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Wellness Retreat at Greenhorn Ranch

This retreat has been postponed to Spring 2020.

I am thrilled to invite you to participate in an all-inclusive weekend retreat at stunning The Greenhorn Ranch offering the space and serenity to reconnect, visit health goals, learn more about mindfulness, and cultivate a better sense of balance. I will be one of the teachers during this special retreat and I would love for you to join me!

Dinner Planner – Week of June 10th, 2019

My son’s last day of school is this Wednesday and I am looking forward to him having a bit of a break. I am personally looking forward to having a break from making lunches. Have I mentioned that before? (I’m pretty sure I have LOL.) One of my daughters has an internship in Pittsburgh for the summer, so I am going to visit her next weekend. I promised her we’d do a little meal prep in her apartment before I left. Both my girls really like home-cooked meals which means I have at least done one thing right! They both cook for themselves often, but it’s always more enjoyable when your mom does it for you. Nothing could make me happier!

I just finished filming June’s online cooking class which is a brunch menu, although truly the recipes can be eaten any time of day. I taught the recipes all week and they are fabulous! Plus, as always, lots of good info about nutrition, making the recipes your own, and more. The goal of all my classes is to encourage you to cook more, with ease and confidence, and ultimately make you a better cook so that you can cook without recipes! A dinner planner is one strategy to help you cook with less stress, more often and more healthfully + you’ll save money when you only buy wheat you need.

Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

When I taught this black bean brownie recipe in February of 2009 (yes, 10 years ago!), the idea was trending so much that I thought the recipe would get lost in all the black bean brownie hysteria. But just like fashion, sometimes trends make a comeback or sometimes when you take something out of the closet that has been sitting there for a while, it looks fresh again. That’s what happened with this recipe which I hadn’t made in many years.

Raw Tacos Recipe

I need you to be open-minded about this one. 😉 First off, by “raw tacos” I do not mean raw animal protein. That would be ridiculous and awful. I mean a raw, plant-based taco-like mixture that is super quick and easy to prep, healthy and, I think, delicious!

Dinner Planner – Week of March 11th, 2019

This was the first year in a while that I have not gone to Expo West, the gigantic natural foods show which is happening right now in Anaheim. Truthfully, the show is so overwhelming with about 90,000 people (not an exaggeration) and it’s all packaged food. It’s not to say that there can’t be higher quality packaged food, but even “better” processed food is still processed food. Word on the street is that CBD is now in snack foods, plant milks are going strong, grain-free tortillas and taco shells are big, keto is a big influence in products and being totally manipulated so that people can still feel justified in eating loads of dessert (#sarcasm), and more. Maybe I’ll go back next year.

Don’t forget to set your clocks forward before you go to bed on Saturday (March 10) night. I love springing forward since we get more daylight in the afternoons! My daughter is in town from college this week. I am going to give her some cooking lessons! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

Anti-Microbial Spiced Chai Recipe

I promise this is the last time I will complain about the weather. But really, for LA, this rain and sub-60 degree temperatures are cramping my style. I want my money back! I am drinking more hot water and tea than ever to stay warm and relying on more cooked food than raw. I know that spices have a warming thermal nature, so I decided to flip through my friend Kanchan’s (on Instagram she is @chiefspicemama) cookbook, “Spice Spice Baby: 100 Recipes with Healing Spices for Your Family Table.” I was instantly drawn to her recipe for “Anti-Microbial Spiced Chai” which not only looked cozy and delicious, but I happened to have all the ingredients on hand.Continue reading

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2018 – 4 Weeks and Counting!

This post has been edited from the original, which was published on October 27, 2011.

Can you believe what today is? It is the beginning of the countdown!! Thanksgiving is 4 weeks from today! No need to panic, friends. We’re going to have some fun over the next month! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the traditions, the food, the Macy’s parade on television while I am making my pies, the football games. I love moving the family room furniture after the last football game is over to extend the dining room table. I love hearing everyone share why he or she is grateful. I have cooked every Thanksgiving for the last 23 years, as well as over 100 Thanksgiving-themed cooking classes. I have made lots of mistakes and in the process learned a thing or two about how to execute and enjoy a very happy Thanksgiving. The key is being organized. Every Thursday from today until the big day, I will share my best tips, strategies and a few good recipes to set you up for a successful holiday. This week I taped a great episode on The Rachael Ray Show about what you can do several weeks before Thanksgiving. I believe that will air on November 5th, but I’ll let you know for sure.

My Thanksgiving ebook is now available! This PDF contains all my Thanksgiving recipes, tips and tricks, in one document! You will have everything you need to plan and execute your best Thanksgiving ever. Click here to access the Thanksgiving ebook. Also, if you take my online cooking classes, the recipes will be the ones I am also teaching in my in-person cooking classes and those recipes will not be in the ebook. The online class will be taped next week and be available the week of November 5th – plenty of time for you to decide what you might include on your menu!

Let’s get started!

Five Friday Favorites 02.16.18

Happy Friday!! It has been far too long since I shared some new favorites. Here are a few things I have been loving lately:

Forlife Teacup

I could write a whole post about tea. There are so many different types, flavors, strengths, caffeine levels and benefits. I wouldn’t call myself a tea purist, but I do love a cup of flavorful, full-bodied tea that isn’t bitter or overly sharp. I recently started making loose leaf tea from Art of Tea and it’s a game changer. Loose-leaf tea steeped in an infuser allows the tea leaves to blossom and expand, resulting in a greater extraction of vitamins, minerals and aromas. Whereas standard tea bags are limited by the size and shape of the bag.Continue reading