I have not always been able to cook well. When I first moved out on my own I was completely lost in the kitchen. I would frequently wrap white rice and cheese in a tortilla and microwave it for dinner. Sometimes my roommate and I would make tater tots. Sometimes we would make a weird noodle and lettuce combo that we called "pasta salad". Eek.

A few years later, my mom sent me a gift subscription to Cooking Light Magazine. The magazine was exactly what I needed to get me on the road to cooking real food. I was a little intimidated by the recipes at first, but I followed them exactly and started to have some success with things that seemed fancy to tortilla-microwaving me. The first time that I made an actual meal with more than one thing on the plate, I felt like a culinary rockstar!

These days I cook a huge variety of foods and, even though I rarely follow recipes exactly as they are written, I adore cookbooks. I am also very comfortable with creating meals on the fly with whatever I have in the kitchen (and that happens a lot because I hate grocery shopping and try to put it off as long as I can)!

Among my favorite cookbooks are those written by Dreena Burton. Dreena's recipes stand out to me not only because they are delicious but also because they tend to be much lower in fat and sugar than others. Being a mother of three small kids, she understands the constant pursuit for healthy things that our kids will eat. I can tell that she has given careful thought to adding protein, iron, and other healthy elements to her foods and that fits exactly with how I approach building a meal for my family. Many of Dreena's recipes have become staples in our house and her cookies and brownies are my go-to recipes for times when nothing but a cookie (or three...) will fix whatever is wrong!

Given my love of Dreena's first three books, I was honored and very excited to be given the chance to review her brand new book, Let Them Eat Vegan!: 200 Deliciously Satisfying Plant-Powered Recipes for the Whole Family!

February was a bit of a rough month at our house. My kids were both sick with a cold and a cough and then I came down with bronchitis, a sinus infection, and an ear infection. I didn't even know that grown-ups could get ear infections! Just when I thought we were all getting back to normal, our family started falling on-by-one to the stomach flu. Somehow I escaped that part. It could have been all of the disinfecting that I was doing or maybe just luck. Either way I think we are all back to normal now, PHEW!

Even though March has been quite rainy here, I feel like I'm coming out of hibernation! The sunny days, when we have them, are warm. The birds are all over the place and tweeting like crazy, even on the cloudy days. The other day, after an all-day rain had stopped, I went out in our front yard. The sky was still cloudy but the air felt electric and warm. The grass, plants, and trees were glowing a bright spectrum of green and spring flowers, bright pinks and purples, were all around. Birds were flying and chirping all over the place and it felt heavenly. So middle-of-nowhere. Encompassing. I felt ensconced in my connection to it all and blessed that this was all happening right outside our front door.

Lately when I daydream, which happens a lot, I am thinking about summer vacation and homemade berry jam. Spring is definitely here!

Have you seen the Keen campaign, "Recess is back"?

I love this concept as I am a firm believer that we all benefit from play time. Vacations provide an excellent opportunity to fortify our lives with connection and new experiences. How, though, do we implement "recess" in the context of our daily grind? Daily life is where we pass our time. So how do we bring more fun and playfulness into our ready-set-go schedules? I am passionate about this subject. I even have a Bachelor's Degree in Recreation and Leisure studies!

Since both of my kids will be out of school and home for the summer, I am planning ahead to make sure that we keep ourselves busy. Not so busy that we can't daydream and sip lemonade; but busy enough that we end our days with the tired smiles that come from all-day exploring, sprinkler dodging, tent pitching, and other summer goodness. I'll share more of my plans and our adventures here in the coming months.

For now, I challenge you to find a little "recess" time in your schedule! What is your favorite way to play outside?

I wanted to let you guys know that Jodi passed away on Saturday morning. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers and remember to be kind, be generous, and be wonderful. Love to you sweet Jodi! xoxo

I graduated from college in 1996. As my fellow graduates and I moved on and out into the world and our new lives, I think that we all wondered at least a little bit about how it would go for our peers. Where would they find work? Where would they settle? 

What doesn't cross your mind in your invincible 20s is the possibility that your life may be impacted by things so much bigger than job interviews and new beginnings. What if, after you find your place in the world and build the life that you have always dreamed of, things are derailed by cancer?

One of my fellow graduates is showing the world her answer to that question. Jodi is fighting an inoperable cancer. What is so amazing about her story is that, in the process of this, she is also working hard to spread optimism and kindness. She and her family put together a "fun list" of things that they want to experience together. The list included serving free ice cream to people in her community on her birthday, shaking hands with (and getting a hug from) President Obama, and being a guest on the Ellen Degeneres Show. Because of the amazing people in Jodi's life, she has accomplished all three of these things!

Ellen gave Jodi and her family a check for $30,000 from the folks at Sara Lee to help put her children through college. Amazing kindness!

Thank you for your support!

xoxo

Updated 2018: media and other links removed as they were no longer valid.

A couple of weeks ago I promised to post a recipe for a veggie rice bowl. This recipe comes together fairly quickly and tastes great- the fresh ginger is a highlight. Enjoy!


Quick and Easy Veggie Rice Bowl
Makes 2-3 generous servings

Olive oil
1/2 package (8 ounces) firm tofu (not silken), cubed
Teriyaki sauce (I like Trader Joe's "Island Soyaki")
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (about 10)
2 cloves of garlic, minces
1 cup of shredded carrots
1 inch of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
6 green onions, chopped
4-6 cups chopped bok choy
1/2 teaspoon shichimi togarashi (or red chili flakes, adjust amount to your desired level of spice)
2 cups cooked brown rice

I am a regular contributor to Yogamint.com and have a couple of new recipes on the site to share with you. These are both delicious and comforting winter foods - enjoy!

Creamy Cauliflower Gratin
This creamy (and surprisingly vegan!) gratin is great as a main course or can be served as a side dish.


Tangerine Breakfast Cake
Despite being low in fat and sugar this cake is so yummy that kids will love it too. I used olive oil and almond meal (ground almonds) in the mix, so it has a really nice Italian-inspired flavor.

We have been doing a lot of celebrating at our house. From the holidays straight into some family festivities, including an anniversary and a birthday. Much cake has been consumed. Like a lot of cake. I cannot resist cake. Can. Not.

At times like this I start to get a little antsy in the back of my mind. I start making lists titled "Back on Track" and "Goals for Next Week" just to gain some semblance of control and to steer us back to our healthy routine. The lists themselves get me nowhere, really, but the brainstorming process of this does bring focus to what I need to do to get it together.

Back on Track List
To me, living a healthy and balanced life is rooted in being well fed. By fed, though, I don't just mean with food. I've broken this list down into three areas that I feel I need to focus on to get back to where I need to be: eat, move, and breathe. 

1. Eat

Stop eating cake. Instead, focus on getting lots of protein, omega 3s (flax, hemp, and chia seeds), and nutrient-rich foods. Have a green juice or smoothie and a big salad every day. Prep and bag fruits and veggies for homemade juices. Plan all dinners for the week and stock up on healthy snacks. Try new recipes with inspiration from Pinterest. Drink more water and less coffee.

Fruits and veggies to be juiced this week.

Recent and planned dinners at our house:

• Roasted delicata squash and kale salad (with Rancho Gordo beans and a grain of some kind on the side).
• Brown rice bowl with stir fried veggies and tofu (recipe coming soon- this is a great one!).
• Veggie burgers (try these) and sweet potato oven fries.
• Whole wheat spaghetti with garlic, lemon, parsley, shallots, and greens.
• Open-face veggie sandwiches (inspired by Pinterest) and Gardein "buffalo wings".
• Kale salad with apples, walnuts, and a light walnut oil dressing (recipe below).

2. Move

Plan my workouts for the week so I know where I need to shuffle things to fit them in. Make sure to include as much yoga as possible. Soak up my favorite things about each activity- like the sunrise during my morning runs.

3. Breathe

Keep my journal close for emptying my brain when I need to. Get some sun. Find warmth and comfort with yoga, a massage, a hot bath, etc. Consult my "Bag of Tricks" to stay in balance.


Kale Salad with Roasted Walnut Dressing
Serves 3-4

• 1 bunch of kale (curly or lacinato), washed and chopped with large stalks removed
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1/3 cup lightly toasted walnuts, chopped (Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Please watch them closely, they burn quickly!)
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2-3 tablespoons rice or apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 tablespoons roasted walnut oil
• 2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine vinegar, walnut oil, honey (or agave), and salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
2. Combine kale, apples, walnuts, and raisins in a bowl. Pour dressing over the top, mix well, and serve.

Tip: If you prefer extra tender kale, massage the dressing into the kale with your hands for a couple of minutes before adding the walnuts, apples, and raisins.