It’s still winter We’ve made it past the winter solstice and the days are slowly getting longer. But the weather is definitely cold and damp. And it still gets dark pretty early. On days like that, I think there’s nothing like a nourishing, warming winter soup. Combined with a simple salad and a delicious cheesy […]

Here we are, the start of a new year.  All freshly minted.  Smelling like blank pages, freshly sharpened pencils, ready to rock and roll.  And you know what that means…time for a new word. The history If you’ve been following me for a while you know that each January I choose a word to serve […]

Why hydrate in cold weather? We’re used to thinking about hydration when it’s hot outside. After all, when we’re active and sweating we’re losing moisture. But you may not think about the importance of winter hydration. It turns out staying hydrated in the winter is equally as important. During these colder, usually dryer, months, you […]

What is mockstroni? I love minestrone soup. But it tends to come with pasta and I find I do better when I avoid eating gluten. This soup was born out of a need to avoid gluten but also not wanting to include gluten-free pasta. While I’m not opposed to gluten-free pasta, I find that it […]

The recipe is originally from my book The Pantry Principle.  Back then it was designed for a slow cooker.  Now that we have Instant Pots the recipe has been modified. This is a delicious way to utilize split peas from your food storage.  If necessary this recipe can be modified to also used dried vegetables […]

As the weather gets chilly and the days get shorter I find an increased desire for soup. Nourishing and warming, soup seems to really hit the spot.  Plus it’s so versatile. Soup is great as a snack, as a meal starter, or in some cases as the meal all by itself.  This particular roasted vegetable […]

What is a FODMAP? FODMAP is an acronym used to identify a series of short-chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols in foods that are either naturally occurring, or used as food additives. This acronym stands for: Fermentable – these items are broken down by the bacteria in our large bowel Oligosaccharides – “oligo” means “few”, “saccharide” […]

What are nitrates? Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives frequently found in preserved meats such as deli meats, hot dogs, sausages, etc. Nitrates are seen as the less harmful of the two, however, they can turn into nitrites which are linked to more serious health concerns. Nitrites help keep the meats looking pink and can prevent […]

What do you do if you’re an Instant Pot fan, you really want to get an Air Fryer, but you have no kitchen counter space? Do you have to pick one or can you have both? This was me. Fortunately, I found a solution. I love my Instant Pot I’m a big Instant Pot fan. […]