Recipe: Simple Sauerkraut Sandwich

I haven’t done a Fermentation Friday in a while, so I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite ways to eat sauerkraut: in a grilled Swiss cheese on sourdough bread. I guess you could say it’s kind of like a Reuben, but without the meat, sauce, or heartburn. Rye sourdough is optional; you can also choose whole wheat … Read more

Recipe: Phyto-licious Chocolate Muffins (whole grain, vegan option, low fat)

I had a bunch of odds and ends in my fridge: an overripe avocado, half a banana, a spot of applesauce, some leftover millet and a bit of whey from making Greek yogurt. What could I make that used all of them? Muffins, of course! Avocados are a great source of beneficial fats, including anti-inflammatory phytosterols and oleic acid, similar to the … Read more

Recipe: Slow-cooker baked ziti with spinach and mushrooms

Knowing my love of slow cooking, my close and personal superior Mindy Celeste sent me a recipe from Real Simple for slow-cooker rigatoni. It’s the best kind of crock pot recipe, requiring little preparation beyond chopping and mixing. The original recipe calls for thawing and draining the spinach, but MC said, “I did not thaw or squeeze anything as I used whole … Read more

Getting into gear for gardening

I had an awesome surprise when I went shopping at Aldi today: packages of summer and perennial bulbs and rhizomes for just $1.69, $4.30 less than what had been advertised in the weekly circular. At that price, I couldn’t afford not to buy a few! (Now, I realize that’s often used as an excuse to spend money that one otherwise … Read more

Cars and Money

It’s that time of year again: my car license renewal arrives in the mail and I wonder if I should even own the thing. OK, so it’s only happened twice with this particular car, given that I bought it in 2013. But whenever I do own a car – about 50% of my adult life – I spend a good … Read more

Recipe: Sunny Citrus Muffins with Lemon Icing (sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free)

I was feeling fancy this week, so decided to make iced muffins. I usually skip icing and frosting because they tend to be loaded with sugar. Plus, I’m a bit lazy! But I’ve been wondering lately if sugar substitutes could create the satisfying, crunchy-but-melty texture of a good icing. My curiosity finally won out over my laziness, and I started experimenting. … Read more

Easy fix for a peeling laminate counter

The lip of my otherwise decent laminate countertop started peeling a while back. Time to replace the countertop? No! It was time to get out the carpenter’s glue and a toothpick. The toothpick was to smear the glue to the underside of the laminate, which was hard to reach any other way (my finger and the bottle tip both being … Read more