First Trimester Ideas for My New Friend at Verizon

This week at the Verizon store I got a new phone and made a new friend. She was endlessly patient and kind through four interminable visits over the course of two weeks, and I appreciated her even more once I learned that she was also in the process of struggling through her first trimester.  When she told me that she’d been having a hard time figuring out what to eat that she could keep down, I promised to write a post about nourishing foods that would — hopefully — include something easy to digest. So here we go. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Tofu Time

One day last week my son-in-law made a fantastic tofu curry, and it came up in conversation at least a few times in the following days how much my 18-month-old granddaughter enjoyed that curry. By the third telling, I got the impression she loved that tofu curry so much that there wasn’t much left for her parents! Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Tofu Crackers

A couple weeks ago I was doing some cooking at my daughter and son in law’s house while they were learning to change diapers and care for our newborn granddaughter (!!) I pulled a container of tofu from the refrigerator and made something really yummy and totally new with it. Basically, I cut the tofu into approximately 20 squares and roasted them until most of the water had evaporated and they looked more like crackers than tofu. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Date-Nut “Cookies”

Looking for something inspired for snacks, dessert, or breakfast? Consider these date-nut “cookies.” I called them cookies only because they are round. If you have children at home, they will probably enjoy helping. If you have any vegan and/or gluten-free family members in the high school or college-age range, they will probably thank you, and then volunteer to make them next time around. Under ordinary circumstances I would consider these a special treat for holidays or company, with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. But nowadays, being absolutely anything but ordinary, I would make them any time at all. I think you’ll like these very much. Sweet and nourishing. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Joe Gardewin’s Spicy Cucumber Salad

I am proud to share a recipe from my friend and major YHIOYP fan Joe Gardewin, who loves food (especially when it’s Korean!) and has been actively contributing to the conversation here for a long, long time. This is such a great recipe, and I love the technique, the marinating, the kick, the bite, the sweetness, all of it. Thank you, Joe, for sharing your spicy cucumber salad with the readers of YHIOYP. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Salad Meets Pad Thai

This is the very best salad for a warm weather meal, and, besides that, there is a strong possibility that you could live on it. It is that good. Plus, it fills your belly and sticks to your ribs, so you won’t be hungry for a good long while. Notice one trick: cutting the vegetables very thinly increases the amount of surface area for the dressing to stick to, and that makes it so much tastier! So take your time, and don’t hurry through the prep. The right kind of cutting and chopping are the secret to this delicious salad. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Dressing

The new normal has resulted in a number of changes in the way we purchase all kinds of things, and I thought I’d share a great new strategy (with recipe!) that my daughter taught to me a few weeks ago. Initially, in the first weeks of lockdown, she and my new son-in-law were placing orders for grocery deliveries about once a week. But, after a few weeks, they hit upon a strategy that cut the frequency of their orders by half. Continue reading