Okay…the holidays (including Martin Luther King Day!) are officially over. If you overindulged during the holidays (and into January) and find yourself struggling to get back to your “normal” eating routine; or, you feel challenged to make healthier food and lifestyle choices in the New Year of a New Decade…. …it’s time to consider a […]
Braised Napa Cabbage with Sesame Oil
While I am NOT a fan of the common cabbage, I love Napa cabbage, which does not smell or taste “cabbage-y”. Its cylindrical-shaped head of tightly packed leaves are longer, softer, mild-tasting and almost sweet when cooked. Napa cabbage is also budget-friendly ($1.29 / pound where I shop), filling and delicious. Bonus: it’s listed as […]
Heritage Turkey Soup
We get a lot of mileage out of our Heritage Bronze Thanksgiving turkey. I love organ meats, so I always chow down on the turkey gizzard, liver and heart. We always save the turkey carcass and turkey bones, which are repurposed into a delicious, body-warming Heritage turkey soup. Tradition dies hard. When I was growing […]
Ready for a Reset? 5 Benefits of a Fall Cleanse
If early fall finds you feeling low energy, lethargic, a few pounds heavier, congested, sneezy, bloated, swollen, clearing a scratchy or sore throat, and/or feeling generally “meh”, doing a fall cleanse can be an effective reboot. After all, we reset our clocks (Daylight Saving Time) in the fall…why not our bodies? What is a cleanse? […]
Detox Spinach-Pear Smoothie
My beef with commercial “green” smoothies is that they often contain more fruit (sugar) than actual greens. Commercial smoothies can also contain ingredients that sound “healthy”—for example: coconut nectar, agave, mango puree, apple juice or yogurt—but are really hidden sources of sugar that add up to a high-calorie or high-carb load for that smoothie. I […]
Poached Chicken with Scallion Pesto
One of my favorite ways to eat a whole, pasture-raised chicken is to poach it. It’s a two-for-one: not only do you get a delectable, toothsome, easy-to-digest chicken, you also end up with homemade chicken broth that you can use for other dishes or sip daily to boost your immune system. By the way, a […]
Quick and Easy Faux “Pho”
When I came down with the flu earlier this week, I found myself craving pho in a big way. An authentic Vietnamese pho is made with a long-simmered beef marrow bone broth (or oxtail bones), flavored with star anise, ginger, and cloves. Savory additions include rice noodles, thin slices of beef, yellow onions, scallions and […]
Your Healthy Holiday Gift Guide
The idea of giving and/or receiving the “perfect” holiday gift can evolve over time, depending on where we are in life. In my twenties, for example, receiving (or giving) health or wellness-themed gifts were the furthest thing from my mind. I remember eagerly unwrapping the first Christmas gifts from my then-boyfriend of six months. What […]
11 Tips to Ease Allergy Symptoms
If you’re an allergy sufferer, your immune system is under constant attack. The best defense is a good offense: focus on strengthening your immune system. In addition to the liver, it is important to optimize gut health. Approximately 70-80% of your immune system resides in your gastrointestinal tract. This is why the foods you choose […]
Avocado-Spinach Dip
Rich. Buttery. Smooth. Fresh. “Healthy” never tastes boring when there is avocado in the mix! When I crave a fatty, feel-good food, avocado is my go-to nosh. This easy-to-make avocado-spinach dip is one of the many ways I enjoy avocado (and an easy way to eat spinach). It’s also a crowd pleaser. Fresh basil leaves […]