As a makeup artist, one of the questions I’m most commonly asked by my clients is: “Will my makeup last all day long?” My answer? “This ain’t my first rodeo.” The bulk of my business happens in the heat of summer, so I’ve had a lot of practice getting this art down to a science. Whether it’s for a graduation, wedding, photo shoot, or other event, there are a few tricks you can use to…
Gut instinct. Listen to your gut. What does your gut tell you? In the 1970s through to the 1980s, studies on the connection between diet and depression were being conducted. But they were discontinued due to underfunding, as is so often the case when it comes to nutrition research. Recent studies have again been conducted to determine what the connection is between our brain…
In the midst of winter, we are lucky to have some hearty veggies to stave off scurvy. Kale, cabbages, collard greens are the emerald gems of winter eats — packed full of vitamin A, vitamin C,…
Saturated Fat Is Better Than You Think. Happy Holidays! Some good news: Despite what we have been told for the last 50-odd years, fat that is normally found in the food we eat (think beef, chicken, pork, cheese, butter, cream, whole milk, olive oil, avocados, etc.) does not actually make us fat. How is that possible, you ask? First, this whole notion that eating saturated fat will cause…
It was my first Hopewell Farm carrot that hooked me. I had moved to Bellingham that fall, and bought a two-pound bag of carrots at the farmers market. Sure, they have carrots in Texas — the Lone Star State I hail from — but not carrots like this. The perfect crunch, the earthy sweetness told a story my senses had not yet experienced. Before long, I was buying up five-pound bags of carrots to whip into pureed carrot soup and…
A couple of things are true about me: 1. Being a mother and a partner has been one of the greatest privileges of my life; 2. I am definitely a homebody. I love the pictures and the beauty that I see on social media of all the amazing places this world has to offer and yet each summer I propose a staycation rather than…
With the days getting shorter and the temperatures cooler, this familiar Indian dish will bring just enough heat to take the chill off. It’s also sure to satisfy your palate and leave you feeling full. Although it may seem a little labor intensive, the end result is well worth the effort. So, get out your measuring…
In the height of the sunshine season — family vacations, downtown concerts, summer festivities, early sun rises and late sunsets — it can be easy to feel a bit drained by the time fall rolls around. Luckily for us, it’s also the time locally grown produce is at peak production. Community farmers markets and local grocers are bursting with ripe berries and carefully stacked, farm-fresh vegetables. Taking the…
Spring has officially sprung in the Pacific Northwest and that makes local food geeks like me giddy for several reasons: Spring Is My Favorite Season For Local Vegetables Fresh, spicy greens, beautiful French breakfast radishes, the cutest baby veggies (beets, carrots), sweet, succulent sprouts and peas; it’s heaven. What better way to pull us out of the winter than the cleansing, fresh foods of spring? It’s Time For CSAs. Right now is the best time to sign…
The other day someone asked me, “Do you eat salad every day?” To which I replied “I do. Don’t you?” I sometimes forget that…
Local Food Boxes make for a Healthy You and a Healthy Community When spring comes in northwest Washington, there seems to be a communal sigh exhaled across the land. More rain ahead, yes, but the occasional sunny and almost-warm day gives us the glimmer of hope to keep forging ahead. Spring…
It’s the dead of winter in northwest Washington, but local food can still be found. A brief journey through the whipping winds will lead you to a few meccas of local bounty that are well worth the effort. What better way to celebrate the month of love than with a from-scratch dinner you’ll keep coming back to. It’s healthy, it’s delicious, it supports your community, and will impress your love, your family, AND your taste buds. The Winter Abundance…
Have you ever wondered why most raw food retreats are in sunny, tropical locations? Or why we crave a bowl of hot oatmeal on a brisk morning instead of fresh fruit? When it is wintry outside, our bodies gravitate toward foods that are naturally warming. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), warming foods are foundational during winter. This is because the body is seen as a microcosm of the natural world, which…
When my mother died, the very last thing I ever wanted to do again was cook. The task of conceiving of a meal, shopping for it, preparing it, and cleaning up was a mountain between me and the need to…
The end of summer and journey into fall is a bittersweet time in Northwest Washington. It’s easy to yearn nostalgic for long summer…
The earlier mornings, the not-so-occasional warm breeze, flower buds popping up, blossoms on trees, it’s spring! The time of year when all of us Pacific Northwesterners breathe a tiny sigh of relief; we made it through another winter. But what’s the best part…
The New Year can be a time of fresh beginnings for dietary changes and is a great place to start, but just how do you start eating healthy?
It’s that wonderful time of year when party invitations pour in. What does that mean? There will be rivers of mulled hard cider, eggnog and champagne abundantly flowing. Over-indulging in holiday libations may take…
The Intricate Art of Edible Landscaping Western Washington is a gardener’s haven. With a mild climate, known as Zone 8 to fruit and vegetable growers, many plants thrive, often beyond our wildest expectations. Talk to those with a passion for edibles, and you start hearing things like, “Does kale ever die?” and “Do food banks take fresh garden donations?” Neither is a drawback. One…
Attempts, tries, uncertainty. Cooking and baking are full of risk. Risk of time and precious ingredients—the milk of a mother cow, eggs from an over-worked, over-laying chicken, beautiful produce that takes so much time to plant and grow, farmers’ energy and precious natural resources. The monetary value, the purchasing of the ingredients, as well as the research and time. The shopping. Oy, the shopping. No wonder I have this sense of incredible responsibility every time I try a new recipe,…
One of the most revelatory moments to be had as a home gardener is realizing the incredible volume of food that can be grown in a small space. A large container or two on your front or back porch, window boxes, and narrow in-ground planting beds can all produce food for you to enjoy. Window boxes and narrow or side-yard planting beds are usually close enough…
It’s here again, the beginning of a new year. As much as we try to maintain that we’re not interested in New Year’s resolutions, there is still a lingering voice in the back of our minds reminding us that with a new year comes new opportunities to do things right; to be better.
As a personal trainer here in Bellingham for the past ten years, I have seen and experienced what does — and does not — work for clients…
As fall turns into winter, the scent in the air that tells me it’s holiday time isn’t pine needles, but the hunger-inducing fragrance of potato latkes frying in oil. Hot, crispy, onion-y, this savory potato pancake is the featured item at Hanukkah dinners and parties, and the focus of latke-eating contests. Before the New World potato made its way across the Atlantic a few hundred years ago, cheese or buckwheat fritters were the fried food…
Autumn This is it, the time of year in which all that is cozy and good comes out to stay a while. Autumn, fall, the holiday season, harvest, whatever. There is a real security in leaning into these comforts: food, sweaters, books, wood-burning stoves, puzzles, and Vitamin D….
Down-home Southern favorite makes perfect New Year’s meal!
In Northwest Washington, we have an environment in which we can follow this lifestyle. We have access to a variety of fresh, local foods and farmers who raise animals in healthy environments to provide us with good quality milk, eggs and meat.
