trader joe’s

Home is where the health is

Whenever I go home to visit my parents I’m reminded about how lucky I am to have been raised with health in the forefront.  The importance of eating well and staying active was a given, so I have never seen wellness as a chore.  Eating balanced meals and participating in sports were, quite simply, just the norm.  I now know that I was very fortunate to have grown up this way.  Thank you mom and dad!  Prior to my arrival, my mom had been to TJs to restock the bar stash.    And hummus stash…. Read more >

Feliz apple pie oats

There are one million reasons my mom deserves a party.  The most obvious one is that today is her birthday, but the most important one is that she deserves it.  She had the grueling task of raising three kids who didn’t say no to a single activity.  I love you mom.  I will never be able to thank you enough for the years that you devoted to raising us.  Beyond being my girl scout leader, class volunteer, and team mom; the hours you clocked as my personal chauffer, paper editor, lunch packer, and cheerleader are… Read more >

Packing for 24 hours and multiple layovers

The art of packing food is my specialty.  Much like making my daily work eats (tutorials here), packing food for traveling is a bit of a craft.  Some may find it easier to buy meals at the airport rather than go through the hassle of taking extra baggage through security.  Personally, I’m not one of those people.  I don’t care if it adds 25 pounds of dead weight that I have to schlep by plane, train, and automobile, for me it’s SO worth the energy.  The cost to benefit analysis probably differs depending on your… Read more >

Packrat

Before I get into the latest and greatest from the hippie kitchen, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who took the time to offer their thoughts on yesterday’s post.  The discussion certainly got more heated than I anticipated (and some comments were a bit harsh), but it was great to read how others felt about sharing your views with your family/friends.  Being brave enough to stand up for your beliefs while not pressuring others to feel guilty about having differing opinions is definitely a fine line…and it seems that many feel there’s a… Read more >