Best Cozy Soup Recipes

Here are the best cozy soup recipes for the season… They are easy, delicious, and healthy.

Soup, Soup, Soup… It is repetition worthy

Soup  is the most amazing food. Honestly, soup has saved me on many an occasion. If I have a big pot of soup sitting in my fridge, I’m good. It means I have food for when I’m hangry. Or for when someone just drops by. Or for when I feel a bout of gluttony coming on while I’m watching The Great British Baking Show. If I have a big bowl of healing soup instead of let’s say… cake… I am so much better off.

If you follow me on Instagram then you already know I can be obsessed with certain food groups or preparations. Soup is a happy obsession. Pasta is another one… but that’s a post for another day. There are plenty of worse things than …

So Many Pizzas In So Little Time

Making pizza was always fun, but now it’s fast and easy too. Yes, we can now make so many pizzas in so little time…

We Bought An Inn!

I’ve been really busy lately. For those of you who don’t know already, Steve and I bought an inn. Yup, we pulled the trigger and we bought The Harvest Inn on the North Fork of Long Island. We own a bed & breakfast! It has been a whirlwind of activity. We renovated everything from head to toe and we haven’t stopped moving. We’ve been here about 3 months and we officially opened our doors to guests about six weeks ago.

Being such a city person, this is a huge change for me. Huge. I mean ginormous. Everything about this new life is the polar opposite of my old Manhattan life. I’m someone who embraces change and I’ve embraced this new country life. …

Reasons To Add Reishi Mushrooms To Your Diet

There are many reasons why you should add reishi mushrooms to your diet. Scroll down to learn why you really need to add this powerhouse of a superfood to your daily routine.

Reishi is amazing. It’s a Chinese herb and a mushroom that acts as a superfood. In Chinese medicine, we use it for longevity support and we take it every day. It is available in many different forms, so you can choose the one that works best for you and your needs.  This powerhouse of an herb has been used in China for over 2000 years, and is still widely used today.

The Chinese name for reishi is Ling Zhi. It’s also known as Ganoderma. But, whatever you call it, it is like the rockstar of Chinese herbs. This medicinal mushroom really can make a huge difference in your overall health. It’s often referred to as the herb of …

Even More Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Thanksgiving is really all about the side dishes. Here are my latest ideas for Even More Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes. 

Since I moved into a small apartment in New York City, my Thanksgiving cooking strategy has drastically changed. And, I have to tell you, I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner. Here’s what I do — and no judgment here please — I order in my turkey already cooked and sliced and I make a bazillion side dishes. It works. It works really well. I mean, having all of the time to focus on only the sides makes for more sides and more experimental dishes and more non traditional dishes too.

Year ago, I started serving a huge Cold Seafood Salad With Garlic Oil as my main appetizer or side dish. Untraditional yes. But amazingly awesome, YES! So, with the turkey taken care of, I can now have …

How To Make Perfect Eggs Every Time

Eggs are nature’s perfect food. Cooking them perfectly every time is easy. Read below to learn how to make perfect eggs every time. Yes. Every. Single. Time.

Eggs have always been one of my favorite foods. They make me happy. They really are easy to make perfectly if you know a few simple tricks.

Eggs make everything taste better. When in doubt, crack an egg on it. When my kids were young, the way I got them to eat foods they didn’t think they liked, was to put a fried egg on top. We had chicken topped with eggs and salad topped with eggs, and oatmeal topped with eggs. We had savory yogurt bowls with eggs. We had eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The first thing we were taught in cooking school was how to make scrambled eggs and omelets. I thought this was a no-brainer, but it’s not. …

Reasons Why You Should Be Eating More Tomatoes (With Recipes)

Tomatoes are not only delicious gems, but they are also have healing capabilities. Here are the reasons why you should be eating more tomatoes (with recipes).

I love tomatoes. I love them raw. I love them cooked. I love them fresh. I love them canned. I love them in cold gazpacho and in hot creamy tomato soup.⁠ Okay, you get the picture… ⁠ Tomatoes are loved by most people because they taste awesome and they are so versatile. But, did you know that this humble fruit is really good for you?⁠ ⁠ In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to aid in digestion and to help detoxify the body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections. ⁠These are great reasons why you should be eating more tomatoes. ⁠ And can we just …

How To Make Healthy Casual Dinners At Home

It’s fun and easy to make healthy casual dinners at home. Here are my favorite tips and tricks to help you and your family/friends enjoy these times.

It’s no secret that I love to cook and I love to entertain. And yes, I am a chef. But no, I don’t always feel like cooking fancy food and my guests most often prefer a more relaxed vibe. So over the years I’ve amassed many tips and tricks to make fun healthy casual dinners at home.

Dinners can be fun without being fancy. As a matter of fact, a lot of times the less fussy, the more fun they are.⁠ ⁠This pic is of hot dog night at our house. We’ve got the dogs, of course, But we also have lettuce wraps, sauerkraut, leftover Korean pickled vegetables, leftover pasta, kimchi, crispy roasted potatoes, and a variety of condiments. ⁠ ⁠

To me, …

Great Salad Recipes

I am giving you all of my great salad recipes in one spot — because we all need to eat more greens and veggies.

I was never a huge salad fan. And now, one of the things I am craving most is lettuce. ⁠ ⁠ I hate to be so stereotypic, but I guess I am — as soon as I can’t have something, I want it. Big time.⁠ ⁠ I can cook anything. And most times, I like what I cook better than anything I can order in or take out. But not salad. I hate making salad. I almost always think that a salad that someone else makes for me is better than one that I make at home. ⁠ ⁠ There are a few exceptions, but, for the most part, I am so happy to go out to one of the salad places that will make me …

Boost Your Mood During Quarantine

Sometimes it gets really hard to boost your mood during quarantine. Nobody’s perfect, but keeping a positive attitude certainly makes things better. Here are some of my tricks.

I’m a pretty positive person. I pride myself in almost always being able to see the bright side of a situation. But I’m not perfect. And this whole social distancing/quarantine thing is challenging. Really challenging. But that doesn’t mean it’s not doable… but it does require some effort.

It’s really easy to fall into that stay-at-home-not-getting-dressed pattern. But this does not make you feel good. Seriously, the novelty of not wearing a bra or pants with a waistband can wear off really fast.

I speak from experience. Learn from my mistakes. The first few days of this new normal had me a bit out of sorts. I felt mood swings like never before, I had some anxiety, my temper became a bit …

10 Pantry Meals To Make Now

Are you trying to figure out what to cook these days? We all need recipes that are simple, delicious, healthy, and made with accessible ingredients. Well, here you go… scroll down for 10 pantry meals to make now.

I’ve always been pretty good at opening my pantry and coming up with something to cook for dinner with whatever’s in there. And, now, in these unprecedented times, this skill has become invaluable. When you scroll down and look through these 10 pantry meals to make now, please remember that it’s only food. It is not rocket science. You can change and substitute the ingredients for something similar in your pantry.

So, what constitutes a pantry meal? Well, for me, a pantry meal is one that can be made from the dry goods that are in most people’s pantries. Pasta, beans, grains, etc. are classic pantry meals. Also, I consider my freezer …