When I was a little girl, I used to “help” my Grandma Rosie pickle cucumbers, green tomatoes, and even garlic, which sometimes developed an interesting blue color as it fermented in the pickling juice. We loved her homemade pickles, and we still do. This post is also a shoutout to longstanding and devoted YHIOYP reader Joe G, who absolutely loves Grandma Rosie’s pickles and has made them on many occasions since I first wrote about them.
Category Archives: Nourishing
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Baked Oatmeal
Baked oatmeal is a great way to start the day. It’s sort of like bread pudding, but with lots more texture, flavor and, yes, nutrition. Not only can this recipe can be prepared in a single bowl, but it’s guaranteed to keep you cozy and satisfied all morning. One great thing about it is that you can make it on the weekend, and then heat up a slice (or scoop) every day to get you through your mornings all week long. It’s also a very flexible recipe, so you could vary the ingredients slightly every time, and never make it exactly the same way twice! Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Weekend After Thanksgiving Soup
This recipe is perfect for getting back on track after Thanksgiving. It will take most of the day to cook, but just 10 minutes to throw together. Some years we actually start it while we’re cleaning up, and leave it to cook slowly all night long. Except for the scallions and ginger, there’s a good chance you already have all the other ingredients. The only labor-intensive part of this recipe is the time spent looking through the bones for bits of meat. But don’t feel the need to go looking for every last piece. Whatever you have will be enough. If you don’t see much turkey on the carcass, that’s fine too. Since most of the flavor comes from the bones themselves, the broth will be delicious whether or not the bones are stripped clean. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Rainbow Peanut Noodles
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes, and I thought you might like to know how to make it. It makes a fantastic dinner, and superb leftovers for lunch the next day, or even breakfast!. A forkful twirl from the fridge for a yummy snack is also a reasonable option. If you want, you can get the cabbage, peppers, and carrots ready the night (or weekend) before to cut down on worknight evening prep time. This recipe is perfect with any kind of noodles, including gluten-free ones. The reason it is so filling is because it is full of all kinds of different phytonutrients, which you can tell by how many colors it contains, as well as all the super-nourishing fats in the form of peanut butter, sesame oil, and fresh soybeans. Continue reading
Basics of Kindness & Self Care
It’s been a long time since I went back to the basics, but a letter this week from a reader in Missouri prompted me to think again about the basics. He asked specifically about fat, carbohydrate, and protein. I will get to what he said in a minute, but before I talk about food I would first like to talk about wellness. Continue reading
Dieting: It’s Not for the Birds and It’s Not for You
This week I’m sharing a conversation that I have had with a lot of patients lately. They want to weigh less, they know that it’s better for their health, but they cannot figure out how to make it work. I tell them that making it work requires a frame shift, a change in the way you think about food. When we talk about what that means for them, I see the lights go on in their eyes and their expressions. It’s slightly magical, every time. They leave with renewed faith and self-confidence, not to mention relief. It was never about dieting. It was about the food. Continue reading
Your Health is Where You Want it to Be
Good morning, and happy Sunday! I want to tell you about a conversation I had with a patient this week. She was someone I’d never met before, and, like many before her, she was absolutely flummoxed about what to try next. She had already done everything she could think of to lose weight. I think you know this story. I’ve told it many times before, and you may even have experienced it yourself. Maybe you’ve been on practically every diet, eaten cabbage soup, denied yourself your favorite foods, carved out time you didn’t really have to get more exercise than was comfortable at the time. Of course none of this was sustainable. You can’t eat cabbage soup for breakfast forever. So what’s next? Next comes balance. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Cucumber Gazpacho
This is the time of year for gazpacho, so get ready! I’m going to post some of my favorite traditional tomato gazpacho recipes in the coming weeks, but we’re starting with something a little different — cucumber gazpacho. Salad in a soup. I made a slightly different version of this gazpacho last night, and the avocado gave it a super creamy texture. Such a great way to get your veggies, to start your day with leftover gazpacho for a slightly unorthodox breakfast, and to fill your waiting belly with a pile of phytonutrients! Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chocolate Avocado Pudding
This is a great recipe for when you buy a whole bunch of avocados and they all ripen at the exact same time. Not only is it truly delicious, but there is an excellent chance that no one will realize that what you’ve made for them is any different than any other chocolate pudding they’ve ever eaten. Voila! Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PANDEMIC: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Brownies
You may have noticed that I posted another brownie recipe a couple of months ago. The truth is that these brownie recipes keep calling me, and I’m listening. So, yes, I’m on a bit of a brownie kick, at least as long as we continue trying our best to make our way through a pandemic with our sanity intact. I mean, if all that stands between you and regular personal hygiene is a brownie for breakfast, it seems like a no-brainer to me. Anyway, this brownie recipe in particular is so packed with nourishing ingredients that it’s really not necessary to think about it for very long; just go bake some brownies. Continue reading