In the final hours of the day, between school and dinner, under yesterday afternoon’s cerulean blue sky, two of my grandchildren set out to build “the biggest pile of leaves in the world.” I sat nearby on the slightly damp grass, my arms resting around my bent knees, and watched the children running back and forth across the crunchy, leaf-strewn lawn, screaming in delight, and carrying large bunches of dry, crackly leaves tight against their chests. Continue reading
Category Archives: Color
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Root Vegetable Fall Soup
I arrived home one day to find my daughter frying onions. “What’s for dinner?,” I asked. “I don’t know,” she replied. “This is as far as I’ve gotten.”
And that reminded me of something my dad used to say. “First I fry the garlic and onions. Then I decide what to make for dinner.”
I got this recipe from a woman that I used to work with. The color is divine; and the flavor is a celebration of autumn, both sweet and earthy at the same time. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Bean Salad for Your Next Potluck
Running out of ideas for what to take to the next potluck? Run no more…
Nourishing, beautiful, colorful, full of flavor, fiber, protein. And leftovers, if there are any, will make a superb lunch the next day. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Orange Soup
One of our family’s favorites, Orange Soup (mah-RAHK kah-TOME), is a recipe that I have shared in the past. I have found that no matter how large a pot you make, it is always gone within a couple of days. In other words, this recipe makes a lot of soup, but it still won’t last very long. It’s quintessential comfort food. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Red Lentils & Sweet Potatoes
I think that it might be exactly the right time of year to have this recipe in the refrigerator. You can make this recipe over the weekend, and then have it ready to eat on the days between the endless holiday parties, celebrations, after-work stopovers, and other seasonal social events. It’s incredibly flavorful, it’ll give your mind and belly a well-deserved rest, and you’ll be glad not to have to think too much about what to make for dinner. Or lunch. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: A Taste of Fall — Sweet Potatoes, Sage, & Rice
More than any other time of year, I have always loved the summer’s end and early fall most of all. I love the chill in the air on late August and early September evenings, the feel of cozy scarves for the first time in months, the smells and sounds of soups and stews bubbling away on the stove. I never get tired of sweet potatoes, and I continue to love experimenting with new recipes for all kinds of squash, like butternut, delicata, acorn, and hubbard, not to mention pumpkins and spaghetti squash. The ingredients in this recipe hit all the right aromatic flavor spots, and I hope you get a chance to try it soon. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Heather’s Snazzy Salsa
A while ago, when I was still in practice, my office held a special lunchtime celebration to honor a staff member expecting her first baby. Heather contributed this salsa, and it was so GOOD. By popular demand, the recipe was distributed via e-mail the very next day. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Garlic Makes the World Go ‘Round
Many years ago I was introduced to two special recipes, both of which owe their magic to garlic. The first is a pureed vegetable soup, pure de verduras, Continue reading
The Menu from Bookclub Earlier this Week
This week we had bookclub at my house. I’ve written about bookclub before, and about the incredibly delicious dishes that people bring to share with one other. There’s never a plan, never been a plan, so once in a great while we have ended up with a couple bottles of Prosecco, salad, and two desserts. On the other hand, you are often likely to find grilled salmon, white bean salad, guacamole, green salad, grapefruit, and roasted olives with lemon rind. Everybody shares something. You just never know. Continue reading
The Zen of One Fried Egg
This is one of my favorite old posts. Last fall, my sister came to Cleveland for a visit and for the wedding of an old friend’s daughter, and I enjoyed seeing the smile on her face as she mentioned this post from years back. Ever since then, I’ve been thinking about reposting it. In honor of my sister, and in memory of the chickens we used to have before a few raccoons and other wild things destroyed our coop one miserable day a few years back, I repost it here today. We are hoping to get our coop back on line this year so that we can resume telling stories about our chickens. Continue reading