Book Review: It Must’ve Been Something I Ate
Leading Question? It Must’ve Been Something I Ate by Jeffrey Steingarten, best selling author of The Man Who Ate Everything has been on my nightstand for months. Not because it is a neglected book, but because it is so good but so long! No book recently has increased my vocabulary and knowledge like this book by a former lawyer transmuted into food writer. Why say friendliness when you could use conviviality to describe the perfect holiday dinner party? Why kill a lobster by boiling it alive when you can research all the conflicting ways to humanely kill a lobster at home before turning it into a lobster roll served on top sliced hot dog bun? It is categorized as “cooking essays” but it also clearly falls into the category of humor books. Food critic, Jeffery Steingarten is obsessed with investigating recipes, culinary techniques, ingredients, and replicating it at home, whether or not the ingredients are easy or legal to obtain. Never have I wanted to try more tricky recipes like pizza bianca in “Flat Out” after I read pages of sampling the percent of protein in the milled flour around the world or the mineral content of the water in…
Product Review: Gut Friendly Recipes
What resources do you turn to when looking for gut healthy recipes? If you have ever had gut issues, worried about cooking for a houseguest with IBD, or gone on an elimination diet, you know that meal planning can be an added stress. The Crohns and Colitis Foundation is a wealth of resources, and they have just added a recipe and meal planning section to their website. This free resource, Gut Friendly Recipes, lets you filter recipes by your diet and food preferences, plus if you register, you can make a weekly meal plan and save your favorite recipes. Some of the diets they specialize in are Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet, Low-FODMAP Diet, Mediterranean Diet, and Specific Carbohydrate Diet and many recipes have tips of what to avoid or substitute if you are having a flare. After registering it only took me a few clicks to get a meal plan for 7 dinners. So whether you have IBD, IBS, gut issues, or are cooking for someone who does, this helpful resource will give you a boost in the kitchen. Check out this new resource and show some love to the gutsy person in your life. https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/gutfriendlyrecipes Table Talk: Who do…
Thoughtful Teacher Gifts
What do you consider a thoughtful teacher gift? I really do not want another teacher mug, hand lotion, or note pad, but I would love to hear you say “thank you” in your own way. Some of the best teacher gifts I have received have not been costly ones, but thoughtful ones. One mom hand wrote me a poem and even though she told me she had authored it previously and reused it for her kids teachers, she took the time to hand write it on pretty paper. Another time a client brought me a bag of avocados for my birthday and they ripened more perfectly than any other avocados I have ever had. It upped my healthy eating month and made me grin just to think of how thoughtful this gift was. A very thoughtful and unexpected gift card to my local craft store came in a thank you note from a mom of a sick student that I took care of while waiting for the mom to get off work. My best friend’s husband once gave me a pencil sharpener. THE BEST ONE EVER. A student chose a book for me from the book fair because I had…
Easter Basics
What do you know about the basics of Easter? Suppose you only visit church on Christmas and Easter or you have never visited one but are curious about Easter. Here are some Easter Basics to get you started or help you understand what Christians are celebrating. Easter Basics Easter is the Christian celebration of the resurrection (coming back to life) of Jesus Christ from the dead after his crucifixion (hung on the cross) and death. Two thousand years ago Jesus, the son of God, was hung on a cross, died, was buried, and three days later he came back to life. Followers of Jesus Christ are called Christians. Sinless God demands payment for sin (wrong doing) and Jesus gave his own life to pay for the sins of mankind. This is why Christians annually celebrate Easter, celebrating new life and new beginnings. Instead of a death sentence, eternal life is a free gift for all who believe. This is the best free gift ever. Way better than chocolate bunnies, marshmallow peeps or colored eggs full of jelly beans. Many cultural traditions of Easter are merely that. Cultural traditions to celebrate the arrival of spring such bunnies, eggs, flowers, lambs, and…