Some of the most valuable gifts we receive are the words of wisdom that are passed along from one generation to the next, and the holidays are a meaningful time to think about them. A few years, ago, around these holidays, a few of my friends at work got talking about our grandmothers’ old-fashioned expressions, beliefs, and bits of sage advice. You may think these expressions as quaint and old-fashioned, but they are so much more than that. These sayings are the collective wisdom of our ancestors, the ones who survived to pass along their words of wisdom to the younger generation. Here are a few for which I am most grateful. Continue reading
Category Archives: Gratitude & Inspiration
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Pea Salad with Mint & Lemon
My family is growing like a garden of sweet peas! My own children have met their beloved partners, who have brought us to meet to their own extended families, and we could not be happier.
So this past weekend we found ourselves in attendance at an annual Labor Day party in the middle of Pennsylvania. Lasting late into the night, there was more delicious food than the eye could see, a climbing structure for the kids, a blessedly beautiful bocce court, and an annual tournament for all. We sat happily among everyone on the sidelines, absorbing the rules of the game, enjoying the earnest efforts of the younger players, applauding the antics of the dozen or more toddlers, and feeling very appreciative of the love, warmth, and hospitality. Continue reading
Practice Makes Progress
Let’s lose the never-enough mindset.
It’s okay if you don’t walk as far as you wish you had.
It’s okay if you don’t stretch for as long as you wish you had.
It’s okay if you ate a bag of chips all by yourself last night.
It’s okay if you didn’t keep a promise you made to yourself.
You tried. And that is always good enough for me. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Joe Gardewin’s Ginseng Chicken Salad
My friend Joe recently invented a recipe that he calls “Ginseng Chicken Salad.” It all started with a recipe called Korean-style Ginseng Chicken, from Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen,* which he says is by far the best Korean cookbook he has, and I think that’s saying a lot (!). He especially likes it because the recipes are very similar to recipes his wife used to make. If you don’t happen to have a copy of Joe’s special cookbook, which I do not, you can use the leftovers from a boiled or roasted chicken recipe. I am proud to share this recipe here with you. He’s invented something good. Continue reading
Thanksgiving Gratitude
Many years ago, when I was eleven years old, my parents bought a Corning Cooktop stove, a fancy new appliance whose coils remained white when they were hot. You just had to take it on faith — or not. No matter how long I stared at that new stovetop, I could not convince myself that the white coils were hot. And that is why I still remember clearly, so many years later, the perfectly oval burn on the tip of my right index finger. I only touched it once, but that was all it took. I couldn’t take anyone else’s word for it. I needed to see for myself. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chocolate-Pecan Bars (df, gf, vegan, no bake)
My friend Lia brought these to book club a couple weeks ago. OMG. You should make them. Technically they are meant to be dessert, but they would be great for breakfast, too. I would bring them to folks young and old. A reunion of friends. A picnic. A gathering of neighbors. A special meal. An ordinary one.
Food like this creates all kinds of moments, like moments in time and moments of gratitude. It’s a personal reminder that food is meant to nourish not just the body, but the heart and soul as well. And the best is when our food does all three at the same time. Thank you, Lia.
Date-Pecan Layer
- ½ cup unsalted, natural almond butter
- 1 ½ cups unsalted pecan halves, divided
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 5-7 pitted Medjool dates (1/2 cup packed)
Chocolate Layer
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup PLUS 1 Tbsp. natural almond butter, unsalted
Topping
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped
Directions
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, greased foil, or wax paper. Set aside.
- To prepare the date-pecan layer, add dates and almond butter to a food processor. Blend approx. one minute until sticky and crumbly, like chunks of wet sand or dough. Scrape down the sides of the processor intermittently, as needed, between processing.
- Add 1 cup pecans, vanilla, and salt to food processor. Blend continuously until pecans are fully incorporated and mixture is soft and crumbly. When the mixture holds together when pinched, it’s ready. Add remaining pecans, and pulse only a few times until pecans are just barely incorporated, with medium-small pieces still visible.
- Pour the contents into the prepared baking pan. Press gently with a spatula, and smooth into an even, tightly-packed layer.
- To prepare the chocolate mixture, add chocolate chips and (¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp.) of almond butter to the top of a double boiler, or heat in a microwave (in a microwave-safe bowl) in 20-second increments until soft and melted. Stir until smooth.
- Pour chocolate mixture over date-pecan layer. Smooth into an even layer using a rubber spatula. Sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans, and press gently into the chocolate.
- Freeze for 20-30 minutes. Remove from freezer and slice into 16 generous bars or 20 bite-size pieces.
Thank you to Beaming Baker for a prior version of this recipe.
Fourth of July Celebration (almost)!
Here’s one of my all-time favorite posts, reposted from July 4, 2010:
It’s the fourth of July today, and my sibs and I have converged on the family home for the great annual bash. On and off since yesterday evening, five strapping grandsons have been carrying cartons of beer, wine, soda, water, and iced tea up to the deck, where great drums of ice stand ready to receive them all. Continue reading
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry (plus one glorious recipe!)
An article on the obesity epidemic once ran in our local paper with the headline “Eat, drink, and be sorry.” Eat, drink, and be SORRY? The actual quote reads, “Eat, drink, and be merry, so that joy will accompany him in his work all the days of his life.” And herein lies the problem. Continue reading
Making Synergy: Health & Wellness
A special synergy comes from investing in three different kinds of activities that combine to improve your health and wellness: eating patterns, activity patterns, and rest & relaxation patterns. Activities that combine more than one at the same time — like gardening, picnics, or yoga, to name just a few — bring an extra special benefit. Here are a few examples of ways I have found to mix and match eating, moving, and relaxing. Continue reading
Take Better Care of You
People sometimes ask how I became interested in nutrition, wellness, and prevention. Truth be told, it was my patients who taught me. After I had been practicing medicine for a few years, I noticed something odd. Continue reading