That gentle, spring, powdery scent of fresh violets. It’s an old-fashioned smell. It reminds me of powdery old-lady kisses and victorian valentines and heavily-curtained, doily-covered sitting rooms. But violets also remind me of spring. That first burst of gentle spring, where you can’t quite believe that these delicate flowers are actually pushing up through the so-recently-frozen …
Dandelion & Rooibos Well-Rooted Chai
Do you ever have those days when thoughts are swirling in your head? You feel a bit spacey and scattered – too much to do, not enough time. In that state of mind, I’m never very productive. Instead of focusing on work, I seem to just get stressed and add more items to my …
Summer garden herbal tea
Local. Seasonal. Organic. Those are the buzzwords of the day for foodie culture. And if you can reduce your food miles to just a few feet by growing food in your backyard, you’ll be the envy of many a food lover! While I would love a big garden for planting and pottering in the summer, my …
Do you know this trick for finding healthy food to eat?
Walking down a grocery store aisle, you might think we are the healthiest eaters ever. “Fat free!”, “Certified by the Heart Association!”, “Proven to lower your cholesterol!” At least, that’s according to the fronts of the food packets. In reality, we know it’s different, because we SEE the problems around us. Diabetes. Excess weight. High cholesterol. …
Is this common food causing your skin problems?
You think you have your skin figured out. You’ve got your routine. You know the cleanser that works. You know how often (and how hard) to scrub. You’ve got your favorite moisturizer. And then it happens. Skin freakout! Seemingly out of the blue. Greasiness. Acne. Dry flakiness. Red, inflamed flare-ups. Itchy patches. This happened to …
Home Remedies for Dry Skin: What to Eat
You know that tight, dry feeling after you wash your face. The fine lines, flakiness and maybe even – gasp! – crepey skin around your eyes. So you slather on some thick cream. Depending on your skin that day it either soaks in immediately and goes dry again, or sits in a greasy layer on top of …
Mostly Purple Pickle
A bright red cabbage arrived in our veg box the other week. I’m not a huge cabbage fan unless it’s fermented (or if you use it to color Easter eggs!) I was feeling light and springy. I wanted something colorful. And purple is my favorite color. So I thought, why not make a bright purple …
The kale-thyroid connection
“Variety and moderation.” That’s become my food mantra since my shockingly low thyroid result in September. I asked the question “Can you overdose on kale?” and now, 5 months later, I am more convinced than ever that YES, you can overdose on kale. Too much of any food – even healthy ones – can be …
Learning from the masters: Spaghetti a la guitara
“I can’t slow down. If I slow down, I’ll get tired.” says Anna, our adopted Italian nonna (Grandma) for the day. At 77, she has been making pasta several times per week for most of her life. In the beginning, she’s not sure what to make of us … English speaking ladies with cameras, who aren’t so …
Can you overdose on kale? I think I did!
Note: I wrote this post in 2012, when kale was the new superfood, and I was eating it a lot – too much, it turns out. Ahh kale, everyone’s favorite green, nutrient-dense veggie. In my health coaching course, we all got a little obsessed with kale. Regular kale. Curly kale. And my very favorite, Cavolo Nero. …
Elderflower Martinis
Ok, I admit that martinis don’t really fall under ‘healthy living’ in the traditional sense. But you know my philosophy is about balance and living well – healthy living in a complete, holistic, creative, “everything in moderation”, “get out and enjoy life” kind of way. So the occasional martini features in my life … especially …
Salade Nicoise.
Summer has arrived in London! Shh, don’t say it too loudly – or it might go away again. Seriously, 2 days ago I was in a little village outside of London and it was so cold that evening that I could see my breath! I am not joking. And it’s mid-July! So imagine my absolutely …
Meet my new medicine maker.
Oh, how I love new kitchen toys! Although my general food philosophy is that we should cook more, eat whole foods, and embrace our inner great-great-grandma, there are some gadgets that make life so much easier. My food processor and Kitchen Aid mixer come to mind. I’ve been ignoring juicing. It seemed so … trendy. …
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, Romania-style.
The scene: bustling sidewalk cafe in Sibiu, Romania. Hot day. Lots of sunshine. People shopping, talking, eating, drinking everywhere. Nearby, I see a group of old men at a table underneath a tree. Another group of teenagers playing with their mobiles and chatting at a table in the sun. Similar cafes lining the street. And …
Elderflower Cordial
I’d never heard of Elderflowers until I moved to England. (Then again, I didn’t pay much attention to plants in general until a few years ago.) But elderflowers, along with strawberries & cream, Pimms and picnics are an essential of the Great British Summer. Once you know what they look like, Elderflowers are really easy …