Category Archives: Honey & Bees

Real Breakfasts for All You Champions

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Last week I wrote about the sorry story of how boxed cereals came to predominate morning choices for breakfast; this week I’m sharing some of my own breakfast choices. The first thing I am going to point out is that my breakfasts do not differ significantly from other meals I eat through the day. That is to say, I don’t keep a separate list of breakfast options from lunch and dinner options. While I would say that I probably eat less spicy stuff at breakfast time, it’s more of a suggestion than a hard-and-fast rule, as you will see.

A major category of breakfasts in my house is the leftovers I find in the refrigerator, with or without a little extra something. So it could be that I heat up a bowl of leftover stir-fried vegetables, and that might be enough by itself, but I might also add some leftover rice if there is any. Or maybe I will fry an egg and slide it on top, or melt a slice of cheese (vegan for me) on top.  Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Tsimmes

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Preparing for the holidays with my mom was a major highlight of my childhood. Like many other special dishes that we ate on dedicated holidays throughout the calendar, we made tsimmes twice a year, in the fall for Rosh Hashanah (it is traditional to eat sweet foods on Rosh Hashanah), and in the spring for Passover. My mom never used recipes, preferring to combine ingredients as her grandmother and mother-in-law did, but, truthfully, tsimmes is one of those dishes that probably doesn’t really need much of a recipe anyway.  Continue reading →

Oats: From Instant to Steel-Cut, and Everything In Between

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Oats are a hardy grain that grows well even in poor soil in which many other crops cannot thrive. Scottish settlers brought oats to North America early in the 17th century. Like many other manufactured products on the shelves at the supermarket, it’s not so easy to tell the difference between the various kinds. So here is a short lesson. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Golden Beets

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Last week we went to the West Side Market and brought home a big fat bunch of gorgeous golden beets. I was so pleased with how they turned out. We had a great big bowl full of golden beets, and they lasted four days while we ate them with everything! That’s because this recipe goes great with roasted chicken, thick tangy yogurt, scrambled eggs, a bowl of lentil soup, or greens sauteed in olive oil. Basically, everything.  Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Vitamin C Tea

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Some days, all you can think about is a little something light to drink. Most of us limit our tea choices to what’s available on the shelf at the grocery store, but the fact of the matter is that you can make tea blends yourself if you ever decide that you would like to try. This particular recipe, with its tart and satisfying combination of Vitamin-C-rich plants and slightly astringent saffron, is from QuitoKeeto, which also displays the most drool-worthy, if pricey, selection of kitchenware and housewares on its site. Check it out and you’ll see what I mean. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Rice Pudding

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On the day we were married, almost 36 short years ago, my Aunt Gerda showed up with a bucket of the creamiest, most extraordinary rice pudding I have ever eaten, before or since. We even packed up a small container to take on our honeymoon. You might say that rice pudding holds a special place in my heart and soul. Especially Aunt Gerda’s rice pudding. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Three Delicious Salad Dressings

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Have you ever noticed how so many different cuisines include a dish that pairs some type of greens with some type of fat? Whether it’s lettuce and olive oil, cabbage and mayonnaise (cole slaw), sauteed greens + pignola nuts, spinach with bacon dressing, or deep-sea fatty fish and seaweed (sushi), parsley salad with tahini dressing, you are apt to find green leaves combined with fats over and over again. Continue reading →

Local Beekeeper Has Honey 4 You!

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My friend, Amalia Haas, is an organic beekeeper who works at the intersection of sustainability, health, beekeeping and Judaism. Learn more about her work as an educator, entrepreneur and environmental activist here at MommyBlogExpert.

And click on this link to see an astonishingly inspiring video of a recent honey bee colony rescue in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Continue reading →