Happy New Year to you and yours!   First let me say how grateful I am that you share a bit of your time by reading my blog.  This past year has brought me joy, love, tears and great food.  As superstitious as it all may be, I still write down my wishes for the New Year in a little Peruvian clay pot that my mother gave me that I then put away and forget until the last day of the year.  Reading through small crunched up pieces of ...

A recent clinical trial by the chocolate-maker Mars reports that consumption of cocoa flavanols (antioxidant compounds of dark chocolate) helps older adults with mild cognitive impairment.   This new report shows for the first time that cocoa has a positive effect in cognitive function.  Further research is still needed to expand on this information but given that these trials were done in a short time and already show promising res...

Most people I know have had a difficult time getting  restful sleep at one time or another, myself included. Through the years I have tried different things and have narrowed it down to a few simple ways that are the most powerful in getting me at least a few good hours of snooze, which is key for good living.  Even on nights when we get a few good hours of sleep, I venture to say that given our busy and fast-moving lives that most of...

I know this is a food blog and although my life is made of many parts, they are also symbiotic and do not act separately from one another.  I lost a very important part of my life yesterday and I thought I would share it here with my readers.   But I can promise you that out of my pain always comes something in the kitchen.  Cooking helps me grieve, it helps me to be happy and it helps me to feel alive. Creativity comes in mysterious...

We all have days when the funk is hanging like a heavy cloud over our heads.  The worst part is  that the funk can get into our hearts and souls and drain us of hope, and hope is  key to living as a happy Homo sapiens.  I know  I've had a few funky days here and there and I always have to look back to the Buddhist wisdom that so wisely teaches us that all is temporary, including the funk.  If you think about it, moods, whether goo...

For many people, eating healthy or just staying away from nasty foods is simpler said than done.  I always say everything in moderation so if you can cut back on bad things and add good things to your diet, you can quickly be on your way to a more radiant, happier and slimmer you. 1. Soda is the evil.  Soda has phosphorous, too much of it, which can increase calcium loss from the body.  Substitute soda with sodium-free seltzer wat...