Spring is here and I am enjoying all the blossoms of the neighborhood daffodils, forsythia, daphne odora, sarcocca and more! I even spotted a pair of pileated woodpeckers routing around in our garden earlier this week. We’re waiting for a pair of chickadees to make a nest in our bird house again this year. My…
Healthy Eating
Healthy Eating: Quiche — a creative way to use veggies hiding in your refrigerator
I recognize that many people reading the “Healthy Eating” column are not vegetarian and do not enjoy eating tofu. But my offering today is a recipe that uses tofu–and you won’t even know it’s there! For about 25 years I was a vegetarian (not vegan), but during my treatment for cancer I became very anemic…
Healthy Eating: Time to jump on the sourdough starter bandwagon
During the pandemic, sourdough has become all the rage. People are home more; they are cooking more often, and social media has made sourdough the superstar of the baking world right now. So much so that people give their sourdough starters names as if they are new pets in the family. I have had a…
Healthy Eating: The perfect time of year for Magic Mineral Broth
I have been working on several different recipes using items from my freezer and pantry. During the stay-at-home situation that we find ourselves living through, I am trying to use the food items that I have in my pantry and my freezer to avoid trips to the grocery store. I head to the grocery store…
From parfaits to pickling, family-friendly nutrition videos from Verdant, Edmonds School District
Verdant Health, Sound Dietitians and the Edmonds School District have been working together to promote healthy living by creating family-friendly nutrition videos — available to all on the school district website. There is a series of eight videos starting with “Let’s Make A Parfait”. Along with the videos there is a recipe handout for families to cook the…
Healthy eating: Give thanks and eat pie (in moderation)
I hope that everyone had a safe and lovely Thanksgiving holiday. I missed gathering with friends this year- — not only for the wonderful company and conversation but also for the variety of food that everyone brings. Family gatherings are steeped in food traditions, which makes them comforting and welcoming. In our house, my husband…
Healthy Eating: Homemade chocolate peanut butter bars to satisfy that candy craving
I imagine that Halloween will be unlike any other this year due to the current pandemic situation that we are living through. We won’t be seeing our friends and neighbors in downtown Edmonds going from shop to shop or ringing neighborhood doorbells to get a piece of candy. (If you do decide to give out…
Healthy Eating: Red lentil curry with homemade naan a perfect autumn meal
We are in the first week of autumn and having glorious weather. Although the recent rains knocked off many leaves, the trees in my neighborhood offer a spectacular range or reds, oranges and yellows. It makes my daily walks an outdoor gallery of art. Nature at its finest. As the days become shorter and cooler,…
Healthy Eating: Homemade granola, your way
I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. Suffice it to say that I still love my hometown (especially for many of its culinary treasures) but I am glad that I call Edmonds home (especially because of the weather and the natural beauty.) One of my earliest cooking memories is making granola with my mother in…
Healthy eating: A hearty, hike-worthy chocolate chip cookie — with buckwheat
It’s amazing how all of a sudden it feels like summer! I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri where hot is really hot — as in the temperature gets into the high 90s and the humidity is close to 90% without it raining. I remember going from my air-conditioned house to my air-conditioned car to…
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Healthy Eating: It’s strawberry season — just in time to celebrate July 4th
I absolutely love it when local fresh strawberries are in season. It means summer is really here (even if the weather feels like “Juneary”). Strawberries mean the 4th of July is near. Although the usual holiday festivities like city fireworks and parades won’t be happening, you can still celebrate our freedom with fresh strawberries. I…
Move 60! launches nutrition video series
Move 60!, Verdant Health, Sound Dietitians and the Edmonds School District Food and Nutrition Services Department have been working together to promote healthy living by creating family-friendly nutrition videos. There is a series of eight videos starting with “Let’s Make A Parfait.” Along with the videos there is a recipe handout for families to cook…
Healthy Eating: Two comfort food recipes to enjoy and share
It is hard to believe that we’ve been staying home since the middle of March…at least I hope everyone has been staying home. I venture out each day to take my miniature schnauzer Mia for a well-deserved long walk. Well deserved for both of us I think. I am grateful that I have a backyard…
Healthy Eating: Enjoy the health benefits of walnuts in this versatile sauce
If you are like me and following our “new normal” directions for living…you have been staying home. “Stay home, Stay healthy”–it’s an easy directive that is not always easy to follow. Cooking is a great way to use the extra time as well as to keep yourself nourished and healthy. It’s likely that you have…
City of MLT receives WellCity Award for promoting employee health
The City of Mountlake Terrace has received its second consecutive WellCity Award from the Association of Washington Cities, recognizing its dedication to promoting employee health. In addition to all the benefits of a healthier workplace, the city will receive a 2% discount on medical premiums in 2021. The lower premiums will result in a substantial…
Healthy eating: Lentil soup packs a flavorful, nutritious punch
Move over, chickpeas: Lentils are officially the coolest legume. For the uninitiated, lentils are tiny round legumes — aka a seed that grows in a pod — that come in a variety of sizes and colors, including black, brown, yellow, red, or green. They’ve long been a staple in Indian cuisine as well as vegan…
Verdant launches ‘Preventing Type 2 Diabetes: Take Control with a Lifestyle Reset’ program, starting March 2
Have you been diagnosed with pre-diabetes? Are you at-risk to develop diabetes because it runs in your family? Are you ready to make changes to improve your health? If you answered yes to even one question, the Verdant Health Commission’s new program can change your health for the better. “Take Control with a Lifestyle Reset”…
Healthy Eating: This curry squash soup makes a nourishing winter meal
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: 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…
Welcome to our new advertiser: personal trainer Darian Coleman of D2I Fitness

Welcome to our new advertiser, Certified Personal Trainer Darian Coleman of D2I Fitness. We’ll let her tell you a bit about what she does best. Her motto is “Dare 2 Inspire Fitness.”
Hello, I’m Dare, your local Certified Personal Trainer and owner of D2I Fitness, LLC. I specialize in strength and conditioning, fat loss and pre- and postnatal exercise. My athletic background is in powerlifting, basketball and postnatal exercise. Inspiring the world through fitness is my goal, but I’ve started within our community. I believe that we all deserve a healthy and fit lifestyle. I’ve learned through my own fitness journey that hard work, dedication and consistency gives proven results. Over four years ago I lost 70 lbs. with healthy food choices and strength training. All fitness journeys won’t be the same or easy.
At D2I Fitness I customize all personal training sessions, online workout programs and nutrition programs to meet your individual needs. Training and eating for your body type is fundamental with D2I. I want all my clients and athletes to be successful and get the support they need. I’m here to teach and guide my clients safely and effectively to their fitness goals. With D2I Fitness you won’t have to take that journey alone.
Take a look below at some of the results-based work with her clients. Give her a call to explore your personal journey to fitness: 425-879-7010
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…