November 16, 2024

Chocolate and Raspberries Are Perfect Pair for Dessert

Chocolate Raspberry Tart Flavor-wise, dark chocolate and raspberries play beautifully together. And good news! Both are excellent sources of antioxidants. This recipe is NOT from any of my cookbooks, but I thought it looked so delicious I tweaked it a bit for you. You can have your chocolate, especially if you focus on a high cocoa content and pair it with some high fiber, nutrient-dense berries. Benefits Chocolate bars with over 70 percent cocoa are rich in flavonoids, which are potent antioxidants found in cocoa. Raspberries are also rich in flavonoids and antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C. So, as […]
November 16, 2024

Immunizations: What You Need To Know Now

Colder weather and holiday celebrations accompany cold and flu season and the need to discuss immunizations and staying healthy. This year, three vaccinations are in the spotlight: RSV, the COVID-19 updated vaccine, and the flu shot. While the most important conversation is between you and your healthcare provider so that they can provide personalized recommendations, it can be helpful to be armed with more information about what these immunizations are and how they work.  There are a lot of questions surrounding seasonal vaccines so let’s break down the facts on what they are, what they protect against, when to get […]
November 16, 2024

Tapping Into the Marvels of Maple Syrup

Despite the fact that it was imported from far away Vermont and Canada, maple syrup was one of those things we always had on hand in the Philippines when I was growing up. My mother would give it to us with pancakes and use it as a glaze for her famous fruitcake. Maple syrup is the concentrated sap from sugar maple trees that grow only in New England and Eastern Canada. It’s collected, usually starting in March, when the nights are still near freezing but the days are starting to warm. The sugar in maple syrup is considered unrefined and […]
November 16, 2024

Dealing with Grief and the Myth of Closure

Pauline Boss, PhD, is an expert on loss and grief. In the 1970s she coined the term “ambiguous loss” in the course of researching the grief suffered by people whose loved ones are missing but not declared dead. She has published 8 books that have been translated into 17 languages and she has been a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School and the University of Southern California. Her new book, The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change, was written to help us all deal with the losses we’ve suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic and […]
November 5, 2024

Simplify With Stir-Fry for Quick, Healthy Meals

Sometimes there’s just not enough time in a day. When I get home late from a long work day and need to create dinner, I have a few easy favorites that will save the day. Here’s my go-to solution for a quick, delicious and healthy meal — don’t go stir crazy — go stir-fry! Usually associated with Asian cuisines, stir-frying involves small pieces of meat or seafood and vegetables stirred rapidly in a large skillet or wok with a bit of oil and high heat. Once you’ve sliced and diced the ingredients, everyone had better be sitting at the table, […]
November 5, 2024

Prune and Walnut Bars Are an Age-Defying Dessert

Prune and Walnut Bars Prunes and walnuts are both exceedingly high in antioxidant power. Both are listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) scale with over 10,000 units. Eating a ¼-cup serving of prunes, or about four prunes, provide you with 12% of the daily value for fiber, 32% of the daily value for vitamin K and 9% of the daily value for potassium. A hundred grams of prunes (about ½ cup) provides at least 9% of your daily needs for the B vitamins, niacin, riboflavin and vitamin B-6.  Walnuts have heart-healthy omega-3 […]
November 5, 2024

We’re Falling for Roasted Veggie Panzanella Salad

Roasted Veggie Panzanella Salad A twist on the traditional panzanella salad using fall vegetables and homemade whole-grain croutons. This is the perfect salad for adding to your fall harvest table! The sweet potatoes have immune-boosting carotenoids. The Brussels sprouts have disease-preventing sulfur compounds. Ingredients For the roasted vegetables: 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes 8 Brussels sprouts, halved, ends trimmed and outer leaves removed 4-6 smashed garlic cloves 2 Tbs. olive oil Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste For the croutons: Small loaf of whole grain bread, cut into 1 inch cubes 2 Tbs. […]
November 5, 2024

6 New Ways To Serve Winter Squash

‘Tis the season for winter squash, from acorn and butternut to kabocha and pumpkins. Enjoy these delicious, seasonal vegetables like never before, with creative new recipes. Recipes: Spaghetti Squash Fritters Makes 16 fritters; Gluten free, Vegetarian, Staff favorite 1 medium (3-4 pounds) spaghetti squash 2 tablespoons coconut oil plus extra 1 egg 1/3 cup chopped fresh mixed herbs, such as chives, thyme, sage and/or parsley 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 ounces goat cheese (about 2/3 cup) 2 large cloves garlic, minced Zest of 1 lemon 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 3/4 cup gluten-free flour (TRY: […]
November 4, 2024

It’s Time To Brighten Up Your Fall Recipe Repertoire

Our seasons in Southern California are like nowhere else. After a month of planet Mercury-like heat, we had unseasonably cool weather. Even though temperatures have been going up and down, now that it’s officially fall, we want to think about cooler days ahead. In fact, I’m feeling a bit eager to start cooking some fall fruit and vegetable recipes—even soup! You can find most of the the items profiled below in supermarkets most any time of year, thanks to excellent growers in Mexico and opposing seasons in the Southern hemisphere. However, fall is peak season for locally grown produce, so […]