Healthy Living How To

Vanessa Rae Romero

Gone to the Dogs

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We are waaaay up north in Minnesota, about 15 minutes from the Canadian border, spending time with Tom’s family. We’re all here, his parents, Cathy and Warren, his brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Michelle, Tom, myself and our boys Jacob and Brodrick. And the DOGS, all five of them. I will be back on Tuesday… [Continue Reading]

Hot Bacon Dressing

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Bacon makes everything better and a hot salad dressing made with bacon is no exception. Hot Bacon Dressing is a German classic, featured in just about every church cookbook from the 70’s. While your grandmother’s version probably calls for unhealthy vegetable oil, sugar and cornstarch, with a few substitutions, you have a healthy dressing. Slightly… [Continue Reading]

Candy, What is it Good For?

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Absolutely nothing. Uh huh. Candy, huh, yeah. What is it good for. Absolutely nothing. Say it again, y’all. (sung to the tune of “War” by Edwin Starr) This is about the only thing candy is good for, building gingerbread houses. Last year, my family started a new Christmas Day tradition, a friendly gingerbread house decorating… [Continue Reading]

Just Be

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It’s the morning after Christmas, enjoying a cup of coffee as well as the silence. Ahhhhh, the silence, there is something to be said for sitting quietly and just being. The early morning hours are usually my favorite time of the day, it’s my time of reflection, journalling and prayer. On the days when I… [Continue Reading]

How To Make Christmas Bows

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Want to learn how to take your wrapped gifts from blah to beautiful? Learn how to make your own Christmas bows, with wire trimmed ribbon, scissors and tape. No more buying a gift bag to hide your presents in and no more flimsy cheap bows from a bag. Don’t just save your newly found bow making… [Continue Reading]

Chocolate Spice One Minute Muffin

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Last week I did a recipe makeover for Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies. From unhealthy to healthy, they turned out beautiful, the texture was light and cakey and the flavors were deep and spicy. I got it in my head that with a little tweaking, they would taste great as a Chocolate Spice Muffin or even… [Continue Reading]

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Ghee

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I shared with you my casein confessions a few weeks back and how my body revolted after a recent run-in with Greek style yogurt. After a few miserable days and rationalizing that I could still have butter, it became very apparent, casein whether from a cow, in small or concentrated amounts, did not agree with… [Continue Reading]

What You Need to Know About Body Mass Index

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Few people in the United States would argue that we aren’t an overweight nation. Most are familiar with the statistics that suggest 1/3 of the population is obese and another 1/3 is at least overweight. These statistics mainly come from height and weight data, which is used to compute body mass index levels for these… [Continue Reading]

Vanilla Biscotti Cookies

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One more Christmas cookie recipe to “healthify” from my friend Jennie. The first recipe, Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies, were a successful healthy makeover. Next challenge, Vanilla Biscotti Cookies. When most of us think of biscotti, we think of a hard, slightly sweet, crunchy, long cookie designed for dunking. What I learned from my Italian friend, is her… [Continue Reading]

Vanilla Chia Pudding

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We’ve all heard the catchy jingle, ♫ Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia ♫, sung during a television commercial for Chia Pets, the kitschy Christmas gift that sprouts plant-like hair. Yes, the same chia seeds that puts hair on a terra-cotta replica of Homer Simpson’s head is also an amazing ancient seed full of nutritional benefits. After sharing my Christmas Cranberry Granola last week, I got a… [Continue Reading]