Author: Lily

We went to the farmer’s market this morning, the way we do most Saturdays. Tomatoes still warm from the field, peaches you can smell before you see them, a man at the end selling honey out of his own hives. Near the last row there was a booth for the American Cancer Society. Volunteers in matching shirts, a donation jar, information sheets fanned out on the table. Good people giving up a Saturday for a cause that has touched almost every family in America, ours included. They were handing out free ice cream. Ann saw it before I did. She…

Stress is part of life. Work, family, finances, health concerns and even the daily news can keep your mind and body wound up. And chronic stress can affect sleep, digestion, blood pressure, mood and the immune system. Fortunately, exercise is one of the best ways to manage it. Here’s why. It boosts your mood. Physical activity affects brain chemicals associated with mood and wellbeing, including endorphins. You don’t have to experience a “runner’s high” to benefit. A walk, strength-training session or other workout can help you feel better. It helps your body handle stress. Exercise helps regulate the body’s response…

This Vegan Vanilla Cake is soft, fluffy, and packed with rich vanilla flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients, it bakes into a beautiful two-layer cake that’s perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and special occasions. The texture is light yet tender, the frosting is creamy and classic, and no one will guess it’s dairy-free and egg-free! FEATURED COMMENT: I have tried many vanilla cake recipes but this is by far the best one. I keep coming back to it. My non-vegan family absolutely love this cake. Thanks for sharing! – Mo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you’re making a vegan birthday cake for the first…

At 51 and postmenopausal, Jill broke a frustrating weight-loss stall and went from 164 to 134 pounds. Discover how midlife macro tracking and the Sugar Free Mom Tribe helped her reach her goal. At 51, Jill had spent years trying to take care of her health. She had followed Sugar Free Mom almost from the beginning, made recipes from my cookbooks, completed the 30 Day Sugar Elimination Diet, and even tried Weight Watchers. But after menopause, the scale stopped moving. Despite her efforts, Jill found herself stuck at 150 pounds. She knew she needed a different approach—one that would help…

Some aspects of coaching are intuitive (like, be friendly), and some aspects are paradoxical and upside-down. For example, in Motivational Interviewing, an effective communication style used in coaching and counseling, there is something called the “righting reflex.” The righting reflex is the instinct to help or “fix” a client, as well as give them directions on how best to change. Often, the righting reflex is particularly strong in people who really, really care. Sounds like a great instinct to follow if you’re a coach, right? WRONG. We are now entering upside-down-land. Motivational Interviewing describes how this (beautiful, well-intentioned) instinct to…

By Paul and Ann Malkmus Two waves of questions come through our office every winter, and they arrive about a month apart. The first shows up in the last days of December and the first week of January. Church has announced the fast, the sign-up sheet went around after the service, and the questions are all practical ones. Can I have coffee. Is bread out. What about the oil I cook with. Does peanut butter count. The second wave comes in February. There are fewer of those and they’re quieter. They don’t ask what’s allowed. They say some version of: I…

Zabaglione is a soft, wine-spiked custard from Italy’s Piedmont region. It requires little more than 3 ingredients and 15 minutes to make, but it feels luxurious and special. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond Zabaglione: One of Italy’s Most Famous Sweets Should you ever find yourself at a restaurant in Torino, or Barolo, or anywhere in Piedmont, take a moment to listen for sounds coming from the kitchen—specifically, the sonorous clatter of a wire whisk scraping against metal. That’s when you’ll know the chef is whipping up a batch of zabaglione for dessert. This rich, whipped egg custard is one of Italy’s…

A landmark study published in July 2026 in the Annals of Internal Medicine by Columbia University researchers found that adults who slept roughly 80 minutes less per night for six weeks gained nearly one pound on average and increased their waist circumference. Extrapolated to a full year, that rate of gain adds up to approximately 9 pounds. A 2022 Mayo Clinic study found that even when the scale barely moved, sleep-restricted participants gained 9% more visceral (belly) fat. The connection is not just about having more hours awake to eat. Sleep deprivation rewires your hunger hormones, increases cravings for high-calorie…

When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn More These stuffed poblano peppers are boldly flavored and legitimately hearty, boasting 20 grams of protein per pepper. They’re stuffed with soft, blended black beans followed by two kinds of cheese. The cheese turns gloriously golden in the oven while the chili peppers become nicely tender and caramelized. Two layers of red salsa, one underneath and one drizzled on top, bring this crowd-pleasing vegetarian main dish together. Consider it a simpler alternative to enchiladas or layered casseroles that’s just as satisfying. This recipe will be perfect for game…

The bandaid never healed anything — your body did. I sat in church yesterday and listened to a message on miracles. The kind you read about in Scripture — water into wine, sight returning to blind eyes, a man getting up off a mat he’d been lying on for most of his life. Good message. I drove home thinking about it. And somewhere along the way my mind wandered where it usually wanders, which is to the body. Because there’s a miracle most of us walked right past this morning without noticing. We carry it around all day. We’ve had…