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carol@inkwellcoaching.com

Crown Point, IN

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October 9, 2025

🥣 Warm Foods to Take the Chill Off Fall

As the Midwest air turns crisp and daylight fades earlier, it’s natural to crave warmth — both in what we wear and what we eat. Fall invites us to

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Food, Health
October 2, 2025

A Star Ingredient for Flavorful Meals

In last week’s blog, I wrote about a variety of spices that add warmth to fall dishes. I had a question from a reader about how to use star anise. S

admink
Food, Health
September 25, 2025

Fall Spices That Warm the Season

As the air turns crisp and leaves begin to scatter the sidewalks, many of us automatically think of pumpkin spice. It seems to be in everything from l

admink
Food, Health
September 18, 2025

When Healthy Habits Don’t Add Up

You exercise regularly. Your plate is full of colorful fruits and vegetables. You’ve swapped fried foods for lean protein, cut back on sugar, and ev

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Health, Hope
September 11, 2025

How to Eat Healthier at Any Restaurant

Eating out doesn’t have to derail your health goals. Whether you’re grabbing a bite at your favorite local diner or trying a new international bis

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Food, Health, Hope
September 4, 2025

Mr. Corn Visits Indiana

It’s that time of year again when my dear cousin, Roger, visits from Florida. He visits now because the sweet corn is amazing here in Indiana. For y

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Blog
August 28, 2025

7 Late Summer Wellness Tips

The nights and days are cooler. Darkness comes earlier. The sky looks like fall. I even saw some leaves in Michigan that had turned brilliant red. How

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Blog
August 21, 2025

What to Do with All That Zucchini

Yesterday, my friend Lisa presented me with a zucchini that looked as though it had taken growth hormones. It was gigantic! She told me that she grate

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Food, Fun, Health
August 14, 2025

Echoes of Summer

Can you feel the shift? The days are steamy–yet the calendar is getting a bit crowded with commitments that pair better with the cooler days of

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Food, Fun, Health
August 7, 2025

August Anxiety. Sunscreen vs. School Bells

This time of year, I feel a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, summer is in full swing. The flowers are thriving, temperatures still soar, and ther

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Family, Health, Personal Development

A Simple Celebration Salad

July 1, 2021
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Food, Fun, Health

Happy Independence Day and the kick-off to summer!

Since there will probably be a few picnics and family gatherings happening at some point, I thought you’d enjoy a simple, tasty, and (don’t tell Mr. Non-Compliant) healthy salad.

This quinoa salad is great for hot weather events because there are no ingredients that will easily spoil. Also, you can make it ahead of time and the flavors will blend.

One cup of cooked quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has about 8 grams of protein and is a good source of fiber. It has a crunchy texture, nutty flavor and is gluten-free.

Quinoa is a complete protein source, which means that it provides all nine of the essential amino acids our bodies need. These are the amino acids that we cannot make and that must be acquired through diet.   

It is a good source of antioxidants and minerals, providing more magnesium, iron, fiber, and zinc than many common grains.

While I don’t care for warm quinoa on its own, I do like it in a cold salad with vegetables and a simple dressing. The first time I made quinoa I treated it like rice and decided that there must be a tastier way to enjoy it.

There are scads of variations for quinoa salad. Experiment to your heart’s content and have fun.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

  • 1 cup organic quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup peeled and diced cucumber
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
  • ¼ cup kalamata or black olives, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoonful chopped mint (optional)
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 fresh lemon
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Prepare quinoa according to package instructions. Let cool. Combine quinoa, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, parsley, cheese, olives, and mint in a large bowl. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together. Pour over quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator.

Serve as a side salad or add grilled chicken to make it a main dish for lunch. This is also tasty as a topper for tortilla chips. (I like Late July brand chips.)

I wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday weekend. 

Much love,
Carol

“Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I’m not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be.”—John Wayne

Ever try butter on saltines?

June 24, 2021
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Food, Fun, Health

I’d forgotten about this childhood treat until a friend of mine mentioned it. We’d gathered for an informal dinner, and the next thing I knew we were all snacking on Glutino gluten-free crackers topped with Earth Balance (dairy-free) buttery spread.

It was almost like eating saltines with butter.

Of course, this was in addition to the veggie tray.   

This treat led to some other fun childhood summer memories like:

*Catching lightning bugs and keeping them in a jar with air holes in the lid. I put my jar in the freezer. Why I did this, I’m not sure, however catching them was a favorite summer night pastime with my neighborhood buddies.

*Eating fresh peaches and nectarines and the juice running down my chin.

*Riding bikes with my friends and staying out until it got dark and our moms made us come in.

*Homemade ice cream on Sundays when friends came to visit—banana, vanilla, or peach. Never chocolate because my dad didn’t like chocolate ice cream.

*Having more time to read Nancy Drew mysteries.

*Running through the sprinkler on really hot days.

*Setting up a Kool-Aid stand and ending up in the red. I think I employed a few too many friends.

Consider taking some time to live summer like a kid. I got my bike out for the first time in ??? years. It was fun, although I need to toughen up my “sitting on a bike seat” muscles.

It’s Fruit and Veggie Time

Many people I consult with are practicing the art of increasing their fruit and vegetable intake. This is a great aspect of eating to focus on, and one that is much easier now that more of the produce is local.

A simple way to do this is to take note of the number of servings of vegetables and fruits you typically eat in a day. Practice increasing it by one a day over time. I find that eating a tossed green salad almost daily is an easy way to add 2-3 vegetables.

Take a handful or two of greens, and add any of the following: chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, sweet peppers, zucchini, carrots, etc.

Toss with a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Easy.

The ultimate goal is 10 servings per day. A good ratio is 3:1 vegetables to fruits, 5:1 if you’re interested in weight loss.

It’s easy for me to reach my fruit intake, tougher to get in the suggested number of veggies. I continue to practice. 

Just try to do a little bit better.

Whatever health challenge you’re facing today, I’m here to support you.

Much love,
Carol

“Summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back screened porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the tree house; summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape…” — Harper Lee

Beware of the Buggy Bandit

June 17, 2021
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Food, Fun, Health

This week, my client and I were enjoying a peaceful grocery shopping field trip at Whole Foods. We were in the produce department reviewing the list of fruits and vegetables we needed.

When my client went to put carrots and green beans in her buggy, she couldn’t find it. Thinking she’d left it in another area, she began searching the entire produce section. 

Her buggy had vanished. Poof. Gone.

The worst part: she had found the perfect avocados for her breakfasts to go with her veggie omelets. They were in the missing buggy.

Don’t you just hate when that happens?

She quickly took off to search other areas of the store and had no luck. We began again, filling a new buggy and keeping close watch.

We had almost finished restocking the second buggy when her initial buggy appeared next to the apples. She was never near the apples, didn’t plan to buy apples, yet there it was, next to the apples.

 The good news: nothing was missing from the cart and she had her beloved avocados back.

We then proceeded to return all the produce from the second buggy.

This same thing has happened to me in the past.

The moral of the story: beware of the buggy bandit. And if you happen to be a BB, at least grab one with really great avocados.

 A Fun Strawberry Fact

It’s strawberry season here in the Midwest, and U-Pick farms are open for picking.

I remember taking my sons to pick berries when they were little. We’d ride a hot, dusty school bus out into the fields and pick our buckets full.

While we were picking them, we’d often stop, stick our heads in the buckets and inhale the wonderful aroma of the best strawberries anywhere.

June strawberries in Indiana are amazing.   

I just learned that strawberries help with longevity. Yes, that’s correct. They’re delicious and they have anti-aging properties!

Strawberries contain a plant compound called fisetin which acts as an antioxidant, reduces inflammation in the body, and kills senescent cells. Senescent cells have lost their ability to divide but do not die, leading them to accumulate and inflame surrounding cells. This is characteristic of aging.

UGH! Try to eat ½ cup of strawberries daily or several times per week in order to keep this aging process from happening to you.

And on that note, I wish all you dads a very Happy Father’s Day! May you and your families enjoy a delicious celebration on Sunday, as we also ring in summer with the Solstice.

Much love,
Carol

“One way of celebrating the Solstice is to consider it a sacred time of reflection, release, restoration, and renewal.” —Sarah Ban Breathnach

A Delicate Summer Surprise

June 10, 2021
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Food, Health

Apricots are a hidden gem of a fruit. While the delicate little apricot is not even in the running of most popular fruits in the world, it has a special charm of its own.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, they are smaller than peaches and share the tartness of purple plums.

They have been showing up frequently in my local grocery, so I decided to do a bit of research on these golden beauties.

More than 90% of the apricots grown in the United States come from California. The season runs from late April to the end of July.

Now is their time.

Of course, apricots have many nutritional benefits.       

They contain fiber, potassium, loads of antioxidants, are very hydrating, and may contribute to improved eye, skin, and gut health.

When selecting your apricots, be gentle. DO NOT SQUEEZE THEM! A light touch will tell you if they are firm or soft.

Ripe apricots yield slightly to the touch. Those that are very soft are overripe. Look for small fruit for the sweetest and best flavor.

A ripe apricot will be fuzzy and soft on the outside. It will have a deep orange or yellow hue, but you might also notice a red or rosy tinge to the skin. Those that have a green tint or are light yellow are underripe.

If they smell delicious, they probably are. They are perfect when you can break one open easily with a slight twist.

Store ripe apricots in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. If you find that they are a bit underripe, keep them at room temperature until they are just right.

Purists will enjoy these “au naturel.”

For something a bit more exciting, split them open, remove the pits and fill the soft hollow with rich strained yogurt drizzled with honey and topped with toasted, slivered almonds.

You can substitute them for peaches or plums in most recipes.

Apricot marmalade is quite a treat and makes a tasty glaze on pork near the end of grilling time.   

If you haven’t tried an apricot lately, take the apricot challenge and buy a few. The more variety we have in our diets, the better.

Cheers to trying something new,
Carol

“Five tender apricots in a blue bowl, a brief and exact promise of things to come.” –Frances Mayes

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