Articles

Up until now and welcome 2013! “Rock bottom became a solid foundation upon which I built my life.” J.K. Rowling’s Someone recently accused me of being impractical. The comment was fairly spat at me, so naturally I was puzzled and hurt, but the more I thought about it,...

In the brain, tryptophan is converted to serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has the effect of reducing pain and decreasing appetite, and producing a sense of calm-always good for improving your mood. Complex carbohydrates stimulate the production of...

Simple ways to create elegant dishes You can envision yourself standing at the table explaining the meal to your family or guests; dishes with the words ‘caramelized’ or ‘scented’ or ‘toasted’ in them. Lots of ‘with this or that’s’ always impress. I will help with all...

Cranberry Pear Relish: Ingredients: 8 ounces fresh cranberries 2 firm pears 1/2 lemon seeded 2 tablespoons honey 1/3 cup sugar such as Sucanat or Rapadura dash sea salt Preparation: Wash cranberries. Peel and core pears. Grind or process the cranberries and pears with...

Your Emergency Pantry Perhaps after the devastation and heartache caused by hurricane Sandy in the east coast, you’re thinking about how prepared you are in case a natural disaster strikes where you live. You can’t assume you’ll have power, so be sure you have...

I spend way too much time thinking about food -always have. If I have a nice selection of veggies-and I always do-then I can always whip up something. Being a nutritionist and chef, I also think about balancing my nutrients every day. It's second nature to me now (I...

Balancing Flavors in Your Holiday Meal I find when I teach cooking classes that seasonings and balancing flavors is what most people struggle with, especially during the holiday season. If you’re not careful everything on your plate can taste the same. You might be...

Zesty Raw Butternut Squash and Cabbage Salad ▪      3 cups grated raw butternut squash (about 1/2 of a peeled and seeded butternut squash) ▪      3 cups shredded green or Napa cabbage ▪      ½ red pepper, finely chopped ▪       4 green onions, sliced thinly (use all...

Well, we just finished with the summer squashes and now it’s on to winter squashes, the most famous being pumpkins. Almost everyone likes the naturally sweet winter squashes such as acorn, Hubbard, delicata, butternut and other less well-known varieties. Most people...

There is something about biscuits that make me feel as warm and cozy. Sourdough Biscuits 1/2 cup unbleached flour 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder 1/3 cup butter, cold 1 cup sourdough...

Wintertime is notorious for leaving people with dry, chapped skin, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some easy tips for healthier skin through the winter months. In the nutrition world the mantra is: if all else fails, support your liver. Your liver, like...

Join us at Savory Spice Shop in Santa Rosa on October 4th for a a tour of herbs and spices from around the world. Sip on wine while you also learn about the various nutrition/healing properties of herbs and spices!

I am  healthy person with pretty decent habits most of the time. I eat well, drink enough water and exercise daily. What I don't do well is sleep-never have. I am high-strung and run around on a daily/yearly basis on pure energy which I rarely run out of. This is why,...

Hello everyone: As most of you know, I am founder and director of DirectionFive Health -commonly known as either DirectionFive or simply D5. D5 is a culinary and nutrition program for kids. This Saturday, September 15th is our second annual fundraising Gala and not...

Brining Basics Brining is simply the technique of submerging meat, fish, or vegetables into a salty and often times flavored solution. Brining is an easy way to add additional moisture to leaner cuts of meat that can tend to dry out during cooking. Brining works best...

This is going to be a really fun event. Register soon because the maximum number of participants is 20. Hope to see you there!

We have some great upcoming programs for you in Zest!

Well, they are all size 8. They are mine they are just three of my best 6 dresses that don't fit!!! So, how did this happen? Slowly... I know how to eat and when to eat. I know the foods that agree with me and the food and drink that my body doesn't like. I am very...

This is not a topic that I really know much about and goodness knows, I can't understand. I recently taught a group of veterans (all had been recently homeless, but thankfully are no longer) to make a nice dinner. They made ribs with homemade BBQ sauce, 2 spice rubs,...