I have fond childhood memories of spending a week or two every summer with my grandparents at their home in the country. Their vegetable garden was probably as large as my current back yard. Although they raised meat and it was usually on the menu, the simple summer suppers I remember most clearly only included […]
Do you Infuse your Water with Ohio Local Foods?
One of my first jobs was at a restaurant located on Lake Erie where each table got a carafe of ice water with sliced lemons. I was charmed one day by a very young diner who announced that I made the best water ever! It’s not uncommon to be asked at a restaurant, “Would you […]
Mindfulness Practice is Like an Apple Orchard
Apples are good for nutritional health; mindfulness is good for mind-body well-being. Along with other Ohio fruits like pears, plums, peaches and apricots, apples contain vitamin C, fiber and vitamin A, and the antioxidant quercetin. Quercetin works as an antioxidant as well as an anti-inflammatory, and has been associated with overall lung health. Although red […]
Spilt Milk – To Cry or Not to Cry
As a child, I remember one night when I had a hard time falling asleep. My mom had me lay on my back and she talked me through a relaxation exercise of resting my muscles. It ended with me closing my eyes and picturing myself floating on a cloud. In college, I took yoga classes […]
Why I Am Bringing Work Home
As a Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, I feel strongly about finding a balance between work-life and home-life, but since my work is about families, sometimes it all overlaps! When my daughters were growing up and I was working with community nutrition education, they would often ask about a container of food in the refrigerator: […]
Traditions ….useful or beautiful?
“If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris made this recommendation at an art and design speech in 1880. As part of my holiday motto, “This is Good, This is […]