Thursday, February 26th, 2015
Great knife sharpener and my favorite knives. Get a good knife!
Having a sharp knife in the kitchen makes a world of difference with your food prep and cooking experience. A super sharp knife will take you from feeling like a boring ol’ home cook-wanna-be to a bad-ass kitchen ninja. Truly. :)
If you don’t have a good knife, then go get one. On Amazon.com (<— best deals). Or ask for one on your next gift receiving holiday. Of course, there are many who would say you should feel the weight of the knife in your hand before purchasing. There’s some truth to that. Decide for yourself.
Back to the importance of a sharp knife: Would you believe a dull knife can be more dangerous than a sharp knife? Truly. When you have a dull knife, it can slip off the food your cutting and easily hit (read: injure) your finger. But with a sharp knife, although it’s sharp and seems more dangerous, it cuts effortlessly which gives you more control over the knife.
Control is a good thing.
Plus, a sharp knife makes for faster chopping.
Speed is a good thing.
The trouble is keeping your knife sharp. The best way is with whetstone sharpening, but I don’t have the whetstone, I don’t have the time, and I don’t have the skill – it’s a world unto itself.
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Wednesday, February 25th, 2015
Quick Kid Friendly Lunch – Kamea was dying to get in the picture.
I have a very special place in my heart for lunches that are quickly put together. If I don’t get breaks in my day, for myself, then I’ll pull my hair out and scream. I’m no wonder woman or super mom. :) I do have some red boots, though, so I can pretend.
I’ve become quite comfortable putting quick meals together. This easy lunch is no exception, and it’s great for kids. Here’s a post I wrote with a bunch of other Real Food Fast Food ideas.
I find, more often than not, that I don’t worry about getting a fabulous lunch put together for my family. I usually spend more attention on breakfast and dinner. I let lunch be a little more flexible, cuz I just need to. Of course, that doesn’t mean I feed junk. It means having things that are easy to grab and put on a plate without much fuss. Okay, I admit, I fussed with the almond butter a tiny bit, but sometimes I can’t help myself. Don’t expect that of me every time though!
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Monday, February 23rd, 2015
Take this Email Marketing online course to learn from the best.
I’m happy to announce that Greg launched an online course to help people and companies with email marketing, which might include you (or someone you know).
Email Marketing is one of the most cost-effective and powerful marketing channels that has ever existed. Yet few businesses take full advantage of Email Marketing’s full potential, which creates a huge opportunity for you and your business. I know many of my readers are bloggers or self-publishers – this course is great for you, too!
Modern Email Marketing is much more than building a list and firing off occasional batch-and-blast emails. Yet because many companies fail to take advantage of email’s full potential, or fail to use even the full set of tools they’re already paying for, there exists an opportunity to seize low-hanging fruit for any marketing professional who makes the decision to learn the basics of Email Marketing. This course lays the foundation for you to become an expert.
My turn to brag a bit, cuz I’m his wife: This isn’t just any email marketing class from just anyone. My husband and his business partner, Pam, have an impressive client list (I’ll do some name dropping: Amazon, Cold Stone Creamery, Taser, to name only a few), and they’ve been working in this field for a looooooong time. Now, their expertise is available to anyone and everyone, small company, large company, or just starting out. It’s a really smart course.
I asked Greg for a promo code to offer my readers (or for the family and friends of my readers). Seeing as he’s my husband, I got you all the hook up. :)
Go to this link here.
Once you land there, you’ll see the use of the promo code in action, KRemail. (If you end up at the website and don’t see the code, simply enter it upon checkout.)
The class is available to you for only $49 (it’s normally $199), and there’s a limited number of promos available. Don’t wait to take advantage of this offer to make you a smart email marketer. You’ll be glad you did. The coupon expires: 3/3/15.
If you do nothing else, at least click the link and open the page to view the intro video in the upper left corner. I dig the music and images.
So.. I want to share some specifics on what you’ll learn with the course.
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Sunday, February 22nd, 2015
Peek into my makeup bag.
I was in mom’s bathroom a moment ago, and I dumped out my makeup bag so I could access it all. Goodness, I love makeup.
It’s small and I don’t carry much… not like the old days, geesh, you should’ve seen me back then. Goodness, I love makeup.
Anyway, here’s what I got!
Tarte lipstick: This particular color isn’t my most prized, but it’s what I’m carrying because I used up the one I liked more. I refuse to spend more money on more lipsticks until I use up the ones I already have. For now.
Christopher Drummond Beauty concealer: I was introduced to this makeup via an old friend. It’s quality stuff and non-toxic. My favorite product of his is the concealer which I like to dilute with a pump of Eminence Bamboo Firming Fluid (or any moisturizer), which makes the concealer more like a foundation. It’s fast become a staple in both my mom’s makeup drawer and mine. I bought my first one through his website and then the second one mom treated me to via Amazon. Thanks, mom!
MaidenFern Blushing Balm: This is one of my most prized beauty possessions and it’s from Living Libations. It’s totally #allnatural and actually GOOD for your skin. Gives cheeks and lips a glow, but requires frequent application.
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Saturday, February 21st, 2015
Slow Cooker Granola. I kid you not.
You all KNOW I love me a slow cooker, and I recently learned that I could make granola in it.
Wait.
Hold the phone.
Granola? In a slow cooker?
Yup.
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Friday, February 20th, 2015
My yoga mat… ready to help me get flexible. Ommm.
Unexpectedly, yoga has given me confidence… in the way I move.
Some backstory: As I have gotten a little bit older, I have become more protective in the way I move. I frequently make sure that my posture is proper and I make sure that I’m not mindlessly bending in positions that could cause an injury. You know how it is… digging toys out from under couches or constantly picking stuff up off the floor.
A couple times I have bent over to pick up a doll and I tweaked my back. The tweak made life miserable for days. I now squat when picking up things, but there are many times I find myself in weird positions cleaning or carrying things or digging around cupboards. Or this(!)… I find that when I am getting my daughter out of her car seat (or strapping her into it) and tightening that belt while I’m in an awkward twist, I can’t help but think I’m perfectly primed for a tweak.
I lived life in such a way that I was a little guarded in my movements. I figured it came with the territory of getting older.
But something unexpected happened…
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Thursday, February 19th, 2015
Roasted brussels sprouts, carrots, and purple onion in ghee.
Finally. I have found a way to roast brussels sprouts (and many other dense veggies) that works easily and wonderfully every time.
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Wednesday, February 18th, 2015
My sweet daughter patiently waiting for me to play with her.
After a morning of running around to get Kamea fed early enough to get out the door…
to fight traffic so I can get to the farmers’ market in time (which is across town)…
just to get home in time to unpack the veggies and have a snack …
so I can get to my Deep Stretch and Meditation class on time…
and spending most of my time in the kitchen, when I’m home, because I try to make all meals from scratch…
I just gotta throw up my hands.
I’m going “crackers” as my friend, Myriam, would say.
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Wednesday, February 18th, 2015
My Best Chicken Soup
I just made my best soup ever. It’s chicken soup, but I added an extra step and an extra ingredient that took it to new levels of comfort and deliciousness.
Here’s the back story…
I love making super easy chicken soup, as illustrated here in a previous post. Everyone likes it, including my young daughter, but she’s not a fan of carrots. Weird, I know. She loves broccoli and brussels sprouts. But carrots? Meh… she’s not a fan.
I decided to try a trick this time. I blended the soup, which had lots of carrots. And, for extra wonderful-ness, I added a bit of heavy cream.
She loved it. Yay, cuz trying to get her to embrace carrots for their night-vision superpower wasn’t working.
We all loved it. It’s become the new chicken soup staple around this house.
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Tuesday, February 17th, 2015
Kamea having fun outside of True Food Kitchen. A great memory for us.
I started a practice at the end of 2013 that I’m so glad I started. It goes on the list of the best things I’ve done.
I started a journal for (and about) my daughter, Kamea. It’s a journal where I simply write a few notes about the day we had, or things that were special, or just a little something about my feelings for her. Capturing the moment for her (and me) as best I can.
It’s not only a beautiful thing to read myself, thinking back on our time together as I read the entries, but it’s going to be something special for her. When she’s older I will put it all in a book or something and give it to her as a gift. I keep it a secret for now. Perhaps I’ll tell her about it sooner than later, but for now, it’s my own special gift to us.
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Hi! I'm a chef, author, homeschooling mom, and I love to eat and cook super healthy food. I'm a former vegan, now real-food omnivore, who enjoys coffee(!), dark chocolate, rebounding, and researching the latest tips for optimal living. 
