The Natural Healing Garden

I am writing this article to help assist and be present for some of the most amazing people in my community. Recent announcements of some of the most sad and unwelcoming news can hit us hard. Whether it’s the death or a tragic diagnosis of illness of a friend, family or neighbor, food can be used as comfort in many healthy and unhealthy ways. We have heard of folks reaching out for quick comfort foods, alcohol and even drugs to assist with coping with sadness, grief and trauma. However, what … [Read more...] about Choosing Healthy Foods for Times of Grief

I sit here chuckling as I consider to how to: be a better wife, mother, daughter; run our two businesses; balance my volunteer hours; plan time for exercising, meal preparation, playing with my grandsons, praying and honoring God, staying on top of social media, writing out Christmas cards, shopping locally for gifts, recognizing and praise my staff and spreading holiday cheer.  That list doesn’t even include time for my own reflection and well-being. I became overwhelmed with exhaustion and … [Read more...] about How to Avoid Feeling Overstressed, Overworked

Celebrating the holidays with family and friends is a special time of year. I can recall so many food memories. My Grandma, Betty Scardine, would make homemade pasta and hang it over pipes in the basement. She called it “macaroni!” The lingering aroma of fresh sauce stills stays with me to this day. We would also have calamari. We would go to the local Jewel [grocery store] and order several pounds of the fresh squid. Sitting alongside her and cleaning it was fun. Then we breaded it and fried … [Read more...] about Making Holiday Meals Special