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
Is Morning Time the Best Time?
My sister told me the most interesting thing this week. She said that she prefers to prepare vegetables (like broccoli, for example) in the morning, when she has more energy, instead of leaving it to late afternoon, when she, along with the rest of her family, is hungry and running on fumes, as an old friend used to put it. She already buys her broccoli in bags of florets, so that part is done. Then she tosses a few handfuls into a steamer set in a pan containing a few inches of water, sprays them with olive oil, shakes on some salt and pepper plus Trader Joe umami seasoning (mushroom powder, onion powder, spices), and keeps layering until the bag is empty or the pot is full. Then she turns on the water to boil, and pretty soon the broccoli is bright green and ready to refrigerate, to be eaten later that day or the next. Single mom, super efficient. Say no more.
This story got me thinking about something else. Continue reading
Take Care of Yourselves, My Friends
This is not an easy time, no matter how much time you have, but we can all make a moment, or take a turn to take better care of ourselves. In hopes that we will have more moments to show up as our best version of our best self, or that we will have a little bit of ourselves to share with those, young and old, who might need them, a tiny bit of self-love goes a long, long way. Time is the ultimate resource, and no one gets more or less. Each day you get twenty-four hours, the same as everyone. You can’t create more out of thin air. But there is some very hopeful news to share. Continue reading
Early Spring’s Surprise
During the growing season, I have a few trusted sources for vegetables. Sometimes my husband buys them at the supermarket, sometimes we get them from the garden growing alongside my house, and sometimes we pick up a box of CSA (community-supported agriculture) vegetables. One thing I love about the CSA option is the surprise factor. There’s nothing like opening a box to discover something either I’ve never seen before, or whose name I don’t know, or that I would not otherwise have purchased. I have always felt like this, even before finding recipes was as simple as entering the name of an unfamiliar ingredient into a search bar and tapping “Enter.” Continue reading
The Best Gift My Mom Ever Received
There is more, of course, to my mom than what I posted last week, so I ask for your forbearance as I continue to share our stories. This is my way of preserving her legacy and keeping her nearby as we (by which I mean my “immediate extended family,” as my sister put it) figure out how to move forward on our own. Today’s post is the story of what I think may have been the best gift my mother ever received. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Mom’s Rules plus A Sweet Little Recipe
In memory of my mother, my teacher, I am thinking about some bits of wisdom that I learned very early on. The values for which she stood were simple and elegant, and I carry them forever. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Greek Lentil and White Bean Soup with Gremolata
This recipe comes to us courtesy of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which has all kinds of great nutrition information for doctors, medical students, scientists, and everyone else who is interested in learning to cook great food with lots of flavor! This recipe caught my eye because I love gremolata! It’s guaranteed to give this soup tons of deliciousness. Continue reading
Momentary Mindfulness
I think that it would be nice this week to share some examples of mindfulness. Goodness knows we can always use more of it.
Some of the examples from the list below are mine, some are from friends, especially this one, some come from my co-workers, and some are from members of my own family. One contribution is a gift from our beloved 12-year-old chocolate labrador retriever (may her memory be a blessing), though truthfully it was more of a demonstration. Continue reading
Reversing Winter Insulation in the Springtime
A while back, I received a timely message from a reader: “With the weather warming I am digging out summer clothes and finding that some things are a bit “snug.” My diet is healthy and I run several times a week, but I would love to shed a few pounds around my waist. If my diet is already good, what would you suggest to take a few pounds off?”
Let’s look at this request from a seasonal standpoint. Continue reading
Commodity-based Eating
A few years ago, Michael Ruhlman shared with me a copy of a truly original and captivating book written by Chef Dan Barber and called The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food. You may have heard of him; in 2009, Time Magazine named Dan Barber one of the 100 most influential people in the world. It took me a long time to get that through book, primarily because it made me think so hard that I could only read a chapter at a time before I had to set it aside and think about what the author had just said. Continue reading