You may have noticed, I'm a bit of a freak about real food and holistic health. We get pastured meat direct from our farmer; I avoid additives and mystery ingredients like the plague; I even make my own body products when I can 't find ones that are 'clean' enough. It's my thing. So you can imagine, I wasn't thrilled to learn that there may be prescription drugs in drinking water that my family and I consume every single … [Read more...] about Drugs in Drinking Water – How to Protect Yourself
What to Do about Your Kids and Screen Time
Growing up I don't really recall having limits on screen time. I watched hours of TV after school - "General Hospital", "Little House on the Prairie", "Roseanne", and "You Can't Do That on Television". I can still sing jingles for commercials from breakfast cereal to refreshing bars of soap. I played Super Mario Brothers and Tetris on Nintendo until my brain hurt. I turned out OK, right? Well, in my early days of parenting, … [Read more...] about What to Do about Your Kids and Screen Time
Meal Planning On Steroids (In A Good Way)
Over the years, I've had a love-hate relationship with meal planning. Love the organization, but hated feeling like my life was so... regimented and inflexible. So I begged my uber geeky husband to help me out and create a meal planning tool that works for my real, imperfect, and often chaotic life - and yours too. According to the University of Scranton's Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 45% of Americans make New … [Read more...] about Meal Planning On Steroids (In A Good Way)
Kale and Sausage Soup
In a few weeks it will be the one year anniversary of launching my Real Food Meal Plans. Oh, boy has it been an adventure. In the beginning, I didn't realize what I had gotten myself into - a huge weekly commitment of testing recipes; compiling shopping lists; writing recipes and cooking time lines; and formatting and editing the meal plans. It took discipline and quite a bit of time to get all of this done for my deadlines … [Read more...] about Kale and Sausage Soup
Natural Remedies For Strep Throat (And Why to Just Say No to Antibiotics)
'Tis the season for sniffles, sore throat, and flu. Do you have natural remedies for strep throat and other winter infections on hand? We all know that strep throat requires antibiotics, right? So widely prescribed for Streptococcus, the first sign of a sore throat can send a suffering patient to the doctor’s office demanding a prescription for this assumed ‘cure.’ So you may be surprised to learn that antibiotics are … [Read more...] about Natural Remedies For Strep Throat (And Why to Just Say No to Antibiotics)
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Sauce
As a REAL food foodie, I get super excited by the challenge of taking classic comforting junkie foods and transforming them into nutrient-dense dishes that aren't lacking in deliciousness. Sweet potato casserole makes a perfect candidate. You remember this holiday side dish, right? Sweet potatoes so sweet from marshmallows that you can only eat a bite or two, but they're still sinfully fun. The store-bought versions of this … [Read more...] about Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Sauce
Party Wave Wednesday 12/11/13
Welcome to Party Wave Wednesday! Out on the water, etiquette dictates that the surfers that are in the best position for the wave take the ride (unless you're a barney or a snake). Every now and again everyone hops on at the same time - This is called a party wave. In this weekly post all of the raddest bloggers come together to share their big wave stories a.k.a. their best posts on fertility, natural health, and nutrition … [Read more...] about Party Wave Wednesday 12/11/13
Veggie Quinoa Cakes
One of the biggest challenges of eating real food is the inconvenience factor. You know - those moments where you're so starving and the easiest thing to do is rip something out of a package and chow down. Or stop at a drive through to scarf down a burger, fries, and milk shake. Or (historically my favorite) throw a frozen pizza in the toaster oven - ready in 8 minutes. So what's a real foodie to do when you open your … [Read more...] about Veggie Quinoa Cakes
Is A Chicken Pox Party A Dumb Idea?
Last week a mommy friend of mine announced that her eight year old daughter had the chicken pox and that we were welcome to stop by. My cyber ears perked up. Should I take my children over for a chicken pox party? I've been on the fence about the concept of chicken pox parties. I generally believe that vaccines are a personal decision that every parent should make for each individual child. That said, I can wholeheartedly say … [Read more...] about Is A Chicken Pox Party A Dumb Idea?
Party Wave Wednesday 12/04/13
Welcome to Party Wave Wednesday! Out on the water, etiquette dictates that the surfers that are in the best position for the wave take the ride (unless you're a barney or a snake). Every now and again everyone hops on at the same time - This is called a party wave. In this weekly post all of the raddest bloggers come together to share their big wave stories a.k.a. their best posts on fertility, natural health, and nutrition … [Read more...] about Party Wave Wednesday 12/04/13
Wild Mushroom Ragout Over Baked Spaghetti Squash
This mushroom ragout is one of the best things I've eaten lately, and that's saying a lot. I haven't always been a fan of edible fungi. Mushrooms were always way out of bounds for me as a kid, but somewhere in my early 20's I fell in love with their earthy, savory deliciousness. During my vegetarian days, I discovered that mushrooms - especially portobellos - make a fabulously substantial alternative to meat. I recently … [Read more...] about Wild Mushroom Ragout Over Baked Spaghetti Squash
Party Wave Wednesday 11/27/13
Welcome to Party Wave Wednesday! Out on the water, etiquette dictates that the surfers that are in the best position for the wave take the ride (unless you're a barney or a snake). Every now and again everyone hops on at the same time - This is called a party wave. In this weekly post all of the raddest bloggers come together to share their big wave stories a.k.a. their best posts on fertility, natural health, and nutrition … [Read more...] about Party Wave Wednesday 11/27/13