~ real food, balanced living ~
Our youngest stumbled upon his first four-leaf clover when he was barely six years old.
We were getting out of the car and walking across a stretch of indecipherable greens when he looked down and said, “Mommy, look, it’s a four-leaf clover.”
Just like that. …
March has finally arrived and I know that comes as a great relief to many.
Spring buds, longer sunlit days and warmer temperatures on the way to caress those weary winter bones (and not a moment too soon if I’m reading the collective temperament right)….
I’m finding my groove after some time away in the quiet mountains of the Lake Tahoe region.
It’s a strange thing harvesting lemons from your backyard one moment, and then finding yourself at a 9000 foot elevation surrounded by snow the next. Strange as in unfamiliar, but certainly not unwelcome….
I’ve always been mystified by the characterization of weight management as a simple matter of ‘calories in vs. calories out’ – a reductionist approach that leaves plenty unsaid.
Our weight may be influenced by a myriad of factors including metabolism, hormones, medication, sleep patterns and stress. And while none of these factors absolve us of personal responsibility for our health, they may mean that the picture is more complicated than we are often led to believe….
I knew as soon as I unmolded these little hearts that they were ruined.
Rough edges, jagged lines, cracks, crevasses, chips and divots. You name it, they wouldn’t make the cut. I’ve been operating in the blogging world long enough to know this is not what people want to see….
Love the definition of Potage Crécy I recently came across: “French for it’s cold outside — you need some creamy carrot soup.”
Creamy carrot soup it is.
Finally. …
If you’re coming out of the holiday season feeling like you need to take a little break from the sweet life but aren’t having the easiest time shaking it, you’re not alone.
Sugar has a very powerful effect on the reward center of our brain. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that the chemistry underlying sugar addiction is virtually identical to the chemistry underlying drug addiction in that both are driven by dopamine – the neurotransmitter that controls the brain’s pleasure reward circuit.
When we consume sugar it stimulates the release of dopamine and we experience a sensation of pleasure. We get cued by sights, sounds and smells that evoke powerful memories of pleasure and keep us coming back for more. Every time we succumb to addictive foods we reinforce the circuit of desire and reward further, making it harder for us to break the pleasure cycle. In short, the more we eat sugar the more we want to eat sugar, and vice versa. Some of us may have inherited a biochemistry that makes us especially vulnerable to this cycle. …
I did something completely different on the culinary front for Christmas this year.
I invited the family to vote on Christmas dinner. I went about it by creating a menu with three categories: appetizer, main dish and dessert and listed three food options within each category. The menu was circulated electronically and the boys were asked to vote quietly on their top food choice in each category (they would only find out on Christmas day which selections won). In the event of a three-way tie in any category, mom would get the deciding vote, otherwise, majority rule. …
There’s a scene in the Hollywood remake City of Angels that’s indelibly etched in my memory.
The heroine is making a breakfast fruit salad for her lover, which sounds simple enough, but there’s nothing ordinary about this moment. She sinks her soul into the process and brings the viewer with her. We are meticulously drawn in to the color, texture and taste of her experience. The most memorable moment comes when she hand squeezes fresh orange segments all over the bowl, the explosive juices unbound and running glory over the fruit….
Despite some seasonal confusion (my heart is saying pine cones but my eyes are still seeing roses), I have to say, this dual border fêting is working out quite well for us.
We gladly welcomed the five day American Thanksgiving break with some highly unstructured family time. It’s amazing how much fun you can have doing precisely nothing….