I know I am not alone when it comes to my love of baked macaroni and cheese. Don’t allow camping trips or off-grid living to take away the pleasure of cooking. A Dutch oven solves your baking issue (as long as you have a nice heaping pile of burning hot coals). Simply place your Dutch oven on top of the pile of coals and use a shovel to pile more coals over the Dutch oven so that it’s completely covered. While your meal is baking, feel free to complete other chores or enjoy the outdoors – just don’t go too far: Smokey the Bear is always watching!

Growing up in a small-town in Vermont, I was always well acquainted with our local postman. My parents gave him lottery tickets every year around the holidays, and he was responsible for delivering all sorts of news to our big family. Sometimes, I’d run out to the mailbox after school to find just catalogues and bills, and other days (very occasionally) I’d find a hand-written letter from Grammy, or a birthday invitation from a friend. Do you remember having that feeling of excitement when you opened the mailbox to receive something personalized, just for you?

Mind-body exercises intended to harmonize the body have been trending in our culture for years now. Yoga poses elegantly shared on our Instagram and Facebook and other social media sites picture long-limbed profiles of our friends mid-stretch with hands and toes reached out to emphasize the beautiful lines and symmetry of their practiced bodies. The pictures we share may seem vain at times; however, the positive value of these poses reflects a conscious effort toward balanced symmetry, flexibility and total alignment of the body as part of a lifestyle toward holistic health.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana / Upward Facing Dog

Benefits:

Great pose if you have a stiff back or sciatica.

Chest is expanded, enhances breathing.

Helps strengthen the back of the body, legs, back, arms, and shoulders.

Foundation and General Alignment:

Hands are shoulders distance apart, elbows are over the wrists, forearms perpendicular to the floor.

Feet are hips distance apart. Toes are flat on the floor pointed away.

We often hear the phrases “the sky’s the limit” or “dream big,” but how often do we actually pursue those dreams? The reality is that many people have big dreams in the back of their minds, but they think their dreams are too unrealistic or unfeasible to even take seriously. As a result, the majority of people settle for a career or a way of life that they may not particularly love, but that allows them to live comfortably and pay the bills.

The arrival of the Spring Equinox is very exciting for foragers. We watch as the snow begins to melt away, looking for any signs of plant life. Our eyes scan looking for bright baby green shoots and any sign of blooming color.

Spring’s bounty can be incredible if you know what to look for and where to find it. As we walk through spring’s edibles, I will show you some of the more basic plants to locate, identify, and harvest. It is difficult to choose just a few to fit within these pages, because there are books’ worth of information on the food in different areas.

We’d all love to imagine that pantry pests don’t exist. Spotless grocery stores and clean, sterile kitchens in advertisements make it easy to pretend for a while. But at home, no matter how hard we try, things creep in that we’d rather not have there—especially when we’re storing natural foods that aren’t heavily processed and packaged.

Jerusalem Artichokes are also known as sunroots or sunchokes. This root vegetable is super delicious and beneficial for your health. Jerusalem Artichokes are loaded with potassium, iron, and probiotic fiber, as well as vitamins B and C. If you have never tried Jerusalem Artichokes before, one of the best and easiest ways to prepare them is by simply roasting them. Here is an easy-to-follow recipe I have provided for making roasted Jerusalem Artichokes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

Tiny threads of orangish-gold, staining clothes for monks and sanyasa, dying milk to support digestion, sprinkled for spells of love, costing upwards of $1000/pound --  the status of Saffron is that of royalty, and has been for thousands of years.

Whether you’re a child athlete, a studying, starving college student, or an office worker, we can all relate to that midday sluggish feeling that comes from our energy levels hitting zero. I know you know that opting for a handful of M&Ms is only going to worsen the slump, and cause a catastrophic energy crash later on. So, what can you do for a boost of energy? You can prepare healthy, energy-dense snacks that are surprisingly satisfying to help get you through the day and your tasks at hand. These five portable snacks are perfect for keeping anyone on-the-go going.