Eating a plant-based diet, not only protects your waistline, but it also guards your purse. It’s interesting that so many people erroneously espouse the idea that eating fruits and vegetables is terribly expensive. I’m fortunate in that I’ve shopped and cooked for many decades and in my experience, fresh fruit and vegetables do not have […]

This is the third in my little series on easily doable ideas for making lifetime changes. Easy changes in eating habits that lead to greater health pay back a lot for just a little.  The three are: (1. An Apple a Day – the big payoff for adding fruits and vegetables; 2. A Nutty Little […]

For several years, I planted basil in our herb garden; it never flourished. Then for several more years I struggled to keep it healthy and happy in pots on the shelf outside my kitchen window – only moderate success! Basil wants just the right amount of water; I never got it just right. In addition, […]

Here in the mountain west, autumn has put her nose under the tent, and like the camel in the old story, will soon nudge herself all the way in. In our town, we blessedly haven’t had frost yet; but up on the mountainside we can see the trees and shrubs beginning to change to their […]

I know that case studies are not powerful; statistically speaking that is. But I must confess that I really enjoy reading case studies of those who have lost weight – made lasting change to their eating style. Besides the joy of reading about someone’s success, what cases do offer are ideas about what might work […]

Thirteen plus years ago I moved to the mountain west from southern California; among the many differences that I noted, were that there seemed to be more people that didn’t eat fish. What I really mean is that I’ve met many people who had not even tasted fish – ever. Growing up with a grandfather […]

The markings on the thermometer have begun to rise, but that’s not what’s really telling me that summer is here. It started with a Memorial Day picnic and it has continued since then with gatherings for graduations, a farewell, a birthday party, a baptism, a ‘welcome home,’ and a ‘nice that you’re here in town.’  […]

Peanuts are wannabes; I think the little guys want to be nuts, because health-conscious consumers are sprinkling nuts (tree nuts like almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, macadamias, and cashews) on their cereal, stir fries, salads and yogurt. Look up, I remind the humble peanut; reach for the stars! Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Peanuts have […]

Yogurt is an old food; actually it’s one of the oldest known to mankind. I assume that since Greece was one of the early civilizations, that they’ve had plenty of time to practice making extraordinary yogurt. The makers of Greek yogurt use different bacterial cultures than our regular American-style yogurt. Those cultures and the straining […]

There’s something warm and fuzzy about the feeling I had when I opened the April 30, 2013 Wall Street Journal article, Hummus Is Conquering America. In this article I learned that Virginia farmers who were accustomed to growing tobacco on their beautiful, fertile ground, are embarking on the growing of chickpeas. Yes, they’re going to […]