Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus with
Apricot and Creamy Bleu Cheese:
A Simple, Swanky Side Dish

So, hopefully, by the time this post is released, the summer season will finally be upon us. Presently, it is snowing outside as I write this; my animals are confused, and my poor lilacs took a serious beating—ahhhh, nothin’ like a good old Colorado seasonal slip-up…. Now, where was I? Oh yes, dreams of warmth […]

Leeks Vinaigrette with Grainy Mustard and Grana Padano:
A Company-Worthy, Timeless, French Classic

Poor leeks—more often than not, these overlooked veggies get passed over for their cousin, the onion, or wind up as background notes to more familiar specimens, like potatoes. Despite being incredibly versatile and downright delicious, they really don’t get enough top billing, at least in this neck of the woods. Adding to the trials the […]

How to Win at Lifestyle Changes

Making changes to your lifestyle can seem downright impossible in the beginning. Whether you’ve made the decision on your own or with a healthcare professional, in order to win and see the affects you’re hoping for, you have to follow through—maybe even longer than a week or two. Let’s look at a few strategies for […]

5 Ways Your Dog Talks to You:
Learn to Read Canine

If you’ve been around dogs, you know they have personalities and emotions just like people. Their personalities are unique to them and influence their feelings and emotions. To understand these emotions, it’s important to understand your dog’s body language. In addition to the sounds they make, they also send us signals through their body language—specifically […]

What Makes Someone Who Cooks a Good Cook?

Ask Chef Phyllis A friend and I were talking about this the other day. My oh my—we had the same recipe for a church function, and we both followed it precisely. But mine was a disaster while hers was so good. I don’t enjoy cooking, and perhaps I fail at it because for me it’s […]

Luscious Lemon Curd Cheesecake

I’ve written many times about my years as a pastry chef, my first dip into the professional culinary world, and how those years molded the chef I am today. This was an incredibly formative time, provoking in me a profound love of food in general, and allowing me an ideal outlet to feed both my […]

Should a Woman’s Workout Routine Be Cyclical?

I was recently reminded of an aspect of women’s health you don’t often hear discussed, a concept shared by Maria Emmerich in her book Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism. I read the book some time ago and hadn’t thought about it again until brainstorming post ideas for Women’s Health Month. Emmerich is a nutritionist who […]

The Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract for Herpes

Individuals who suffer from oral or genital herpes deal with the ever-present possibility of painful outbreaks and sometimes find it stressful to seek treatment. Thankfully, there may be an alternative form of therapy that does not require a prescription—olive leaf extract. Hailed as an all-natural remedy for herpes, olive leaf extract has received support from […]

Synthetic Vitamins vs. Whole Food Supplements: Which Is Best?

I’ve sometimes been stunned on the first visit from a new client. I generally ask that they bring in all of their medications, along with any vitamins and other health-related products, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that many of them would bring in twenty or more substances! And oftentimes they didn’t understand the […]

Shredded Vegetable Fritters with Pecorino and Parmesan:
Quick, Crispy, and Garden-Fresh

I am crazy for vegetables. Seriously. I mean, I would never expect to subsist on them alone (and have literally no desire to), but I love all things vegetable so much that if you asked me for a last-meal request, it would likely be a well-designed salad. At home, on a day-to-day basis, I tend […]

Self-Health Habit #5: Grow At Least Some of Your Food

May is a splendid time to bring this self-health habit into your world, and I encourage you to make it a priority. Nurseries are bursting at the seams with plants to get you started. Whether you till up a section of your yard, put in some garden boxes, or stick with a container garden, you […]

My Entrepreneurial Voyage in the Organic CBD Industry

My name is Joy, and I’m the founder of Joy Organics, a startup selling a broad line of organic CBD products. Let me begin by saying that I had no dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Rather, it was a matter of chance and circumstance. Of course, now that I am one, I love it and […]

Citrus-Scented Rillettes:
Protein-Packed Snacking

A traditional French concoction of shredded meat, fat, spices, and herbs, rillettes are similar to pâté, but with a more rustic texture and appearance. If you are familiar, then you likely know your food; if not, prepare to be amazed at the beauty a simple preparation, of seemingly humble ingredients, can create. Traditionally made with […]

What Everyone Ought to Know About Women’s Health

May is Women’s Health Month, so let’s take a look at what everyone ought to know about it. (Don’t worry, guys, your month is coming.) With men and women having so many of the same organs, systems, and processes, are there really all that many differences in how each of us achieves optimal health? Good […]

The Long and Short on Noodles

Ask Chef Phyllis I’m confused about noodles—egg noodles, no-yolk noodles, soba noodles, udon, ramen, rice noodles? There are even restaurants called “Noodles” to further confuse me. Are there any noodles that are wheat-free or gluten-free for sure? It seems to me that cooking noodles at home should be easy. Mine don’t taste as good as […]

Some Spicy Suggestions:
A No-Waste Method for Keeping Spices Handy and Fresh

You’re in the middle of preparing a favorite dish, and company is set to arrive in forty-five minutes. But then you realize—you’re missing that one must-have spice in the blend you need for your recipe, and all because you threw out your old spices! Suddenly, the wind goes out of your sails. Hopefully, some of […]

Asparagus-Ricotta Flan with Pecan-Parmesan Crust:
Simplicity Meets Style in a Make-Ahead Mother’s Day Brunch

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and that means a time to demonstrate our appreciation for all the special mothers and mother surrogates in our lives. I’ll be frank; I have never much enjoyed huge displays of excess on Mother’s Day (or any holiday, for that matter), but it is nice to have a […]