How Lyme Disease Led Me On A Holistic Healing Journey

When I was 24 years old my life was turned upside down. I worked as a nanny for twins which is exhausting in itself. I vividly remember sitting in the pick up line at their school and thinking, “there’s absolutely no way I am going to make it through the next 5 minutes, let alone the rest of the day.” I called my dad, sobbing, not even knowing how I was going to physically have the strength to grip the steering wheel or put my foot on the gas pedal. That’s what every single day of my life was like....

My Road to Recovery: How Making Four Easy Changes Improved My Life

According to New York Times best-selling author and founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center, Dr. Mark Hyman once stated, “We are exposed to 6 million pounds of mercury and the 2.5 billion pounds other toxic chemicals each year.” And according to one study, even newborn babies have more than 200 kinds of toxins in their blood! Toxins are hard to escape from — they’re in our food, the air we breathe, on toys, in makeup…the list goes on and on. The good news is that there are lots of ways to reduce our exposure. You don’t have to...

Five Brilliant Ways to use a Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens are a genius piece of cookware that doesn’t get nearly enough praise. A Dutch oven is a wide-bottomed, heavy cooking pot with a tight fitting lid and looped handles on either side. But if you look beyond these cosmetic features, you will see that a Dutch oven is also a hard worker. This capable cookware is a one-pot wonder that is perfect for low cooking, slow cooking, high heat, and even barbecuing. The next time you’re in the kitchen, start brainstorming ways to do your Dutch oven justice. Start with these five brilliant uses. 1. Grilling Using your...

Seven Ways to Use a Wok

A wok is a very unique bowl-shaped frying pan with Chinese origins dating all the way back to the Han-Dynasty. This pan may have a small flat bottom and wide, sloping edges or it could be completely rounded (i.e. the traditional Chinese design). Woks are often made of carbon steel, an almost indestructible material that can and really should be pre seasoned. This seasoning, referred to as the patina, functions to make a wok virtually nonstick and to prevent rusting. Like the seasoning on a well-loved cast iron pan, this seasoning also imparts flavor into dishes. You can develop a...

What's the Difference Between a Teapot and a Tea Kettle?

If you’re not much of a tea drinker, you probably use the terms teapot and tea kettle interchangeably. But anyone who makes their own cup of tea each day could tell you that these are two different vessels that serve two different purposes in the art tea making. Let's have a look at what makes a teapot and tea kettle different and how to use each one. Teapot vs. Tea Kettle Simply put, a tea kettle is what you use to heat water for tea and a teapot is what you use to actually steep tea. You need both to...

Is It a Skillet or a Frying Pan?

What do you call that handy pan you use for nearly everything—a skillet, frying pan, fry pan, or just a pan? No matter what you call it (or whether you feel that these are all different names for the same pan), this type of pan is ubiquitous for good reason. It’s a reliable piece of cookware with countless practical applications, and every chef or home cook should have one they love. This pan is simple but mighty in anyone’s hands! Let’s take a look at the features of a fry pan. What Is a Fry Pan? A fry pan is...

What Is a Sauté Pan and How Is It Different Than a Skillet?

Contrary to popular belief, sauté pans and skillets aren’t actually the same thing. These are two of the best types of pans home cooks and chefs can have and they can often be used interchangeably, but they are different enough to justify having both. Understanding how a sauté pan is different from a skillet can help you feel more confident in the kitchen and save you time deliberating over which pan is best. Sauté Pan vs. Skillet A sauté pan is a large pan with straight sides, a long handle, and a lid. A skillet, often called a frying pan...

How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen

Deep cleaning the kitchen doesn’t have to be complete drudgery if you have a plan. To that end, here is a step-by-step guide including some of my best kitchen cleaning hacks! Supplies Needed Deep Kitchen Cleaning Step ladder Microfiber cloth Bucket Mop Old toothbrush Rubber gloves Oven cleaner Cleaning products of your choice Plastic trash bags (I like to use large construction bags as they can hold more heavy stuff) MUSIC! Okay now that we have the proper tools, let’s get going. What to Wear to Clean Your Kitchen Before we get started, make sure you are properly dressed. I...