Some things are hailed as “superfoods” only to get debunked when further research is done. Other foods bounce on and off the good-for-you list—one week you’re enjoying them and the next you’re avoiding them. With all the confusion surrounding healthy eating, trying anything with so much hype surrounding it can be intimidating.
Do you love eating toast slathered with jam? What about peanut butter and jelly? Well I have good news for you: Jam is super easy to make at home! All you need is fruit (frozen or fresh – or even a combo of both), some sugar, and a little bit of water. It's super rewarding to make and totally beats store bought jam because there's no possibility of icky ingredients sneaking their way into your jam (like corn syrup – yuck).
It starts slowly. Icicles drip onto the sidewalks, snow mounds shrink under afternoon sunlight, and here in the Pacific Northwest, heavy, warm rains are ushered in. As spring approaches, our appetites desire light, fresh, yet still warming foods. Enter the classic vegetable soup.
Not long ago, I was digging through my cupboards looking for some protein to add to a meal. I came across a can of black-eyed peas and thought I was in luck—that is, until I saw the expiration date. Two years ago! Instinctively, I reached to put the can in the trash.
But wait. Isn’t canned food supposed to last forever?
Brown rice, the simple ingredient I base most of my home-cooked meals on, is amazing. And we all know about other grains that are trendy in America, like quinoa and couscous. But there are so many other options that can add interest to meals, or work for those who have food allergies to more popular grains. Whether you’ve never heard of some of these or just haven’t tried them yet, here’s the lowdown on different grains you can try this year.
Whether it’s repairing damage from the summer sun or prepping for the cold, dry winter, lots of us are thinking about keeping our hair healthy right now. I know how hard it can be to invest in new products, do weekly hair masks, and give up the styling habits that can cause damage. Fortunately, a lot of hair-health progress can be made just by working certain foods into your diet.
Planting a vegetable garden that remains free of aphids and bothersome bugs may seem difficult, but not with an age-old trick: companion planting. By planting certain vegetables with their companion plants, herbs or flowers, some form of cultural benefit is created. Planting cucumbers underneath sunflowers, for example, helps both plants; the cucumbers take up the otherwise unused space underneath the sunflowers, while the sunflowers provide shade for the cucumbers.
There is no denying that garlic is bursting with medicinal benefits as long as it’s consumed crushed and raw…
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert had an impact on me. After reading it a few years back, I wanted nothing more than to go on one of these sabbaticals to get my act together, write a bestseller, probably have a blockbuster made out of it and then my life would be set and sitting pretty.