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Tales of a Food Writer

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Tales of a Food Writer...but not the kind you're thinking. I am a food writer, but not the kind that gets all-star treatment in the restaurants, who is recognized by name or by Facebook profile. I am not the kind that has catchy by-lines or who happens to get picked as a judge on a television food show. That is not my gig. I am however, the kind of food writer who could tell you whether or not your avocado tree is self-fertile (true story), or who could tell you the nutritional benefits of a certain fruit or root vegetable. I could tell you the scientific name for pretty much any of the foods on my counter right now, and I could tell you how they would benefit your body. I am a content writer for Specialty Produce . I find different produce items everywhere! Recently, I was told by none other than award-winning Executive Chef Bernard Guillas of San Diego's Marine Room restaurant, that the work I do is extremely important and that I am helping thousands of people with
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Mmmm...Gluten-free Cheesy Bread

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Because I am a frugal person, and the stores that regularly (or somewhat regularly) carried one of my favorite gluten-free bread mixes, Chebe, aren't carrying them any longer - I had to take matters into my own hands. Curtesy of Chebe.com If you haven't tried Chebe's line of mixes, you should.  My brother sent me a couple of their mixes for bread sticks and cheesy bread back in 2007 when I was in a bit of a gluten-free food desert.  Needless to say, it was really nice to have a mix that was quick and easy, and yummy. Since then, I've gotten back into my baking habits and since I couldn't find Chebe products in any of my tried and true local stores, I took to Google.  I already knew that this type of recipe, using tapioca starch, was already a mainstay in Brazil.  In my search, I learned that the bread is called Pao de Queijo.  There's a very nice looking recipe over at thekitchn.com (one of my favorite recipe sites), but it's pretty involved and I&
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Momentary Lapse

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Kishu, courtesy of Specialty Produce At some point this winter you will open the crisper drawer in your fridge to reach for a Cutie or a Kishu .  You know the ones: easy to peel, sweet, tart, just the perfect balance and everything you want in a winter citrus.  You have have to make lunch  you're desperately trying to get something into your system because the energy you got from the coffee you mainlined a few hours ago and the two small pancakes you inhaled while making breakfast for your kids has long-since burned off.  You are busy, a little shaky for lack of nutrition and therefore rushing around; you grab one of the tiny citrus with a mighty taste and realize the minute you start peeling it that you'd inadvertently grabbed one of the other random, small tangerines that orchards put out this same time of year, to compete with the stellar new varieties coming from China or Japan.  You are silently cursing to yourself, knowing that once you start peeling a citrus fruit y
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Balance

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According to Dictionary.com Yoga is a ' union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle' or is ' any of the methods or disciplines prescribed, especially a series of postures and breathing exercises practiced to achieve control  of the body and mind, tranquility, etc.' I don't buy the "control" factor, but the word union and the pairing of mind and body are certainly words that resonate. Balance is something I am constantly striving for.  I'm sure most people are. A while back I had one of those ZING! moments.  I realized that it's all about finding a good balance.  As we become adults it's all about finding balance between having fun and work.  It's not something we would have been capable of as teenagers.  We dutifully went to school and did our homework (well, some of us did and some of us didn't but that's neither here nor there), we played, we grew and we learned, but once you
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A Budding Yogi

So I'm starting to feel a bit like a yogi...well, almost.  Today was Day 6 of 30 in the 30-day Yoga Challenge, a little Vinyasa 1.  This one was different, we used the blocks between our thighs during our down dogs and our chaturangas. Now, doing a true chaturanga requires strength in the upper arms (of which I have little) and core (which I am still working to restrengthen after two kids).  I never really considered the role your thighs played in the whole process until today.  It was different. That's what's great about yoga.  The poses can often be the same, but the feeling is always different.  I guess that can be the same for any class you take. Last night was class number 5.  I took the Vinyasa 2 class and it was a little tough.  The evening classes are more challenging as the day rolls to a close and I've been working so my brain and body have been chugging along for 12 hours already.  My upper thighs were sore, my core was feeling weaker and so my up-dogs t
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How do you Yoga?

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Today was day number three of 30 in the 30-day Yoga Challenge... Usually the first thing I do when I enter the yoga studio/practice room/sanctuary (what-have-you) is lay down my mat and my towel and place my water bottle nearby.  Then I sit myself down and take a look around the room to see what everyone else is up to.  When I first started taking yoga I had no idea what you were really supposed to do.  I didn't read up on it or research any moves.  (Now there's a whole site for beginners, see here ). I'm sure most people do what I did and just say, "Hey, I think I'll try that yoga thing people keep talking about."   Really, I learned about yoga when I was thirteen or so while visiting my aunt in South Jersey.  My other aunt's boyfriend taught Tai Chi and Yoga at the Twelfth Street Gym in Philly .  That was an interesting place.   My aunt's boyfriend was named Chik and he was from Istanbul.  I only remember seeing him with a shirt on a few times;
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Yoga: 30-Day Challenge!

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First, let me start by saying, I am no Yogie.  I don't consider myself to be a guru or even an expert.  I just like to do yoga.  It's good for my muscles, good for my joints and it's good for my mental well being. Image courtesy prweb.com Second, consistency is key.  And balance, balance is also key.  Consistency is key to a lot of things (keeping your blog followers being one of them), and I could write an entirely different blog post on the art of balance (we'll save that for another time).  I've also found that consistency and balance go hand in hand with a positive, well-rounded yoga experience.  You must be consistent in your practice; weekly, daily, monthly, whatever your thing, keep it consistent.  Balance is essential but it's not something we are all born with nor is it something that comes easy to most.  You can develop both consistency and balance, but you have to actively develop these two things. I am on my way to developing my consistency a
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