Blog

May 2016

How the Heck Did We Get Here?

Submitted by Christina on May 31, 2016 - 10:58am

I think a lot about food. I guess that’s obvious, right?

 

The other day, my husband and I were driving on the highway, passing billboard after billboard for food that seemed to become less like food with every passing mile and ad: burgers, pulled pork, soda, sweets, sweetened drinks, fast food joints selling all manner of junk masquerading as food.

 

I turned to my husband and asked, “How the heck do you think we got here? What happened to food?” I suddenly felt completely distressed and intent on figuring it out.

 

The Beauty of Basil

Submitted by Christina on May 31, 2016 - 10:54am

One of my favorite things about summer is not the beach or long lazy afternoons in the sun or even the explosion of color and perfume in my flower garden, although I love them all.  My favorite thing about summer is

The Epitome of Summer…Tomatoes

Submitted by Christina on May 31, 2016 - 10:50am

What’s summer without

The Sensual Nature of Strawberries

Submitted by Christina on May 28, 2016 - 3:47pm

Here on the East Coast, during that brief period of paradise known as early summer (or late spring), strawberries rule…as they should.  There is nothing quite like them in the plant kingdom.  I can think of no other fruit that inspires thoughts of sensuality and romance like these lush berries.  Slightly sweet, with just enough tart flavor to sparkle on our tongue, strawberries seduce us…and we willingly submit for every minute that they are in season. 

Sassy Saffron

Submitted by Christina on May 24, 2016 - 12:56pm

With the warming days of spring moving quickly toward summer, I start to think of ways to refresh my cooking.  After a long, cold winter of hearty soups and stews, thick soups and warming grain, bean and vegetable dishes, I want light, fresh, crisp and richly flavored foods to carry me into the warm sunny days to come.  One of the ways that I keep things interesting is to “spice things up a bit.”  And while there are lots of wonderful strongly flavored

Summer Skin, Baby

Submitted by Christina on May 18, 2016 - 1:20pm

The days are longer, the sun higher, the breezes warmer. It’s almost here…the crazy days of summer. Are you ready? I’m sure you’re fit and fine, psyched for sun dresses, tee shirts and shorts and flip flops. I know I am.

But what about your skin? Is it ready to shine? Is it naturally gorgeous?

Let’s face it; we know the deal with chemical additives in our skincare products, but we all want to look as good as we feel and that begins with gorgeous skin.

The Sensual Nature of Strawberries

Submitted by admin on May 17, 2016 - 10:33am

Here on the East Coast, during that brief period of paradise known as early summer (or late spring), strawberries rule…as they should. There is nothing quite like them in the plant kingdom. I can think of no other fruit that inspires thoughts of sensuality and romance like these lush berries. Slightly sweet, with just enough tart flavor to sparkle on our tongue, strawberries seduce us…and we willingly submit for every minute that they are in season.

No Bones About It

Submitted by Christina on May 17, 2016 - 10:21am

It seems that each month, we work to create awareness of another illness that is plaguing our modern lives. We host runs, walks and any number of events to raise money for research to find the cure for disease after disease. We struggle and struggle but no answers or 'cures' seem to come, right?

Osteoporosis is a modern plague of both men and women. I know this one. I lived through it with my husband who was diagnosed with the bones of an 86-year-old man at the age of 48.

The World’s Healthiest Diet

Submitted by Christina on May 13, 2016 - 2:03pm

When I heard that it was International Mediterranean Diet Month, it made me stop what I was doing and reflect on that for a minute or…10 (as they would in the languidly paced Mediterranean).

When we think of the Mediterranean we think of azure blue seas and leisurely days. I think of robust feasts served in olive orchards on one of our many trips to Italy with family and friends. With the table groaning under the weight of freshly cooked whole grains, beans and seasonal vegetables prepared in wildly simple and imaginative ways, I am transported there.

It’s Celiac Awareness Month

Submitted by Christina on May 10, 2016 - 1:07pm

I will be honest here and tell you that I would be incredibly sad if I was told that gluten had to be eliminated from my diet. While we don’t consume much of it in our house, the fact that we can is comforting to me…as I am completely in love with bread and pasta. I sound like Oprah in her Weight Watchers commercial where she says, “I love bread.” I’m with her.

I feel for people who can’t enjoy it, although their lives are the better for it in the case of celiac disease.