Salads that combine savory and sweet flavors are one of my favorite summer dishes. This balsamic marinated peach salad is easy to make, since it uses the marinade as the dressing, and pairs well with both fish and meat. Recently, I paired this with white miso marinated pork chops, which complemented the meat perfectly. As…
We love to entertain friends and family! My favorite evenings are the ones I spend with our company, not cooking in the kitchen the entire time. So, I like to do most of the meal prep ahead, which leaves me free to join the party. For a twist on the classic grilled pork chop, I…
While we spend most of our summer days enjoying the outdoors, sometimes we need an indoor escape from the heat or rain. Our family version of "Clue" isn't a mystery board game, but a treasure hunt guided by self-made picture clues of objects or parts of objects around the house. We each took a turn…
With such a wide selection of flavorful, succulent fruits and vegetables at their peak ripeness during summer, I almost always enjoy a large salad at lunch and often as a generous side at dinner. These delicious salads leave me feeling full, yet energized, and help me stave off afternoon tiredness in the heat. At lunch,…
These two headings, 'I notice' and 'I wonder', were written at the top of my son’s workbook page just after the first spring flowers bloomed, which had followed a particularly harsh winter. I asked him what he was focused on noticing and wondering. He described that his entire class went outside, sat quietly in the…
Making slime, whether you're 50 or 5 years old, is always fun! Kids can make it with only a small amount of help from us adults. Slime is quick to prepare, easy to clean up, and fun for hours. My kids categorize it as "not a solid, but not a liquid", "so stretchy," and "super…
We can all agree that exercise is good for us. Exercise helps prevent chronic disease such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, improves mood, keeps weight in check, and boosts energy. We can now add to list of benefits of exercise that it alters the composition and function of our gut microbiome which may…
Continue reading ➞ Exercise: not just for your muscles, but also for your gut
What if lifestyle were medicine? What if we could prevent almost 80% of chronic disease? What if the only thing we had to do was make the choice to eat well and move our bodies every day? It is. We can. Let’s do it. There is an overwhelming body of research indicating that most chronic…
“Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy.” Miss Frizzle, the adventurous teacher from “The Magic School Bus,” said it best with these words. As a mom of two young children, I see firsthand how children naturally want to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. It’s important for us adults to encourage their exploration and…
Many of us can recall at least a few mornings when we were told, “Don’t skip your breakfast, it’s the most important meal of the day.” This sentiment is true—eating breakfast is essential to our health. At breakfast time, we are breaking an overnight fast and it’s critical for us to consume the nutrients we…
cultivated curiosity 