By now you probably know that one of my favorite things to make is soup. During the winter months I am completely satisfied by a bowl of soup and a slice of hearty bread for dinner. Sometimes I’ll add in a tossed salad. My chief taste tester (my dear husband) often feels that soup passes…
Healthy Eating
Healthy Eating: Tips for mindful eating as new decade dawns
As we start 2020, I have been reading many articles that reflect on the past year and the past decade. With regards to food and eating, there seems to be a trend right now that gives more permission for people to be themselves and eat the way that works for their bodies and their situations….
Scene at Cedar Plaza QFC: Cosmic Crisp
QFC now has Cosmic Crisp apples for sale. The apple took 20 years to develop at Washington State University, at a cost of $500 million. It’s the first apple created in Washington, and it stays in the fridge for a year. They’re called “Cosmic” because the dots on the skin look like stars. I had…
Healthy Eating: Choose your food treats wisely during the holidays
Are you still feeling full from your Thanksgiving feast? Did you eat a piece of pie for breakfast the next day? That’s OK because it probably has pumpkin or apples, maybe eggs, butter and milk, flour and spices — all ingredients that a healthy breakfast might include! But… remember most of us gain weight between…
Healthy Eating: Delicious recipes for nutrient-rich pumpkin
Far too often relegated to Halloween doorstep décor and overused as a coffee drink marketing device (think Pumpkin Spice Latte), pumpkin and all its health benefits deserve so much more. Pumpkin calories clock in at just 49 per cup of purée, plus that serving sneaks in 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein, and…
Healthy Eating: Granola bars, just in time for back to school
It’s hard to believe that we’ve already passed the Autumn equinox and the school year is well under way. When children go back to school, our lives get easier in some ways and more complicated and busier in other ways. I am always looking for “healthyish” treats to make and to serve my family. I…
Reminder: Verdant sponsoring ‘Diabetes is on the Rise – Am I at Risk?’ event Sept. 28
One in three American adults have prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Getting diagnosed early and finding resources to help can lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. At the free “Diabetes is on the Rise – Am I at Risk?” event later this month, community members are invited to…
Healthy Eating: Celebrate bounty of garden with a hearty couscous salad
This has been a cool summer in my garden — especially temperature-wise. Usually we get enough heat that by mid-July my supply of greens and lettuces has started to bolt. But this year, due to the cool temperatures in Juneary, Julyary and Augustary (creative combination of January with June, July and August!), I have been…
Scene in MLT: Ballinger Organic Garden work party
Members of the Ballinger Organic Garden hosted a summer cleanup/fall planting event Wednesday night. Volunteers did a lot of weeding, saved cosmo and calendula seeds, planted carrot, lettuce, cucumber and zucchini seeds, and planted cauliflower, leek, cabbage, winter savory and flower starts. The group also pulled out some plants that were fading in the summer…
Healthy Eating: Carrot top pesto packs a nutritional punch
It’s been “officially” summer for about one month. The summer market has been brimming with local produce for weeks, and my backyard garden has been producing strawberries, raspberries, green beans, herbs, lettuces and lots of delicious carrots. For years I have tried to figure out what to do with the parts of produce that normally…
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Ballinger Organic Garden Plants for Fall event July 24
The Ballinger Organic Garden will have a Plants for Fall event at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 24 at Ballinger Park, 23000 Lakeview Dr., Mountlake Terrace. All are invited to help plant carrot, kale and lettuce seeds and get ready for the fall season. There will be beverages to enjoy and talk about garden plans. Anyone…
Healthy eating: How to combat food cravings
Have you ever stared at a pile of cookie crumbs or a nearly empty potato chip bag, with a belly full of shame, and wondered, “How did I let this happen?” I can relate. I think almost anyone can relate. Besides driving you to eat, cravings can drive you nuts–making you feel like an out-of-control failure who…
Healthy eating: Foods that help your body heal
Food as medicine is a theme that is becoming more popular. It’s similar to the adage “you are what you eat.” If you eat hamburgers and french fries everyday your body will feel the effects in the long run…you won’t turn into a hamburger nor a french fry. Thinking about what we consume becomes more…
Healthy eating: How to create the perfect meal
This month’s column offers a format change for me. I have been going through many changes these past few months myself–health, work, relationships and of course the seasons to name a few. Several years ago I participated in a powerful program called “Precision Nutrition” (PN) which takes a holistic approach to exercise and diet. I…
Healthy eating: Look to your garden for healthier meals
For me, healthy eating involves gardening. I am grateful that I have a yard where I can have a small vegetable garden. We are still eating berries, kale, squash, plums and a variety of basil/kale/spinach pesto. Many of these items are frozen and some of them are canned. This year I made plum chutney and…
How to Naturally Dye Your Eggs This Easter with Full Circle
(Sponsored by Full Circle Farms) Learn how to naturally dye your eggs with organic produce! Now is the time to switch out those toxic methods with eco-friendly dyes. We couldn’t believe how amazing these eggs turned out, using ingredients found in the Full Circle produce boxes! The kiddos will get a kick out of coloring…
Fitness Corner: Back to basics with the Whole30 diet
For those of us looking to meet our health and fitness goals, there are many eating plans from which to choose. Take your pick! Paleo, Vegan, Mediterranean, Whole30, DASH, Raw, Keto . . . to name just a few. Each plan comes with its own set of promises of what you will accomplish through it…
Healthy eating: Snow or not, delicious ways to use kale
“Snowmaggedon” or “Snowpocalypse” came into our area with a roar. If you were like me, you were housebound for several days due to the condition of our local roads. We moved here from Burlington, Vermont almost 20 years ago and during our last winter we had 120 inches of snow recorded for our neighborhood. So…
Healthy Eating: Magic Mineral Broth — recovery in a bowl
I recently had surgery. I had my initial consult with the surgeon back in October 2018. I needed the surgery, but kept putting other things and other people in front of myself. As a result of my cancer diagnosis, I have had too many surgeries in the last decade. I kept thinking that this surgery…
Check out Verdant’s healthy lifestyle programs to start your new year off right
A new year often means a new start. If you want lifestyle changes that you can sustain, take a look at the Verdant Health Commission’s Getting to Goal Weight Reduction Class on Wednesday, Jan. 9, the Mediterranean for Life six-part program starting Thursday Jan. 17, or the weekly Healthy Living Coaching Group for support and…
Healthy Eating: Eat better in 2019, one day at a time
The new year is just days away. This is the time when people hurry up and get things accomplished before the end of the year and start to think about plans for 2019. Thinking about resolutions comes to mind. These resolutions often involve health-related topics, which include losing weight, eating better and exercising more. Thus…
Healthy Eating: Savory or sweet, these treats are just right for holiday season
This is the time of year when our eating and drinking habits can get out of control easily. During the holiday season, overeating can be a serious problem, leaving us feeling tired, stressed and generally unwell. Lots of family gatherings, office parties and holiday festivities with friends offer us an abundance of opportunities for overindulging….
Healthy Eating: Enjoy soup season with butternut squash
We have entered the season of soup. Halloween arrives. The rains begin. The leaves fall from the trees. Daylight savings time comes. Definitely “soup season.” I love it! One of my favorite Sunday rituals is to make a big pot of soup that feeds the family during the week. I love a dinner of soup,…
Healthy eating: Treat yourself to a healthy, whole-grain cookie
We just celebrated the Fall Equinox and it’s apparent that the days are getting shorter. For many of us, our children are back in school. The rhythm of my days has shifted. I harvested the last of my Italian plums and created a glorious new recipe for Plum Chutney (which I will share in another…
Healthy Eating: Anytime is waffle time
I love this time of year when I have lots of fresh fruits and veggies from the market and from my garden. The bounty is overwhelming and I enjoy sharing my extras with friends and neighbors. Despite the hot weather (although this is a debatable statement…I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and that is…