One of many green smoothies
I am doing the Clean cleanse this month. I did 6 days of pre-cleanse following the program's strict elimination diet. Now I'm on Day 14 out of 21 days of the cleanse, and afterward I will do a reintroduction period, bringing back restricted foods slowly so I can gauge if I have a reaction to any of them (please, not to wheat/gluten!). Despite having a work trip during week 2, Mikhail has been bravely following the program too.
Funny how it seems like suddenly "cleansing" is everywhere I turn. Do I just see it because I'm doing it, or is everyone else actually doing a cleanse too? Have I become so trendy?
January does seem like a great time of year to do this. You've got the New Year's resolutions (formal & informal), you've got recovery from the indulgence of the holidays. And if you're me, you've been getting 2-3 migraines per week over the past few months, and you're getting really sick of it.
The main reason I'm doing the cleanse is to see if I can identify my migraine triggers. Since these can be pretty ... more
Liquid gold, Berkeley sidewalk
It’s been unusually cold in Berkeley, and I’ve been battling a drawn-out sinus and ear infection. Together, these have got me craving soup.
These days, my favorite soup to eat when I’m sick is wor won ton soup from the Chinese restaurant, mostly because someone else made it.
I buy it in containers of three if Mikhail is out of town for the week, and I eat it day in and day out.
Sinus infection still life
But soup is one of my favorite things to cook, too.
Soup is ... more
Tulips in my kitchen, February 2013
I don't post a lot of recipes. I'm not a gourmet cook. I don't take gorgeous food photos.
But I do make a mean oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.
I wanted to share it with you. Bake these in honor of Valentine's Day being past, an "Alaskan" storm headed our way, and cozy February afternoons when you want your house to smell good.
This cookie is divinely chewy & substantial. If you like a thin, crisp cookie, this is not the recipe for you. But if you like ... more
Can a boy live on banana bread alone?Elan is testing this theory.My mom (aka Nana) bravely volunteered for 10 days of post-tonsillectomy hell recovery without really knowing what she was getting into (along with my dad, who was here for the first few days and then had to go back to work). My mom left on Saturday and has since been replaced by my equally brave mother-in-law. Getting through Elan's tonsillectomy recovery is a family affair!Nana and Emry, December 2011My mom has made this ... more
Ocean and sunlight, San Diego, July 2011*A friend who had been on dialysis got a new kidney from a living donor, a woman who is a friend of a friend but not someone she had ever met before the transplant process began. Recipient and donor, both young women, are doing well post-surgery. I am blown away by the generosity.*Emry can crawl.*Elan can read.*Both my children slept until 6 a.m. this morning, drank some milk, and went back to sleep until after 7:30.*I went to ... more
We just got an electric kettle, and I'm smitten. Suddenly, I'm drinking herbal tea regularly, instead of just thinking that I should (sweetened herbal tea helps to satiate my 4 p.m. sweet/caffeine craving, without ODing on sugar or staying up all night cause I drank coffee after noon). And I no longer have that annoying situation where I turn the kettle on and by the time it's whistling its heart out on the stove, I'm upstairs elbow-deep in a poopy diaper. Or ensconced in my rocking chair, nursing ... more
It's not going to help me lose the 20 pounds, but it's so yummy I almost don't care.When was the last time you ate freshly baked bread straight out of the oven?In college, I lived in a cooperative house (Mikhail did too, but a different co-op). The student-run co-ops at Stanford were known for many things: nudity, co-ed showers, naked cooking, and the tradition of the student residents baking bread every night to use for sandwiches the next day. My co-op was one of the more conservative ones, so there ... more
photo credit: Molly Wizenberg, OrangetteMy baby's been sick. It's a terrible thing, a sick baby. He tries to be his fat, bald, jolly, regular good-natured smiley self. But most of the time, he can only summon the occasional smile. Thankfully he's still go the fat and bald part covered. I miss my happy little guy, and I'm worried. Worried, and tired. Tired, mentally and physically. That's what happens when your baby is sick for going on 8 days.At least he doesn't have whooping cough. That's a relief, since ... more
My picky eater, as a dinner plate is set before him:"I love ham!"What every Jewish mother loves to hear."Blueberries -- yuck!"What kid doesn't like blueberries? They're blue, and sweet. What's not to like?"Seaweed -- yum! I love seaweed!"Go figure."Can I have dessert?"Now chocolate -- that's pretty much always a winner.Just like his mama.
Are kids eating too many snacks?In our case, the answer is yes. Yes, my kid eats too many crackers. Yes, I comfort myself that at least they're whole-grain. He loves pretzels too. This is the kid who will literally eat salt straight out of the shaker.Thankfully given the genetics I'm not worried about him being obese. It's more that we're always happy when we can get him to eat.Read the article here.
This is my boy.We think he looks a little like an Ewok.He woke up at 5:30 this morning. Mama was not pleased.Of course, I had already been up since 4. Pregnant insomnia. That one good night's sleep with the Valerian was awesome, but I guess it was a one-shot deal.Here he is with Doggie in the pocket of his new apron. In our house, we call this a "morale-boosting outfit." As in, the cuteness factor boosts Mama and Dada's morale.He's even taken to helping with the ... more