My dear friend and Real Food Devotee compatriot, Allison, recently gave birth to a really truly beautiful baby boy. I mean gorgeous, y'all. Side note: who are the people who can keep themselves from speaking in cutesy baby tones to babies? Impossible! I digress....When sweet Allison gave birth, our Real Food Devotee menu celebrated by offering all her faves including this Wild Mushroom Soup. Can you believe I have a favorite … [Read more...] about Wild Mushroom Soup Recipe
Snapshot of a New Father
Inspired by the recent birth stories at Mommypotamus and Sweet Ginger Mama, I decided I wanted in on the fun. I've always intended to write the stories of my children's births, and while they are fresh in my mind like yesterday, I have yet to record them. But then I remembered that someone HAD written, and dug out an old journal where my husband, over five years ago, recorded a personal account of his experience as a new … [Read more...] about Snapshot of a New Father
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream That Isn’t As Hard As A Rock
Maybe you didn't grow up having a bowl of ice cream each night before bed, but I did. "Bed-time snack-time, now or never!" My mother would announce. Just as much a part of our bedtime ritual as a bath or teeth brushing. We always had at least two or three flavors to choose from. Vanilla, mint chocolate chip, Neapolitan, chocolate. And I would fill a large cereal bowl, sometimes drench it in Hershey's syrup or sugared … [Read more...] about Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream That Isn’t As Hard As A Rock
Keeping It Real With Vintage Children’s Books
I have many grievances about the state of our modern world - plastic, mono-crops, car alarms, and the list goes on. But I have to admit, I love technology. It may not be 'crunchy' enough for some of my neo-hippy friends, but I love the ease that iPhones and Google searches have added to my life. I also love the sheer volume of information and opinion available at the flick of a button. And yes, I even like Facebook for it's … [Read more...] about Keeping It Real With Vintage Children’s Books
10 Ways to Support Your Foodshed
No, this post is not about shoring up the tuff shed in your backyard and filling it with food. For Locavores (or folks who strive to eat food grown and produced locally), the term 'foodshed' is used to define the nearby area that can provide food for a particular community or city. Here in Los Angeles, we are blessed with beautiful produce year round, yet most folks still zip through the grocery store buying strawberries … [Read more...] about 10 Ways to Support Your Foodshed
Mama’s Chicken Soup Recipe
It seems like 7 out of 10 people I shook hands with this week had just sneezed on that very same hand....Whether born of allergy or cold, everyone seems to have the spring sniffles. Through the muffled coughs, sneezes and wheezes I hear a lot of remedies being traded about but, you know folks, I find more and more in life - my mama's always right. Whenever I was sick my mom always made me chicken soup. Comforting doesn't … [Read more...] about Mama’s Chicken Soup Recipe
Transforming A Bad Attitude
One thing I love about blogging is that you can't see me. I can post pretty pictures of food, my kids, or myself on another day where I am thinner, wearing makeup and smiling pretty, so you don't have to see me unshowered, scrubbing blueberry stains off the chair cushions, and making less than pleasant faces and remarks. You also didn't see me yesterday when I fed my family chips, salsa, and guacamole for dinner (both dips too … [Read more...] about Transforming A Bad Attitude
If It’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing Poorly First
I cannot count the number of people I meet who are in awe by the things I make in my kitchen. "You should teach classes," some say. "I could never do that," others declare. (No, I'm sure your kitchen would be much less messy than mine!) To these remarks, I find myself inwardly chuckling, thinking of my roots. As a teen I loved to prepare food - I would throw a slab of butter (the only health food in this tale) and a … [Read more...] about If It’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing Poorly First
Raw Liver Shooters Recipe
Hell yeah, y'all! As daunting as it may sound, raw liver consumption in our modern world just requires a little creativity and courage - assuming we take care to assure food safety. Fresh air and sunshine are huge protective factors for animals. Animals raised outdoors convert sunshine to vitamin D, and consume the natural foods that provide them with vitamin A (both of which provide as much insurance against infection for … [Read more...] about Raw Liver Shooters Recipe
Making Grilled Cheese Better
Growing up I had my favorite meals - Ellio's frozen pizza was number one, followed closely by Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli from a can, Hungry Jack mashed potatoes, Kraft Mac 'n Cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches made with white 'Italian' bread, margarine, and Kraft Singles (notice how the word 'cheese' is conveniently left out the last ingredient) served with a side of dill pickles. We didn't drink much soda at our house, … [Read more...] about Making Grilled Cheese Better
Bieler’s Broth For Spring Cleansing
I'm not a huge fan of fasting, as the extreme and temporary nature of a fast can be unnecessarily shocking to the body. In an ideal world, everyone would simply eat a well balanced, nutrient-dense, seasonal diet and avoid junky, over-processed foods. In reality, however, this doesn't always happen, and occasionally it's nice to give the digestive system a mini-vacation. Bieler's Broth is a great recipe to try when you're … [Read more...] about Bieler’s Broth For Spring Cleansing
Irish Corned Beef Stew
I'm not hardly Irish but, I relish any excuse to celebrate with food! We love corned beef around our house. And since I decided I would only eat corned beef if I had cured it myself (another recipe for another time)....well, I make quite a bit at once. This always leaves some left over for a wonderful stew. We freeze quart size portions to defrost and serve when we want to feel nourished and very comforted. It is such a … [Read more...] about Irish Corned Beef Stew