With the sun shining outside in Chicago for only a few months a year, there's nothing to keep me inside--not even cooking. But plans at the pool, beach and park don't have to mean a healthy meal won't fit into the agenda. In fact, all this running around requires more fuel! Below are a few … Continue reading Quick summer meals
How to plant a garden
Everyone knows the basic science of growing plants: soil+sun+water=healthy plant. Right? That is, until you get to the garden store with plans to replicate that science yourself.All the sudden, you're faced with mounds of every kind of dirt, hummus, compost, mulches, plant feeding systems and more. And that's assuming you've already figured out what you're … Continue reading How to plant a garden
What I learned from gardening
I was 20 when I tasted my first garden tomato. That's right, 20. I was visiting a friend in Indiana, and she sent me home with two pints of fresh-off-the-vine cherry tomatoes. Three hours later, I had no more tomatoes and a stomachache to prove it. But, at least I'd been bitten by the gardening … Continue reading What I learned from gardening
Seeking out precious moments
I took my 8 year old on Chicago's Navy Pier Ferris wheel this past Sunday. With three other kids, running club, tae kwan do, soccer and a birthday party--I had to jump over a number of hurdles to get just the two of us alone on that ride. But for my only kid who asks … Continue reading Seeking out precious moments
Cherry mocha smoothie
They say that chocolate milk is the perfect running recovery drink. I say add a little cherries, coffee and ice and then it's perfect. CHERRY MOCHA SMOOTHIE 1/2 cup of crushed ice 1/2 cup frozen cherries (you could use fresh, if you want to sit there and pit them!) 1 packet of Starbucks Via or … Continue reading Cherry mocha smoothie
Healthy choices for healthy kids
I recently saw an 8-year-old guzzling a 2 liter bottle of bright red punch. In school my daughter made a "basket" of chocolate covered wafers, glued together with chocolate spread. She ate so much of it that she barfed. That same daughter had a frosted doughnut, a frosted cookie, candy and an edible fruit roll-up … Continue reading Healthy choices for healthy kids
Cheesy steak fries
Maybe it was the sun during my run or maybe it was the 8 mile bike ride with Granola Baby in the trailer--but when I came home famished 10 minutes before the big kids' bus came along, we ended up with the most random dinner. Homemade waffles, black bean soup and cheesy steak fries. Told … Continue reading Cheesy steak fries
All natural coffee creamer
When Zyrtec, Claritin, Sudafed and steroid nasal sprays all fail, the only thing keeping me awake this season is double the coffee. And as long as I'm feeling lousy, I might as well be pampered. This creamer took all of 2 minutes to prepare and lacks all the crazy ingredients in most store-bought flavors. MOCHA … Continue reading All natural coffee creamer
Are GMO’s really dangerous? And other food facts
If I had lived a century ago, I would have spent much of my waking hours preparing meals. Growing, storing, grinding, gathering, and pretty much making something from nothing took all day long. And now? We just spend all day talking about food. We are now so obsessed with food, that we've coined a new … Continue reading Are GMO’s really dangerous? And other food facts
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