The Foodlife Journey

Happy New Year!

This time last year, I received an email from my friend, Shannon, wishing me and all of her friends a Happy New Year. No, she wasn’t absurdly late with her to-do list.  She was making the point that- as a mother of school-aged kids- the time of the year when really senses newness is the beginning of the school year. She’s right, isn’t she? Read more

Curried Lentils with Summer Squash

Getting home from the pool or- soon enough-  soccer practice a little later than you thought you would?  This is the perfect, simple, nourishing dish to throw together in 30 minutes. Read more

Brothless Soup: The Soup for Summer

Question: When you’re feeling the need to eat something cleansing, healthy and nourishing, what food comes to mind first? I betcha most of you think of soup.

I spent last week on a canoeing and rock climbing trip with 55 nine- and ten- year olds. It was a great time in a crazy way. Nevertheless, four days of white bread, limited veggies and too much sugar had me yearning for food that is pure and nourishing. More practically, I needed to get my guts moving again.

But it’s 91 freakin’ degrees and 100% humidity here in Chicago! As wonderful as Minestrone sounds- with zucchini, carrots, tomatoes and basil so fresh this time of year- it’s just too darned hot for soup. No problem. I worked this out last spring: it’s called the brothless soup. Read more

Tex-Mex Succotash

Corn and beans are the classic Mexican subsistence food. For thousands of years the Mayan civilization depended upon these staples for their existence. They had no idea how important to their survival this combination actually was. You see, the combination of the amino acids in beans and corn makes a protein that is perfectly complete for the human body to use. Arguably, succotash in its varying forms- just about any kind of bean combined with corn will do the trick- might be the most important food for vegetarians to make a regular part of their diet. Read more

Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Muffins

Don’t think I’m going all Jessica Seinfeld on ya, but you’ve gotta love this opportunity to sneak a little extra veggies into your family’s diet at breakfast. The sweet, warm, oozing blueberries burst with flavor in your mouth. The texture is heavenly- like a gauzy white shirt-dress on a breezy summer day. This is a healthy muffin that is light as air and yet is as filling as one of those leaden hockey-puck bran muffins.

Blueberries and zucchini are beautiful and bountiful right now. Take advantage. Read more