Birthdays

January 6, 2014

Breathing and Blueberry Banana Bread

As I kid, I announced new career aspirations as often as the months changed. In January, I wanted to be a veterinarian. By August, an archeologist. And come October, a mermaid. So let’s just say commitments and resolutions have never been my thing. Which is why each new year, I don’t make promises. I choose mantras. A word that helps define my every move for the days and weeks to come. A word that remains the same even as plans change and life does its twisty turny thing. And this year, I picked the word BREATHE. To remind myself to […]

December 20, 2013

Weekly Obsessions 12.20.13

Okay, first of a all I finally made those banana bon bons from Nom Nom Paleo that I was talking about a few weeks ago. And you know what? BONKERS. Totally crazy good. Absolutely bananas. Literally. And speaking of bananas, um hello, next week is Christmas. And even for those of us that don’t celebrate this holiday, we all know that the next few days will be hurried with wrapping, gifting, and spreading love. If this stresses you out a little, have another bon bon. But hopefully these low-sodium gift guides (here and here) have helped you make your wish […]

November 13, 2013

Pomegranate Blackberry Winter Tart

When the ancient philosophers of times long ago decided how things should work, someone silly came up with the idea that dinner always comes before dessert. And I guess I understand. If you served me caramel filled doughnuts before a hearty helping of vegetables, I might never make it to that cauliflower and broccoli course. Let’s be real. But let’s also break the rules. Because sometimes dessert needs to proceed the roasted meat and sautéed greens. Sometimes pumpkin pies need to be replaced with pomegranate and blackberry tarts. And sometimes, as we prep for the Thanksgiving meal ahead, we need […]

August 26, 2013

Freezing Summer: Float Pops

We learn most lessons in kindergarten: it’s kind to share, paint is for your hands, naps are essential (as are cookies and milk), and while playdough isn’t tasty, if you eat some, it won’t kill you either. But today’s pearl of wisdom hails from beyond the childhood homeroom and from nature itself. Or bears more specifically. Beyond preventing forest fires, bears know what’s up when it comes to preparing for the winter months. As summer closes up shop, they stock up. They hoard, they save, the pluck the best of what the warm days had to offer and make sure its […]

January 31, 2013

Chia Cranberry Pudding Cups

Figgy, it’s time you hung up your figgy hat and called it a day. Because chia seeds are in town and they are taking over pudding. For those of you who haven’t met chia seeds yet, let’s just say that they are the new wonder ingredient. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids (which is a good thing); they’ll help you look young forever (fingers crossed); they are actually the seed used in Chia Pets (not kidding); and apparently, they also make preparing an elegant, low-sodium dessert ridiculously simple (get a spoon ready). The inspiration for this sweet adventure? Well, first, […]

June 27, 2012

Kidneys, Cooking Classes, Scones

Pass it forward. Most of the time when I say this, I’m talking about shuffling that plate of spicy green beans in my direction. But today, I’m talking about experiences. And scones. But mostly experiences. Our lives are filled with them — good and bad; some worthy of pictures, some better left to a gossip session over tea; many part of our everyday routines and many others that are life changing. But all of them, moments in time. Our time. Many people keep their experiences to themselves. But over the years, I’ve learned that if you take these little time […]

May 3, 2012

Thank You Krispies

Sometimes you want to say thank you but words just don’t seem to cover it. And for those times when you can’t muster up the right verbs and nouns and adjectives and conjunctions to show your gratitude, all you need is sodium-free marshmallows, wheat cornflakes, dried blueberries, and coconut oil. A baking sheet and parchment paper will also prove quite helpful. A few moments of melting followed by thirty minutes or so of setting and you have an edible gesture of appreciation (a.k.a. low-sodium krispy treats). With all the gooey decadence of the original recipe, without any of the sodium, […]

August 16, 2011

Salt-Free Cake Pops

I’ve decided to give up sugar. Just kidding. Have we met? I love my sugar. And to celebrate the fact that I adore sweets of pretty much any flavor and variety, I made cake pops. Salt-free cake pops, to be specific. Now you may have seen these little sticks of dough and frosting on Starbucks counters or on bookshelves (Chronicle has published some pretty rad guides on how to DIY the little suckers). But please excuse me as I toot my horn for a moment and say this: I have been popping cake long before it was popular. Or at […]

April 18, 2011

Passover Pie

Apologies for the whisper. I’ve lost my voice to a nasty head and chest cold. I’ll do my very best to annunciate and hopefully you can still hear me. But definitely do not worry about me, because I’m going to be fine in no time. Because tonight is Passover dinner with the family. And Passover dinner means matzo ball soup. Which is Yiddish for magic whisper-voice potion. And here’s another wonderful thing about Passover – it is filled with a lot of flavorful and useful sodium-free ingredients. Like horesradish, parsley, and of course, matzo. For a few years now, I’ve […]

February 14, 2011

Cute As A Cupcake

Last Friday, as soon as 5:00pm hit the clock, it was clearly the hour for happy hour. I rushed home, curled my hair, curled my lashes, and put on that favorite pair of jeans (not to be outdone by the high-heeled boots). TGIFriday had barely commenced, and I was already out on the town, painting it red. Or green. Or whatever color means that you are taking this city by storm and no one can stop you. Which would be great if any part of that was true. Because by 5:00pm on Friday, I was actually stuck in traffic after […]

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