Have you ever discovered something great for your self-health that encouraged you to make some changes in your life? Silly question, right? Of course, you have. Maybe you decided to have your kids pack a lunch rather than maneuver the school lunch options. Or, perhaps you made an appointment with a chiropractor for the first […]
Category Archives: Self-Health Survival Guides
28
Dec
Dec
Ask Chef Phyllis: I was at a class (kind of a party) where you were teaching cheese-making. I didn’t think about it until now, but you made dinner for the class using the cheese we’d just made. You prepared the meal while teaching the class and made it look easy. The lunch was Chicken Parmesan […]
What’s Cooking at SRP?
Seared Sea Scallops in Bubbly Butter Sauce: Ringing-in a Scrumptiously Festive New Year
26
Dec
Dec
The last twelve months have been so full of big happenings for me, it’s hard to believe it all fit into one year! Some events were terribly challenging: strings of trials that tested every ounce of my patience, peace, and perseverance. But these were offset by many things that were incredibly awesome and expansive. And […]
24
Dec
Dec
It’s Christmas Eve. Let’s keep things as simple as possible today, including this post, after the busy-ness of the weeks leading up to it. Allow yourself some downtime today to ease into the festivities with a rested spirit. The holidays can be a real struggle for some people. Making sure you have a calm mindset […]
21
Dec
Dec
Ask Chef Phyllis: It’s been awhile since I made homemade gifts, such as scented pine cones, zucchini-nut breads, and salted nuts, for Christmas. But I’m really finding that gift-giving has gotten out of hand. It’s frustrating and loses meaning. I’d like a good recipe for salty or spicy-sweet nuts to put in a glass jar […]
19
Dec
Dec
An original take on a traditional Italian cheesecake. I’ve always been a fan of cheesecake—at least, the more familiar American-style, made with cream cheese and a graham cracker crust. The richness, the dense texture, the combination of tart and sweet… I’m really not sure what took me so long to get with the program, but […]
18
Dec
Dec
There is something incredibly satisfying about discovering the perfect gifts right in your own community. I can guarantee there are people close by growing, baking, and/or creating something they are proud of, no matter where you live. And they should be! It takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there and hope your […]
14
Dec
Dec
Ask Chef Phyllis: It was interesting to see other bread recipes on your website. I love bread, and I liked the recipe for Portuguese sweet bread, which is famous in the Boston area. But I noticed not a mention of many other American breads. Have you ever heard of a Sally Lunn? My grandmother, who […]
12
Dec
Dec
Anyone who’s been reading my blog over the years knows I hold a distinct fondness for lamb. It’s a sentimental thing for me, and a main staple of the island where I grew up. We didn’t eat a whole lot of red meat in my family—mostly poultry and fish and the occasional roast. For most […]
11
Dec
Dec
We all have stories to tell, and the holidays are the perfect time of year to share them. While there is always bustle and chaos preparing for the festivities, there’s also time for connecting and relaxing. These pockets of time cry out for reminiscence and nostalgia—storytelling. Storytelling is a gift for you and others. As […]
07
Dec
Dec
Ask Chef Phyllis At Christmastime, I make a huge three-cheese, three-meat lasagna. I admit that it’s a lot of work to prepare, but when all done, it’s done. Put it in the oven, relax with my guests and family, and pour a glass of wine is all I want to do. An antipasto is an […]
05
Dec
Dec
A Moroccan-inspired holiday hors d’oeuvre The final month of the year has arrived, and with it an abundance of fresh, vibrant energy and seasonal cheer! I love so many things about this time of year. As a mother, it is fun to see the joy and awe in my daughter’s eyes when we decorate the […]
04
Dec
Dec
If you celebrate Christmas, you have exactly three weeks to finish your gift buying. If you are feeling at a loss for some special person on your list, one of the methods I use to pick out the perfect item is to pay close attention during our conversations. When I do, they tell me, unwittingly, […]
29
Nov
Nov
The description of a new TV show says, “Friendship isn’t a big thing, it’s a million little things.” Well…yes. You can say the same thing about a life, and a marriage. But I wish to mention here that there’s so little information about the third stage of a girl’s life, widowhood, that I decided to […]
28
Nov
Nov
Fool-proof tricks for juicy chicken breast, every time I sure am enjoying the slow-down of the season this year. Last fall, I barely had a chance to breathe in that sliver of time between the bustle of summer and holiday preparations. I had a lot going on then—family obligations, unexpected traveling, tons of gardening—and simply […]
27
Nov
Nov
The other day I was feeling out of sorts. Every misstep—big or small—placed a weight on my psyche that I wasn’t able to shake off. I hadn’t slept well for a couple of nights. I found out I didn’t get yet another job since we relocated. And I didn’t have a plan for dinner (seemed […]
21
Nov
Nov
Repurposing leftovers from the holiday meal that keeps on giving… I love celebrating Thanksgiving for many reasons: Savoring a wonderful meal in thanks to the harvest: Check! Spending a relaxing day off in the company of people I love: Check! Pie: Check! But one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is that it usually comes […]
20
Nov
Nov
You know what they say every Thanksgiving: that plateful of turkey tryptophan will surely send you to the couch for a snooze like no other. While I’m often up for a quick afternoon nap to recharge the batteries, I’m trying to remember a Thanksgiving when it was impossible to stay awake after eating. I suppose, […]
What’s Cooking at SRP?
Arugula-Pear Salad with Hazelnuts and Parmigiano Reggiano: Simple, Elegant Fall Flavors
14
Nov
Nov
I’ll never forget the first Thanksgiving I spent in the United States, away from my Canadian family. Though we feasted for the Canadian celebration each year (about a month earlier), nothing prepared me for the smorgasbord of food at my first Thanksgiving with a family of mid-westerners. It was a huge affair, upwards of two […]
13
Nov
Nov
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of people say, “Caffeine doesn’t affect me,” which confused me. It has always been my understanding that caffeine is a stimulant and should be likely to affect one person the same as any other. Right? I mean, a stimulant is a stimulant. It triggers the brain and central nervous […]