose authors know what they鈥檙e up against, in terms of the internet and TV and video games, so those books are written to really want to be read and they also get at teenage emotions,鈥� Paul said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 also a way for kids to work out a lot of issues. It鈥檚 sometimes easier to confront something tough in your life 鈥� whether it鈥檚 a social issue or a private/personal issue, body image or gender identity, all kinds of things 鈥� it鈥檚 easier to confront that or even to just understand it if you鈥檙e reading about it though someone else鈥檚 story. So YA is really powerful.鈥�

Her message for parents is to recognize that YA books 鈥渁re not junky,鈥� they鈥檙e good. And providing highly readable books to your tween or teen increases the likelihood that they鈥檒l keep reading.

Every now and then, it鈥檚 also OK to encourage your teen to read a grown-up book 鈥� even if the content is controversial or the concepts are advanced.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 very enticing for a teenager to read something that feels like it鈥檚 beyond their years,鈥� Paul said.

Source

The author, television personality and father of two young boys recently opened his second L.A.-based restaurant, Gwen, and this year received a coveted Michelin star for his first, Maude. So he understands the challenges busy families face when it comes to getting quick, healthy and kid-friendly food on the table.

To keep the menu stress-free at home, Stone has a few tricks up his chef鈥檚 jacket. First, he said keeping an organized fridge is key.

He recommends removing items from the fridge that don鈥檛 need to be chilled, such as potatoes, garlic and onions 鈥� these are best stored in the pantry, Stone said 鈥� and investing in a few clear glass or plastic containers that can hold loose items that might otherwise get lost.

鈥淏ecause the last thing you want to be doing is wasting food and throwing things away that you paid good money for,鈥� Stone told 草莓传媒.

When buying food, have a plan for extras. A little foresight could help to stock your freezer for busy days in the future.

鈥淚 always say you鈥檝e got to have a second home for everything, so if you鈥檙e going to buy fresh tomatoes, and you might serve them in a tomato salad, what happens if you don鈥檛 get to those last couple? It鈥檚 always good to have a backup plan,鈥� Stone said.

鈥淢aybe you鈥檙e going to throw them into a soup that you鈥檙e going to make. And soup is a very good way to really make the most of different ingredients. And then you can always freeze it down and then use it at another time.鈥�

Stone also finds it helpful to keep simple and versatile recipes in his repertoire 鈥� dishes that can be whipped up in a matter of minutes and served at nearly any occasion, like his crostini with melted strawberries and raspberries.

鈥淵ou can serve it at the end of a meal or a snack 鈥� my kids have it when they get home from school, quite often. Also, if you鈥檙e doing a canopy party or cocktail party, it鈥檚 a nice way to wrap things up,鈥� Stone said.

Crostini with Melted Strawberries and Raspberries
Courtesy of Bosch brand partner and award-winning chef Curtis Stone

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
• 12 baguette bread slices
• 8 ounces fresh strawberries, halved
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 8 ounces fresh raspberries
• Whole milk ricotta (optional)

Preheat broiler. Spread butter over one side of each slice of bread. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil for three minutes, or until tops are golden brown and crisp.

Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add strawberries, maple syrup, and zest and cook for two minutes, or until berries soften just slightly and begin to release enough juice to form a syrup. Don鈥檛 let berries cook too long, or they will become mushy and lose their beautiful shape. Remove pan from heat and fold in raspberries.

Spoon ricotta atop crostini, if desired. Spoon warm berry mixture over crostini and serve immediately.

For this recipe and more from chef Curtis Stone, visit .

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