Make it Yourself

photo 2 If you are anything like me, you are among the zillions of health seekers who are considering switching their milk intake to almond milk. When I first considered making such a switch, I sampled the myriad store varieties. Taste was my first concern, but as I found myself drinking more almond milk, I started to question all the ‘extras’ found in the list of ingredients, especially carrageenan. This troubling additive made me consider if I could make my own; and if we did, would it taste as good as our favorite brand? Well, I am here to say, our homemade almond milk tastes divine and the health benefits are worth the effort:

“Almond milk is one of the most nutritionally valuable milk substitutes available today. It is high in a number of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, iron, fiber, zinc and calcium. Almond milk is low in calories, at only 40 calories per eight ounce serving, and low in fat. It contains only three grams of fat per eight ounce serving. Almond milk is lactose, gluten, casein and cholesterol free; it’s also free of saturated fats” (The Healthier Choice).

Follow this simple recipe and you will love getting all the benefits with none of the additive concerns.

Continue reading →

City of Angels

Los-Angeles-Slider1

Hard to believe I’m headed out of Vermont again so soon, but lucky for me I am. Away from the lingering snow, the gray skies, my hectic schedule and my computer screen, for a whole week. I’m flying to the land of sunshine and flowers and ocean and stars. Yes, you guessed it, I’m embarking on my April Los Angeles visit (with a side-trip to Palm Springs)!

Continue reading →

Family Series, part 1: The Den

Our den was a beehive. Us coming in and rushing out. The blue glow from the nightly news. The red embers in the fireplace. Orange splashed here and there to offset the stark Danish furnishing. A bronze JFK. An iron eagle. A plaster Madonna in the corner. Us, a crew I thought typical back then. Six kids in stages of colorful rebellion.

Dance night. Once that new stereo got hooked up, 60’s rock entered the den. The front of the fireplace transformed into our stage. The reading dancinglamp twisted to shine upwards on our lip-synching. Fire pokers and longish twigs meant for kindling converted into microphones. Bursts of energy of movement of sound. Us riding the crest of pandemonium. Dogs too, jumping along like they couldn’t get enough of what we felt.

Images pop into my head even now, forty plus years afterwards. We snaked through early life with no one looking too far ahead. Nothing rocked us out of the moment. We were cemented into that time and place. Body and soul. We were a force.

Continue reading →