As I was chatting on the phone with a dear friend the other day, I could hear her anxiety-ridden teenager in the background. I hadn’t realized this was a concern in my friend’s home, but it sounds like her family has been dealing with it for quite some time. After we hung up, it struck […]
Category Archives: Self-Health Survival Guides
23
Mar
Mar
Ask Chef Phyllis: My family’s specialty for any get-together, wedding, or potluck is BBQ style spare ribs. Our family ribs are steamed in aluminum foil over an open pit of applewood chips for hours, and then drenched in sweet, thick BBQ sauce. Recently, I went to a restaurant in Oklahoma. Their baby back ribs were […]
21
Mar
Mar
I spent my childhood on a tiny British Columbian island in the Pacific Northwest called Salt Spring. The region is famous for its incredibly tender and mild-flavored lamb. Sometimes it seemed as if there were more sheep than people, and the locals revered them with an almost cult-like status. The sheep also make abundant souvenir […]
16
Mar
Mar
I’ve been trying to make dinners that are quick and tasty. With two teenage boys always having to go somewhere in a hurry after school or after dinner, I need nutritious, quick meals. (By the way, these guys are always famished, and they love Mexican food.) In the past I’ve made chicken cutlets, chicken tenders, […]
14
Mar
Mar
Lately, we’ve had an influx of beautiful, sunny, and warm weather around these parts—and I’m not complaining! I see hints of green grass peeking through the dry, yellowing blades that linger from our fairly arid winter. The seed pollens of my wild arugula wafted from my veggie garden many years ago, and ever since they’ve […]
13
Mar
Mar
I read an intriguing article the other day that made my head spin. It was about inversion thinking, or focusing on the opposite of what you want. Rather than fixating on success, for example, you concentrate on avoiding failure. Huh. Being an optimist, I hadn’t ever considered this idea. But it got me thinking about […]
09
Mar
Mar
Ask Chef Phyllis: What do you know about Swedish breads? Limpa, pumpernickel, and other really dark ryes are my favorites. But they are, in my opinion, the most difficult breads to make. My mom, who left Stockholm when she was only eight, said dark rye bread has to have orange peel and lots of rye […]
07
Mar
Mar
Well, here we are, the beginning of March. I can just feel spring around the corner! Many of you who frequent my blog know that even though I appreciate the downtime of winter, by the start of the year I’m eagerly awaiting the burst of freshness, life, and motion of my all-time favorite season. There […]
06
Mar
Mar
The other day my hubby told me of an odd thing that happened to him at work. He had a slight headache as he was driving in, and by the time he sat down to his dual monitors he wasn’t able to focus on them. He said everything had a kaleidoscope look to it. As […]
28
Feb
Feb
It’s been years since I made a commitment to take back my health and alight from the sugar train. I’ll be honest: eliminating all added sweeteners from my diet has never been the easy for me, and it still isn’t to this day. But the enormous benefits I’ve reaped as a result have made it […]
27
Feb
Feb
If you’ve been waiting on a particular study to come out that would finally get you to move away from mass-produced cleaning products, a group of scientists at University of Bergen in Norway have just done you a huge favor. As reported in Newsweek, the researchers of the study offered the startling comparison that the […]
22
Feb
Feb
Bread of Tuscany, Umbria, and Marche, Regions of Proud Traditions Ask Chef Phyllis: Is it possible to find a good tasting, really crusty bread like the Pane Toscano that we had in Italy? I understand the reason for a no-salt bread in the past was about money. Flour and water are cheap, but salt was […]
What’s Cooking at SRP?
Grilled Shrimp, Tomato, and Avocado Fiesta Salad: Craving a Taste of the Tropics
21
Feb
Feb
There comes a time when the excitement of the holidays is over, the motivation and enthusiasm of the new year has waned, and the burst of bustling spring energy still seems far off. This is about the time of year when I get sick of winter, and I start longing for the beach. More specifically, […]
20
Feb
Feb
Sneezing is an odd sensation, right? Sometimes you can feel it coming and look for ways to speed up the relief it offers. Other times, the sneeze comes out of nowhere and ends up being the loudest noise you’ve made in months. Some of us are big, boisterous sneezers, some are silent sneezers, and some […]
16
Feb
Feb
Ask Chef Phyllis: I loved my mother’s baccala and have tried to make it myself. She was from the Piedmont region of Italy. I used a recipe that called for capers, but I didn’t like them in this dish. Maybe I used too many. After soaking the salt cod in water for three days, as […]
14
Feb
Feb
Growing food in Colorado is a challenging endeavor. Because I come from a fairly balmy Pacific-Northwest climate, I’m used to putting some seeds in the ground and reaping huge rewards with little effort. My plants grew grow massive and lush, and the winters were usually warm enough that I could have a cold frame going […]
13
Feb
Feb
Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and those of you hoping to celebrate romantic love may be planning to stock up on some good ol’ aphrodisiacs to add some spice to your repertoire. But first, are they worth adding to your shopping list? Aphrodisiacs: are they fact or a bunch of bogus folklore? Let’s dig in a […]
08
Feb
Feb
Ask Chef Phyllis: Have you heard about the big fermented food craze? What should I know about gut health? My sister Aggie told me that yogurt is good for us (and a good substitute for our favorite double chocolate fudge ice cream) because of its live cultures. But we’ve still never tried kimchi, kefir, or […]
07
Feb
Feb
Refresh Your Spice Pantry and Your Palate A well-stocked pantry plays a significant role in preparing healthy, home-cooked meals. It’s also practically indispensable for customizing your meals and keeping your taste buds happy and intrigued. Assorted condiments, vinegars, canned and pickled goods, herbs, and spices can make all the difference in taking your meals to […]
06
Feb
Feb
If you’re a human walking the planet Earth, it’s safe to say you deal with stress on a daily basis. Stress is not only inevitable, but it also helps us get shit done when it needs to get done. The way you move through your day, from the time you wake up in the morning […]