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I’ve mentioned before that one of the projects my mom worked on off and on was a cookbook. Her idea was to create a book that was less individual recipes and more a way to put together building blocks of ingredients so that novice cooks would feel more comfortable experimenting in the kitchen. She thought that if she could help people understand what flavors complimented each other they might become more adventurous when cooking and eating.

Cinnamon is ubiquitous in any pantry, being a staple spice in baking. I use it in many of my mid-winter treats because its spicy taste warms from the inside. It is versatile and can be used in sweet and savory dishes with equal success and has a surprising number of health benefits. If it isn’t already frequently used in your cooking, here are a few suggestions for increasing your cinnamon consumption.

Happy New Year! As we get back into the swing of our normal daily life now that the holidays are past, I wanted to discuss a favorite New Year topic, resolutions. For so many of us our New Year resolutions are made in good faith and fall by the wayside when life gets complicated. Last year my resolution was to make sure I am in more photos with my family because even though I am present for my kids all the time, there isn’t much photographic evidence. Aside from phone pics, the grand total of photos I am in last year is one.

I’ve found a bunch of articles lately that have caught my interest, so here are a few more that I thought I’d pass along.

I find the holidays are a difficult time to keep in balance, with the gluttony, rampant consumerism, and a To Do list a mile long. Our kids are old enough to really participate in the traditions and help perpetuate the values that we find important. One that I take great joy in fostering is the joy of creation with my kids, whether it is a quick drawing, a simple book, this year’s Christmas tree topper (a paper crown made by Rowan), or a homemade gift.

I think for most of us, the holidays can be a big, stressful trap. It doesn’t matter who you are, the holidays have history, hopefully good, sometimes less so. Last year I felt pressure to make grand memories when all I wanted to do was mope and that left me feeling stressed and a little put out, even though it was all of my own making. This year I have consciously chosen to do less for Thanksgiving, and am trying to feel my way towards what works for the rest of this holiday season. And while my mom isn’t far from my thoughts this holiday season, I am trying to make space to feel sad as well as space to take pleasure in what this year has to offer.

I’m sure most of us are aware of the Dirty Dozen, the most pesticide-laden and fruits and vegetables as well as the Clean Fifteen, the fruits and vegetables you could get away with buying conventional. Did you know there is a list of food additives that is best to avoid also? The Environmental Working Group (EWG) now has a Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives that can clog up what we are eating.

My mom was really interested in propolis the last few years of her life. So much so that she created her own Propolis Tincture as well as putting it in our Gum Protector for years. My parents kept bee hives for years  and my dad still does, for the benefits of the honey, bee pollen, and garden pollination. Propolis is a sticky substance that bees collect from the resin of trees while they are foraging for food. They use it to repair and disinfect their hive, to build panels, as an embalming tool for intruders it cannot remove from their hive, and as a microbiocidal agent. In short, it helps keep the hive healthy.

We’ve been having discussions about our line of pet products recently and that got me to thinking about how my mom developed her herbal treatments for our pets. We always had a menagerie around, anywhere from your basic cat and/or dog, to rabbits, birds of all sizes, rats, a guinea pig or two, snakes, frogs, and fish. I think this was my mom’s way of giving us the farm experience she had as a child.