Food Allergies: What To Eat When You Can’t Eat Anything

January 17, 2011

For the past several months, I've been struggling to figure out what's been ailing my youngest son, "A". A vibrant, active boy at 8 years old, and the healthiest eater out of all my kids, "A" suddenly started suffering severe abdominal pains and fatigue, and recently has been found to be allergic to at least 28 environmental/food categories. What caused this to happen all of a sudden? I have no idea. My best guess at this point is that the two bouts of antibiotics he was on last spring killed … [Continue Reading...]

{38 Comments}

Circles of Community – Online Resources for Helping Those in Need

January 14, 2011

When I was growing up, if a neighbor or friend was ill or had a baby, neighbors would take turns bringing a hot meal over to the family. This still happens, but in today's world of technology, and busy schedules, online resources can help find volunteers and organize meals and more for friends in need, as well as keep friends updated on what's going on.Not only are these online coordination resources easy to use, but they are an efficient way of making sure that there are no gaps in the calendar … [Continue Reading...]

{Leave a Comment}

Tomato Quinoa Soup Recipe

January 12, 2011

Tomato Quinoa Soup Tomato pasta soup used to be one of my children's favorites when they were young, especially when I used alphabet shaped pasta. Now that we're trying to be healthier, I decided to upgrade this simple soup to a wholesome Tomato Quinoa Soup, substituting a healthy grain, quinoa, for the pasta bits. Quinoa is sometines referred to as an ancient grain as it's been cultivated in South America for about 5,000 years. Quinoa has been grown in the United States since the … [Continue Reading...]

{2 Comments}

A Simple, Easy Lentil Soup Recipe

January 10, 2011

A Simple Lentil Soup (plus tomatoes and brown rice) I'm teaching a series of soup classes to a group of seniors at our local community center starting this week, and my first recipe will be a lentil soup. The goal of this soup series is to encourage seniors to cook healthily at home, rather than buy processed or prepared foods which can be high in sodium and fat. While I was picking up groceries for today's class, I overheard two elderly women talking about making lentil soup. It … [Continue Reading...]

{11 Comments}

Creamless Cream of Cauliflower Soup

January 7, 2011

Creamless Cream of Cauliflower SoupThis week, I posted a recipe for Creamless Cream of Mushroom Soup, a rich flavored and luscious soup made without any cream. As I was thinking of more comforting creamy soups, potato leek soup came to mind, but I wanted to make something more nutritious (I like nutrient dense foods to get the most bang for the buck). Cauliflower is sometimes used as a substitute in mashed potatoes, so  I decided to try a creamless cream of cauliflower soup.Cauliflower, one … [Continue Reading...]

{7 Comments}

Thai Curried Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

January 5, 2011

Thai Curried Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Soup has been on my mind a lot lately.  I have the opportunity to teach a soup series to a group of seniors at our local community center starting next week, and have been trying different soups out this week, hoping to come up with some tasty treats for my "students" (I know they can teach me a lot more than I'll ever teach them!). The concept for this soup series came about last summer when I came across an article, The Kids Are All Right, … [Continue Reading...]

{5 Comments}

Creamless Creamy Soups {Creamless Cream of Mushroom Soup}

January 3, 2011

Creamless Cream of Mushroom Soup Creamy soups are pure comfort. Not only are creamy soups lusciously smooth, but they provide pure and simple comfort, especially on a frigid day. Creamy soups can be made without any cream and you won't even notice, as long as the flavors in the soup are full flavored and the soup is pureed to a creamy consistency. Recently, I made a creamy mushroom soup without any added cream, inspired by Dorie Greenspan's Paris Mushroom Soup recipe in her new … [Continue Reading...]

{8 Comments}

A Healthy Way To Start Off The New Year

January 1, 2011

Start Off The New Year By Adding Eating More Fresh Produce I hope you had a wonderful New Year celebration and are ready for 2011! One of the things I like about the start of the New Year is that it offers the opportunity to hit the "restart" button. So, for anyone who feels a bit bloated from all the celebrating over the holidays, and wants to hit the "restart" button, I'm offering up a challenge for you in January 2011. I challenge you to try all of these suggestions (or as many as you can) … [Continue Reading...]

{3 Comments}

Healthy Hoppin’ John Recipe and a Roundup of Healthy Recipes for the New Year

December 30, 2010

A Healthier Hoppin' John Around the world, people will be celebrating the New Year with their own special, symbolic foods, which they believe will bring them good luck in the New Year. Here are some of the foods enjoyed around the world in celebration of the New Year. Interestingly, these traditional New Year foods also happen to be healthy! In Japan, soba noodles are eaten for New Year's, the length of the noodles symbolizing long life (don't cut them!). Sweet black beans … [Continue Reading...]

{2 Comments}

Spiced Apple Cider and Chai Tea Recipes

December 29, 2010

Chai TeaWith a bit of a break between Christmas and New Years, it seemed like the perfect time for a warm cup of Spiced Apple Cider or Chai Tea.  I love warm spiced beverages as they provide pure and simple comfort.What could be better than cozying up on the family room couch with a soft blanket and a nice cup of Spiced Apple Cider or Chai Tea. Both of these beverages are made with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and allspice. Here are recipes for Spiced Apple Cider and … [Continue Reading...]

{6 Comments}

Turkey Black Bean Chili and Thai Chicken Corn Chowder Recipe – Chili and Chowder for Easy Entertaining

December 27, 2010

Turkey Black Bean Chili served with gluten-free cornbread My sister-in-law and her family are visiting over the holidays and planning three meals a day for a crowd over four to five days can be challenging. Usually, I have an idea of what I'm going to make for each meal (I'm usually pretty organized!), but this year, I was thrown a few curve balls and not only did I scramble to buy gifts for the kids, but I also had no idea what I was going to make for all the meals following … [Continue Reading...]

{4 Comments}