jessg23

December 23, 2011

Twenty-Nine Candles

Birthdays used to be about ponies. With that blow of the candles, I’d wish for rainbows. The ability to fly. And ponies, of course. So when exactly did we stop asking for the impossible? Today, I’m 29. One year below that sexy 30 marker with eight years more than I’d thought I’d see. Since 2004, birthdays began to mean more than just cake and presents. Birthdays were badges of using 365 days to their fullest. And I have to think that my wishes have gotten better with age. At 21, I wished to survive. At 22, I wished to live […]

December 20, 2011

Low-Sodium Gifts You’ll Love

I got a hairdryer once for Channukah. I was six or ten, or some age when brattiness was still somewhat acceptable. I wanted rollerblades. And I’ve never let my parents forget my horror at opening a medium-sized, expertly-wrapped box to find not a toy, or anything with wheels, or a doll that I would stop playing with in exactly 23.7 days. But a hairdryer. Secretly, though, I now wish I received hairdryers every holiday. Well, not hairdryers exactly because that would be silly. And a lot of hairdryers. But useful items. Like a really good vacuum that is easy to […]

December 16, 2011

Holiday Q & A

This is wild rice, pomegranate stuffing. It was my take on a recipe I found in one of these torn pages from one of many holiday-themed magazines. It was a dish that my mom specially requested for Thanksgiving. And one I happily made over for my salt-free diet. I added pickled cherries and pomegranates. Caramelized onions and fennel. And fresh apple and dill for some bite. And soon, I not only fulfilled my mother’s holiday cravings, but I had created a new recipe and tradition of my own. I want the same to be true for you and your holidays […]

December 13, 2011

No Buttermilk, Yes Sweet Potato Biscuits

I’m a planner. When I start my day, I usually know how I want to spend every single second of it. I overstuff and jigsaw errands, work, and various activities, until everything I want to accomplish snuggly fits within the hours of daylight (and many in the dark) that I have to play with. But I’m also human. Which means my perfectly stacked agendas easily crumble to pieces when a last minute doctor’s appointment, broken lock, minor kitchen fire, or two hour wait at the social security office completely throws off the schedule. Of course, at this point in my […]

December 8, 2011

Cabbage Rolls for Tony

Tony played the trumpet. Tony played the piano. And often, with enough cajoling, he would play a round of scrabble or dominoes too. Especially if his odds looked good. Tony came into my life when I met my husband–an added bonus to our relationship that I often joked was what kept me around. He was full of spunk, good stories, and always perfectly timed words of advice. He had the impeccable ability to command a room in a most casual and comfortable way. And spending time with him felt bubbly like champagne mixed with the excitement of a lucky lottery […]

December 6, 2011

Salt-Free Mochi Muffins

Sometimes you don’t want to haul the mixer out from the bottom cupboard, up to the counter, only to spill flour and sugar on the floor, to then clean up the mess, and the mixer bowl, to finally lug the whole shebang back into that bottom cupboard. Which is now filled with sheet pans and tupperware that fell when you took that ginormous thing out in the first place. (Welcome to my kitchen) Sometimes all that work is worth a moist muffin or a fluffy cupcake or a fresh loaf of chocolate zucchini bread. But for me, I’d usually rather […]

December 1, 2011

By The Slice

Most people get their pizza at the local pizza joint. Or from the pizza guy. Or from the pizza counter that offers up hearty pieces of pie by the slice. I got mine in the mail. A few months ago, the lovely couple Tom and Sue of GalloLea Organics sent me an email to ask if I wouldn’t mind trying their low-sodium pizza and new low-sodium pizza sauces. It was like asking me if I wanted chocolate for dinner for the rest of my life. Obviously the answer was a resounding yes, and a few weeks later a little paper […]

November 28, 2011

Small Bites for Big Feasts

I am happily stuffed from Thanksgiving. But I’m far from being done with my holiday eatings. And I hope you aren’t giving up on the feasting any time soon either. Because this holiday season, I want to hit everything on your wish-list. I want to make sure all your wildest culinary dreams come, whether it is salt-free caviar or the perfect low-sodium BBQ spice blend. Or the personal butler to make you french fries any time of day or night. And while I can’t actually help you with the butler thing (sorry, backordered on Amazon), I can most definitely help […]

November 23, 2011

Honey Five Spice Candy Apples

Before I sign off for a few days of feasting, I wanted to leave you with a sweet thought. Honey. Chinese five spice. Mini apples. They are a perfect final bite for any holiday meal. Or if you wrap them up real nice in some parchment paper, you can give them away as party favors for everyone to take home. The recipe does require some caution (hot caramel) and a candy thermometer. But other than those two warnings, it is extremely simple. And the results are extremely worth it. The original hails from natural cooking guru, Heidi Swanson, and her […]

November 22, 2011

Salt-Free Any Holiday Recipe

This is a salt-free curry coconut gravy. That took twenty minutes to whip up. That’s a perfect substitute for saltier, meat-based gravies. That comes from a recipe I borrowed from Todd & Diane. And this Thanksgiving, I want you to do a little borrowing too. I challenge you to cook from a cookbook. From memory. Or by the smells you remember and the tastes you crave for so-and-so’s so-and-so that you look forward to eating every November. This Thanksgiving, I dare you to salt-free your favorite holiday recipes. It doesn’t matter how much cheese, bacon, brine, or store-bought, sodium-filled ingredients […]

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