Remembering Sharon Balkcom
Sharon Balkcom was 43 years old when she died on September 11, 2001 after American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 am. The plane hit the building between the 93rd and 99th floors, rendering all stairwells and elevators above the 92nd floor impassable. Balkcom worked as an Assistance Vice President of Technology at Marsh & McLennan, an insurance and brokerage firm that occupied eight floors of offices between the 93rd and 100th floors. All 294 employees of Marsh & McLennan present that day, including Sharon Balkcom perished. Read more 
Penne Pesto with Green Beans and Tomatoes
Penne Pasta with Green Beans and Tomatoes is a high protein wholesome meal that takes about 20 minutes to make. Simple and delicious, this main dish contains pasta made with lentils – a legume packed with protein, thin French green beans, sweet tomatoes along with pesto and seasoning to bring all the ingredients together. Although Penne Pesto with Green Beans and Tomatoes is flavorful and nutritious, the dish is also beautiful to look at with the contrasting shades of green and red. Read more
“The Wife of Martin Guerre”
…when hate and love have together exhausted the soul, the body seldom endures for long.
While scouring the shelves described as “classics” in an independent bookstore (Mac’s Backs-Books on Coventry) in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, I discovered The Wife of Martin Guerre by Janet Lewis (a poet and writer who lived from 1899-1998). On the back cover of the book were the words: Read more
Vegan Dining in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio – named after General Moses Cleveland in 1796 – on the southern shore of Lake Erie was a melting pot for immigrants who brought their culinary traditions with them. More than 200 years later, those culinary influences are still evident in the restaurant scene in the Cleveland metropolitan area, and specifically in the vegan dining options (in no particular order) listed below: Read more
Organic, Natural, Veganic or Hydrophonic?
There are hundreds if not thousands of methods of growing food but the four most talked about farming methods and certifications include organic, natural, veganic and hydrophonic. Each of these methods is carefully defined by the processes and products used in the growing and making of our food.
Organic has been the food buzz word for years with many consumers blindly attaching credibility to any product that has the word “organic” stamped on it. For the record, organic farming is Read more
Paddock Post 