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December 5, 2024

Post-Thanksgiving Mini Reset

Thanksgiving may have left you feeling a little too much like the stuffed turkey centerpiece. If you’re ready to shake off the sluggishness before m

November 28, 2024

Savor, Stroll, and Stay Thankful

Thanksgiving. A time to enjoy the company of loved ones, share stories, and of course, indulge in delicious food. Here’s a tip to help you savor

November 19, 2024

Gobble Up These Thanksgiving Preparation Tips

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, gathering, and indulging in an amazing feast. However, hosting can sometimes feel more like a marathon than a ce

November 14, 2024

Mediterranean Feel-Good Soups for Fall

As we transition from fall into the holidays, staying mindful of our health goals can help us enjoy the season without feeling run down or overwhelmed

November 7, 2024

Healthy Eating FAQs and Answers

Before I get into this week’s topic, I must first retract a statement that I made last week about Mr. Non-Compliant. I stand corrected, as he did NO

October 31, 2024

Mr. Non-Compliant’s Birthday Fest

This week Mr. Non-Compliant (aka my dear hubby) celebrated a birthday. He flaunted his morning non-compliance by leaving the EMPTY cinnamon roll box o

October 24, 2024

Not a Vegetable Fan? Read This

It’s not just kids that wrinkle their nose at a plate of green stuff. Lots of fully-grown adults feel the same—inclined to hide their Brussels spr

October 17, 2024

How Safe is Your Cinnamon?

I’m a huge cinnamon fan. I shake it in my coffee, smoothies, muffins, stewed apples, and of course, pumpkin pie. Years ago I mixed it with a little

October 10, 2024

10 Simple Tips to Ease into Fall

Fall is officially here. I know this not only from the calendar and fewer hours of daylight, but by the temperature of my house when I wake up in the

October 10, 2024

Cumin, Coriander, Fennel (CCF) Tea

To make a cup of CCF tea (Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel tea) using seeds, follow this simple recipe: Ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

It’s Tomato Time

As I was caring for my tomato plants, I had the memory of my father teaching me about cutting off the suckers–those shoots that show up between the main stalk and a branch. The purpose of removing them is so that they do not suck nutrients from the main plant, thereby giving you larger tomatoes.

One of the sucker branches was loaded with cherry tomatoes. I had to decide whether it should stay or go. Do I forfeit a nice yield for fewer, larger tomatoes?          

I ask the same questions now when it comes to my daily priorities. What shall I spend my limited time and energy on? What “suckers” would I be wise to eliminate? Great life questions…

Back to tomatoes! Now is the time to make tomato pie. I am of the opinion that homegrown tomatoes are a slice of heaven, here and now. If you’ve never experienced tomato pie with homegrown tomatoes, you have not yet fully lived.

I first learned about tomato pie from Laurie Colwin. Laurie was a novelist and short story writer who authored some great books about food. I love to read books about food, so she became my buddy and mentor, even though I never had the pleasure of meeting her.

For those of you who have dietary restrictions, you may alter this recipe in any way that suits you, with one exception—you must include tomatoes. I made it with a gluten-free crust, and it was delicious. I have even made it with…canned tomatoes, when one very cold winter, I was in desperate need of a summer fix. Making (and eating) this brings me great joy, along with an abundance of happy memories.

I am sharing Laurie’s recipe so that you may experience a bit more of summer abundance–and a slice of heaven. If by some remote chance tomato pie is not your thing, go for the traditional tomato sandwich-tomatoes, mayo, white bread. It too, is a winner.  

 

TOMATO PIE

The pie has a double biscuit-dough crust, made by blending:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 stick butter
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • Approximately 3/4 cup milk

Blend by hand or food processor. I like to use a pastry blender, since I once over- processed my pie dough and had to start over. Roll out half the dough on a floured surface and line a 9-inch pie plate with it.

Pie ingredients:

  • 2 pounds peeled fresh tomatoes or 2×28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained
  • Basil, chives, or scallions, depending on availability and your mood
  • 1 and ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Slice the tomatoes thin and lay the slices over the crust. Scatter them with your chosen seasoning and sprinkle one cup of the cheese on top of the tomatoes. Over this, drizzle the mayonnaise that has been thinned with the lemon juice. Top this with the rest of the grated cheese. Roll out the remaining dough, fit it over the filling, and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal them. Cut several steam vents in the top crust and bake the pie at 400 degrees F. for about 25 minutes, or until bubbly and the crust is golden. The secret of this pie is to reheat it before serving, which among other things ensures that the cheese is soft and gooey. It can be made early in the morning, then reheated in the evening at 350 degrees F. until hot.

Recipe taken from More Home Cooking: A Writer Returns to the Kitchen.  

Sending you tomato love,
Carol

 P.S. Join me on Zoom and we’ll make tomato pie together! Thursday, August 27 from 11:00am to 12:30pm. Send me an email to reserve your spot! It’s my summer gift to you.

“It is hard to describe how delicious this is, especially on a hot day with a glass of magnificent iced tea in a beautiful setting, but it would doubtless be just as scrumptious on a cold day in your warm kitchen with a cup of coffee.” – Laurie Colwin

Enjoy a Bit of Sabbath Today

Today, take some time to lighten things up a bit and do something you really enjoy—for about an hour. Warning: this may take some discipline.

Monks refer to this as practicing Sabbath. (Yes, honoring Sabbath one day a week is on the list as well.)

Practicing Sabbath is one of the secrets to thriving in the monk environment—which we have all sort of been living since the pandemic began. Between working from home, staying away from others except those we live with, and having minimal contact with the outside world, all we need are the brown robes.  

The idea is to do something in your day, everyday, that you really look forward to. It’s the break from the grind that keeps you from breaking.

Taking some time to truly enjoy yourself helps ease tension and stress, which in turn makes you easier to live with.

And by the way, when you’re under stress, hormones get out of kilter and it’s tough to shed excess pounds.

Most people brush off stress like it’s no big deal. It IS a big deal and plays a critical role in your health and well-being. Practice letting it go.

Practice Sabbath daily.

Ideas: watch your dog watch the world go by, take a nap, enjoy a glass of wine, read a magazine, watch a favorite TV show, bake a cake, garden.  

I’m currently reading The Mists of Avalon. It’s the saga of the women behind King Arthur’s throne. I think I’ll spend some time outdoors today and hang out in that magical world for a little while.

What will you do? Hit reply and let me know!

Sending you love,
Carol

“If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.”― Thich Nhat Hanh

3 Simple Strategies to Maintain Your Happy Weight

Weight loss vs. weight maintenance are very different animals. It’s almost easier to be in the camp of losing pounds rather than maintaining equilibrium.

Almost.

There are 3 simple strategies to help end yo-yo dieting and give you the confidence you need to stay in your happy place.

In order to drop those excess pounds, you had to develop a certain set of habits and skills. You still have them, only they can now be adjusted to suit your lifestyle.  

For instance, you’ve already mastered:

  • An understanding of the foods that work best for your body, avoiding those that don’t align with your goals
  • Ways to incorporate activities you enjoy into your week
  • Consistency in this healthier way of living

You know how rewarding it is to feel this good in your body.

I CONGRATULATE you and ACKNOWLEDGE your work!

With everything from a pandemic to extreme levels of stress to an overabundance of highly addictive foods, hitting your health and fitness goals is a CHALLENGE.

Now that you’ve hit your goal, here are the strategies to help you stay the course.

#1. It’s okay to say ‘YES” to that special treat sometimes. Let’s say you have been avoiding going out for pizza with friends, eating cake at birthday or graduation parties, or enjoying a glass or two of wine with dinner.

Remember my rule of “only eat (or drink) it if it’s AMAZING” and enjoy that special something. When you say “YES” to the treat, be fully present to the occasion and be happy. Do not feel any guilt when you decide to add a bit of festivity to your life!

You may want to journal about how it felt to be a bit “frivolous” and if it was worth it! Completely denying yourself of fun food experiences with friends will send you back into a full-blown eating frenzy that will not end well.

Practice this attitude of moderation and track the results until you are comfortable. If you go overboard, reign in your “YESSES” before you are out of your happy range.

#2. Adjust your Life Dials. During your weight loss program, perhaps you hit the gym for an hour 3x/week and walked 20 minutes most days. Of late, your job got crazy, and you’ve missed a few of those workouts and/or walks. You may notice that your appetite has diminished a bit, so honor that and eat less.

Or if your stress level has increased, you may dial up those workouts in order to enjoy more restful sleep and minimize stress eating.

You may be feeling a bit isolated from family or friends for any number of reasons. Finding a way to restore those connections will help you maintain your desired weight and health goals.

 Health is your body plus the way you live, think, feel, and connect with others. Once you’re in maintenance mode, you are able to be more attentive to EVERYTHING that may influence the number on the scale.  

#3. Connect with your deep reason to stay motivated. It can be rather novel and exciting to begin a health and fitness program. When the appeal wears off, the habits kick in. Once you’ve reached your goal, well…

Time to dig deep. WHY did it initially matter for you to lose weight, improve your lab numbers, feel like a million bucks, and love who you are in your body? WHAT difference does it make in your life and in your relationships? HOW are you affected if you revert back to your old ways?

Ask yourself WHY any of this matters to you. Then ask yourself WHY that reason matters. Ask WHY, 5 layers deep. Get to the HEART of the matter and use that as your driving force to stay motivated.

Your meaning and purpose can replace weight loss and become your exciting goal—for life.

Trust yourself to be flexible and make the necessary corrections when necessary. You’ve got this!

Much love,
Carol

“What’s wrong with extreme dieting and hard-core fitness plans is that they don’t take into account the rest of your life.”— Alison Sweeney

Why I Can’t Get it Together

I’m still out of my pre-pandemic routine.

Some days, the struggle feels way too big. And that soothing bowl of ice cream is SHOUTING my name.

For you, maybe it’s wine, chips, fast food, or binge-watching Netflix. Perhaps all of them, depending on the day.

Everything is complicated, and this emotional roller coaster ride is no fun.

What’s weird is that I’m loving summer, yet I feel out of sync.

Can you relate?

My guess is that many of you can. Here’s the good news: you are not alone in this struggle.

What we’re experiencing is known as collective trauma.

There are many types of trauma that may affect an individual’s deep health. By deep health, I mean every component that makes us human: Relational, Existential, Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Environmental.

Everything affects everything, which is why we must look at more than food when we discuss health.

Today, I’m addressing collective trauma.

Trauma is anything that overwhelms our existing resources and ability to cope. 

Collective trauma is a psychological effect that destabilizes the foundation of a society or group. The current pandemic falls into this category.

Other examples include: Bombings, natural disasters, wars, and famines.

Collective trauma can also come from violence, abuse, and indignities perpetrated against a specific group. This can happen cumulatively over time.

Before you start calling me “johnny rain cloud” here are some ways to cope.

First of all, by recognizing what’s happening and naming it, we have power over it.

Second, it helps to know that there are lots of us dealing with this. We’re all in this together.

Third, when you need to calm yourself, try exhaling twice as long as you inhale. For example: inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, and exhale for 8 counts. By extending your exhale, you spend a little bit more time in the parasympathetic, calm-down state. 

Fourth, give yourself some grace. Understand that these are trying times, and we are all doing the best we can to cope. Make time each day to do things that bring you joy, even if it’s 20-30 minutes. 

And finally, feel free to book a complimentary call with me. I’m neither a trauma expert nor therapist, however together we will come up with a workable plan to help you get back on track—most days, anyway.

Sending you love,
Carol

“I am learning to trust the journey, even when I do not understand it.”—Mila Bron