My husband is striving to live a healthier lifestyle and lose a few pounds. He’s always been a very active and fitness-focused person, so his latest efforts are really a refinement of what he’s always been doing. I’m so proud of his willpower, dedication and focus.  He inspires me! Processed white sugar was one of […]

After Sunday’s roast turkey success, we were left with many pounds of turkey meat.  So, this Homemade Mother got to work to make sure that not one ounce of the beautiful bird went to waste.  One the agenda: homemade turkey stock followed up by homemade turkey soup. The beauty of homemade turkey soup comes from […]

The wonderful co-op we buy fresh food from didn’t have turkeys ready in time for Thanksgiving (further proof of the legitimacy of the farmers – they didn’t pump the birds with artificial scary stuff just to have the birds ready for the high season).  When I got an email last week letting me know their […]

The morning after Chris and I returned from our week-long trip abroad, I was faced with a bit of a problem: what to make for breakfast.  Because we had no time (or energy!) for grocery shopping the day of our return, and because we left the house with minimal food, I had to cobble together […]

One of my absolute favorite ingredients to cook with is fresh ginger.  It is so warm and comforting and soothing.  The gnarled knobs might not look very appealing, but so much happiness is lurking inside!  Whether it be a Mango Lassi with Ginger and Cardamom or Homemade Green Chai Tea or Ginger Pumpkin Bread, I […]

I’m feeling a little under the weather today.  Despite getting plenty of sleep last night, I am exhausted. And, I have no appetite so I haven’t eaten much today.  I suspect a day-long bout of nausea is due to this pregnancy, too.  So, after trying quite ridiculously and unsuccessfully to get my husband to leave […]

One of the best things about living in a big city is encountering diversity on a daily basis.  People from all walks of life and all corners of the globe call Chicago home, and I consider their presence in my hometown to be a true asset and gift. Aren’t I lucky to have the world […]

Last week the Breast Cancer Fund released a report about concerning levels of BPA in many prepared Thanksgiving foods.  BPA, an estrogenic chemical linked to breast cancer, is most often found in plastics (one of many reasons I try to avoid plastic altogether).  However, BPA is also found in other surprising places like grocery store […]

Yesterday morning Mack woke up fussing at 5:24.  Ugh.  Although he settled himself back to sleep, I was up. I gave myself 20 minutes to fall back into my dreams, but it was no use.  So, I decided to be productive with this extra 90 minutes in my day.  I took care of a few […]

We go through so many bananas in our house that its rare we have any ripe enough for homemade banana bread.  Sometimes when I’m craving this baked treat I’ll purposefully seek out older bananas at the grocery store in hopes they’ll turn brown before we get a chance to eat them! The other day I […]