A (mostly) Healthy Blog
Recipes, health tips & my wellness journey from a (mostly) healthy chef
Author: Ashley Ondrick
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Did you overdo it on Valentine’s chocolates and then vow to workout extra hard at the gym for the rest of the week? Good for you! But you’ll feel a lot better if you also make this smoothie. It will keep you fueled and energized, enhance the detoxifying properties of exercise and even relax your…
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Happy Valentine’s Day! I wrote this post 2 years ago when I was living in the Philippines. I like reading it on this day as a reminder of our Father’s love. Hope you enjoy it as well! ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. One year ago today, I was snowed-in my Cambridge apartment, crying over the end of a relationship…
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It’s almost Super Bowl weekend and in addition to thinking about the big game, you should really be thinking about upping your brunch game. How might one do that, you ask? Make this blueberry dutch baby pancake! Right, and ruin ALL my New Year’s resolutions to go grain-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, taste-free & fun-free? Not at…
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The fun, festivities & Christmas traditions leading up to the big day always make me reminisce of years past, and I always come back to 2 years ago when I was living in Manila and spent the days leading up to Christmas there. I hadn’t read this post since then, and laughed that I’ve once…
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Few things make me happier than cooking for other people. Ok, so you moms out there who are fed up with trying to cook for the world’s pickiest eaters who also happen to be your children, might disagree with me. But just try this – think of someone who could use a bit of encouragement. Then…
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I love that we have a whole day devoted to giving thanks. It doesn’t matter where we are or who we’re with, what we’re eating or what circumstances we find ourselves in, there is always a reason to give thanks! This year I hosted my very first Thanksgiving and I consulted and cooked for a…
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I’m taking full advantage of the last week of pumpkin everything! As promised, here is my recipe for pumpkin pecan granola. This granola is so good, plus it makes your house smell like the most amazing pumpkin spice candle (like the way you wish Yankee Candle smells when you walk by the store). Rather than…
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I am thrilled to announce that I am re-launching my blog! What used to be “Cooking Up Reciprocity”chronicling my life as Elsa – living in the Philippines and eating my way through Southeast Asia, has now moved with me to Saint Petersburg where I live and work as a (mostly) healthy chef, cooking instructor & health…
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Did I really live in Manila? Was I really called “Elsa” and asked to sing Let It Go by complete strangers on a daily basis? Did I really ride in jeepneys instead of buses; motor scooters instead of taxis? Did I really wade in knee-high water after a rain storm and pay enterprising boys to use…
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One year ago today, I was snowed-in my Cambridge apartment, crying over the end of a relationship I had such high hopes for, only to find out the guy was only after one thing (and it wasn’t my cooking.) This was the last straw. I could fill pages with my horrid/hysterical dating experiences over the…
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While the plane ride from Siem Reap to Hanoi was less than 2 hours, it seemed like we had traveled between two different worlds. The Visa process went quickly and smoothly thanks to the letter of approval our hotel had helped us attain. Again a chauffeur awaited us, but this time our driver remained nameless…
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Elissa and I set out from Manila for Siem Reap not knowing what to expect, and but ready for an adventure. We were greeted in the airport by a large stone elephant with its trunk up – a good sign according to my Bacci! The visa process was chaotic. We filled out forms, waited in…
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For the past few years as a catering chef, the arrival of Christmas has also meant the busiest three weeks of the year. It’s rare if I get a day off before the 24th…and I don’t blame everyone for wanting to throw a holiday party! When else do you get to dress up in red,…
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Asian pears are also expensive in Asia “Comfort Rooms” are anything but comfortable Karaoke is not contained to seedy bars…people unabashedly sing in department stores and on public stages While running along the bay if I suddenly decide that I don’t like how my nails look, or that my muscles are sore, or that I…
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For as long as I can remember, one of the dishes I’ve looked forward to most each holiday is my Auntie Linda’s pumpkin bread. This pumpkin bread has ruined me from being able to enjoy any other pumpkin bread out there. It is incredibly moist but with a slight chewiness, and the sweetness is tempered…
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This is a very special post, dedicated to my Auntie Lorilee. Although cancer took her life 6 years ago today, she didn’t loose the battle. She fought with endless courage, bravery, determination, and strength. And she did so with unfathomable joy, a sense of humor like no other, and a voracious appetite and command in…
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In the months between deciding to come to the Philippines and my arrival here, I was so often asked, “but aren’t you scared to go?!” My answer was always, “Yes!…But God…” Yes…moving to the other side of the world on my own, I would have been terrified! But with God I am never alone. God…
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In recent news from Manila… I’ve learned that not only are Asian people obsessed with taking selfies, but they use “selfie sticks” to hold their cameras at a further distance and better angle I’ve been serenaded in a department store by a woman who decided to test out the karaoke machine and sing several songs…
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I returned Sunday from yet another adventure, seeing more of the work being done by CCT’s Nehemiah Project! After my last adventure, I thought perhaps I knew a bit of what to expect for the next trip I was embarking on. I even packed differently, switching out my beat up Toms for my nicer ones,…
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The Visayas region, the middle of the Philippines’ three regions, took the brunt of the damage when mega-typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines last November. Center for Community Transformation (CCT) responded by meeting with local officials in some of the hardest hit towns to discuss both immediate relief and long-term recovery. All of these towns had…
A (mostly) Healthy Blog 