Say It Ain’t So, Christo!
If you live in New York City, then you can’t help but be captivated by what’s going on in the city’s parks and particularly with the winged creatures who place a high priority on space and fight about territory as often as their human counterparts. But, if you don’t live in the city – and The Real Housewives of New York City is not your idea of turf warfare – read on. Read more 
Blend 11 by GoodMix Superfoods
Blend 11 is a nutritious blend of 11 certified organic superfoods that can be used in smoothies, shakes, overnight oats, fresh oatmeal, hot and cold cereals, and even in recipes (especially in date balls). Crunchy, wholesome, super nutritious, and delicious, Blend 11 is also gluten-free and vegan.
Made by GoodMix Superfoods of Waitsfield, Vermont (central Vermont near Montpelier), Blend 11 differs from other nut and seed blends on the market in many ways. First, the variety of ingredients is vast. There are seeds, nuts, nibs, and more. Second, the ingredients are certified organic (and that’s big). Third, most nut and seed blends don’t have puffed millet, puffed amaranth, or cacao nibs which add terrific texture, flavor, and nutrition to the mix. And, lastly, most nut and seed mixes don’t have buckwheat which is a totally undervalued seed (yes, a seed) loaded with vitamins and minerals. Read more
The Invisible Boy
The Invisible Boy is the heartbreaking and heartwarming story of a young boy named Brian – a talented, creative, and quiet child who is all but invisible to the world around him, to his teacher who is preoccupied with the disruptive children, to his classmates playing kickball, and to the other kids in the lunchroom and classroom. Then, one day a boy named Justin joins Brian’s class. Different from the other children, Justin eats Korean food (prepared by his grandmother) with chopsticks while the other children eat more traditional American lunches with their hands. Read more
Vegetable Curry with Mike’s Organic Curry Love®
This is the good stuff.
My husband loves curry especially if a selection of toppings (peanuts, diced bananas, mango chutney, toasted coconut, seasoned slivered almonds, cashews, raisins, dried apricots, and green scallions) are placed in small bowls in the center of the table so he can choose what to put on top. Sometimes it’s a few items and other times, he piles on a little bit of everything to ensure every bite is a mix of sweet and salty flavors along with chewy and crunchy textures. The real beauty of serving curry with toppings is that everyone can customize their own dish to suit their tastes. But, in order to have a really good curry dish, the sauce has to be the star of the show. Read more
10 Healthier Halloween Treats
My home was not the most popular house in the neighborhood last year on Halloween, for a variety of reasons. My next door neighbor went all out and gave full-sized name brand candy bars (i.e. Snickers, Hershey Bars, Milky Ways, etc) which gave them “most favored nation” status among trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood.
We gave out a variety of healthier treats several of which were sought after (i.e. Little Secrets, Nature’s Addict Fruit Sticks, Matt’s Munchies) and several which were not (anything that wasn’t sweet). One 4-year old summed it all up by saying “I want nothing” after surveying our Halloween treat basket full of packets of trail mix, pistachios, and crunchy dried fruit snacks. Read more
Purely Elizabeth® Grain-Free Superfood Granola
The granola market appears to be saturated with dozens of types of granola and, yet there’s always room for one or two more by Purely Elizabeth – a Boulder-based food company that makes the most popular granolas in the natural food market.
A label consumers can always trust, Purely Elizabeth recently introduced two Grain Free Superfood Granolas that are available only through Whole Foods Markets. Read more
Seeded-Grain Bread by Eat More Bakery
Finding a delicious loaf of gluten-free plant-based bread can be challenging because replicating the texture of wheat bread is difficult. Most gluten-free breads fall apart and lack the depth of flavor and texture inherent in breads made with wheat. But, not Seeded-Grain Bread by Eat More Bakery, a gluten-free bakery in Asheville, North Carolina that makes and sells this incredible loaf of bread for $7 a loaf. Read more
Manhattan Beach
Seven years ago in 2011, Jennifer Egan was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for A Visit From The Goon Squad (Goon Squad) – a novel that wasn’t typical in its structure or story which left readers perplexed because aren’t novels supposed be about momentum and anticipation? Read more
Sexual Assault Victims: What I Remember
In the summer of 1972 or 1973 when I was 11 or 12 years old, I was sexually assaulted by a gang of boys, which included my five brothers, cousins, and a boy unrelated to me. I was with my family (my parents, five brothers, aunt, uncle, and cousins) in Maine, staying at a rustic vacation retreat owned by friends of my parents. Actually, the owners weren’t exactly friends of my parents. My father worked with a man named Art Kearney at Paine Webber whose wife’s family owned the vacation property in Maine. The Kearney’s had several children including a son named Dave who were roughly the same age as us so vacationing together seemed like a good idea. Read more
Kale Pesto Citrus Salad
Kale Pesto Citrus Salad made with kale, pesto, and a navel orange is not your typical kale salad, but the combination of these three alpha ingredients makes for a truly delicious salad that is also nutritious and colorful. The other ingredients – beets and sliced almonds – are not as bold but add significant flavor and texture to a perfect Autumn salad.
The key to this salad is a light pesto dressing. I use Seggiano Kale Pesto* which captures the dark leafy green flavors of black kale (or “cavolo nero”), a hearty winter vegetable but a traditional pesto sauce is also delicious. My recipe calls for 2-3 tablespoons diluted with a 1/4 cup of water to make the dressing light. Don’t underestimate the importance of the navel orange pieces. The flavors of kale and orange work really well together. Read more
Paddock Post 