I believe in healthy living.  I eat kale.  I do yoga.  I make herbal remedies.  I’ve detoxed my beauty routine.  I try to live in a way that will let me live for a long time.

I also love to bake.  I love chocolate.  And food, in general.  I don’t believe in “dieting”.  I don’t believe in low-fat or eating fake sugar.  I think a nice hot toddy will cure many ailments.

The thing is – to me, these two philosophies make perfect sense together.

Being healthy is so much more than what you eat.  It’s having a balanced approach to life where your lifestyle, relationships, career, creativity, exercise, and of course your food, all support you reaching your goals.

And my perfect blend of lifestyle elements includes baking, eating and sharing the occasional indulgent treat.

Enter: the Creme de Menthe bar.  When I’m in need of an intense chocolate hit, this is it.  A rich, dense, fudgy brownie layer topped with cooling, minty buttercream, and a drizzle of bitter chocolate.  Oh, I’m in love.

To be enjoyed in moderation.

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What’s your coffee weakness?   I am a sucker for seasonality.  I’m talking about those fancy seasonal drinks at coffee shops, and the limited edition bottles of coffee creamer in the grocery stores.  Especially if that seasonal flavor is Pumpkin Spice (read: pumpkin pie in a glass).

There are a couple of problems with this craving for drinkable pumpkin pie goodness in my coffee:

1.  I prefer homemade coffee.  Mainly because coffee shops are really expensive.  Also, I like to drink coffee while in my PJs.  (And because I don’t know what goes into the drinks … artificially flavored syrups, zillions of calories, and who knows what else.)

2.  Flavored liquid coffee creamer doesn’t exist in the UK!  (I know!  Tragic.)

But even if you can find pumpkin spice coffee creamer in your local store – have you read the ingredients on the bottle?  It’s not made from cream.  Especially in the pumpkin spice version – there are lots of unpronounceable things, artificial flavors and tons of sugar.  It doesn’t really fit my food philosophy.

Fortunately (well, out of desperation), I came up with a solution.  Homemade pumpkin spice coffee creamer.  Made from REAL food – like cream, milk, maple syrup, and of course, pumpkin!  Just try not to drink it straight from the jar – save some for your coffee.

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The cult of kale … are you in?  Do you munch on kale chips and extol the virtues of green smoothies for breakfast?

Or do you have no idea what I’m talking about?

Don’t worry, I didn’t until earlier this year.  And then suddenly, kale was everywhere!

For those not in-the-know, kale is a leafy, green vegetable, related to collard greens or a more wild form of cabbage.  Until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was one of the most common vegetables in Europe, and arrived in the USA in the 1800s.

My friend Laurie once requested that I write about some “vintage vegetables”.  And kale fits that profile – a veggie that was used for centuries, then forgotten about until it’s reappearance in recent years (and some good marketing – kale even has its own website!)

This leafy green is worth a try – it’s packed with nutrients, really versatile, and best of all – doesn’t turn into a pile of mush when cooked like spinach!

And get this, I’ve even started eating it… for breakfast!  (Ok, only sometimes.  I’m not that virtuous.)

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My kitchen just doesn’t feel homey unless I have several edible ‘experiements’ brewing and bubbling on the countertop.

Currently I’m making sloe gin and chocolate liqueur for Christmas gifts (oops, sorry everyone, you know what you’ll be getting this year…), as well as some echinachea tincture for winter colds.  But these are all infused alcohols, so they’re quick to prepare and not much of a culinary challenge.  Speaking of infused alcohols – have you made any of these projects yet?  Really, they are So Easy, and your friends will be impressed!

Projects get more interesting when live bacteria and yeast join the fun.  You might remember making sourdough bread or super veg.  These super traditional projects require catching friendly bacteria or yeast from the air and getting them to do the hard work for you!

This project is in the more advanced category.  Although it’s really easy to make, it might frighten small children when left on the counter.  (Actually, small children will probably think it’s really cool – it’s the other adults you might frighten away!).

Kombucha is one of those specialty drinks you find in health food stores and yoga studios.  It’s based on black tea which is fermented so it becomes fizzy and tart.  It’s really tasty, and some people think it does amazing things for detoxifying the body and improving your digestive system (think: inexpensive, drinkable probiotics.)

But what hooked me was the fact that you need a floating colony of bacteria to start the process (known as a mother, a mushroom or a SCOBY) … it looked so weird I just had to try it myself!

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If you have any digestive issues or want to boost your immune system, here’s a solution you might not have considered.

Eat some Super Veg every day.  What is Super Veg? It’s my own name for lacto-fermented vegetables, a very traditional process of preserving vegetables for the winter and also enhancing their nutritional value.

Any type of fermentation, whether it’s sourdough bread or yogurt, involves encouraging the growth of friendly organisms to help preserve the food, improve the flavor and, often, add health benefits for you too.

Ok, I admit I changed the name of these veggies because the familiar name has a bad reputation.  Depending on your background, you might know them as German sauerkraut, French choucroute, or Korean kimchi.  Wait, don’t run away!  I HATE sauerkraut too.  At least I always thought I did.  That’s until I started fermenting my own with a blend of veggies and seasonings.  The soggy, vinegary cabbage which comes in cans bears no resemblance at all to yummy Super Veg.  I promise!

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Sloe berries are one of those wild fruits which every British person can identify, and which no American has ever heard of.

“Oh, are you sure they’re not blueberries?” was my mom’s comment when she saw them.

There’s no mistaking sloes for blueberries once you taste them.  Sloes are the most astringent thing I’ve ever tasted.  One nibble and your mouth goes dry.  Ick.

Even so, sloes make the most delicious liqueur when mixed with gin.  And it’s So Easy to make.  OK, I know I say that a lot, but infused alcohols are super duper simple.  Just add the sloes and sugar to gin, and leave them to soak for a few months.  That’s it!  You CAN do this.  And even if you’re not a gin fan yourself, what about bottles of homemade sloe gin for gifts?  There’s Christmas sorted.

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Sharing a meal with friends should be a fun, relaxing experience.  

I love food. I love to cook. I love to share food with friends and try foods when I travel.  For me, it’s one of the essential pleasures of life.

As a teenager, I was extremely strict about my food intake (thank you, 16 years of dance lessons and a body-image obsessed group of friends.)  At low points, I was miserable.  I remember standing in the university cafeteria and actually crying one day because I felt guilty about eating any of the food options.

With that in mind, I’m going to share with you 3 simple, time-tested rules for how to improve your diet.  I think Grandma would approve.

This tip is so simple but makes your homemade yogurt even more amazing.

First of all, I think it’s amazing to make yogurt.  Or maybe I’m just a science geek.  But I can’t get over the transformation of warming milk, stirring in a tablespoon of yogurt starter, letting it sit overnight – et voila! Yogurt.  If you haven’t made yogurt before, go do that now!

I’ve been making my own yogurt for over a year now.  But it always turns out really thin.  Which hasn’t bothered me too much if I eat if over homemade granola or with some fruit compote.  But it’s not always the picture-perfect yogurt you might serve to company.  (Does anyone serve yogurt to company?  Well, I will now that I can make thick, creamy Greek yogurt!)

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