A (mostly) Healthy Blog
Recipes, health tips & my wellness journey from a (mostly) healthy chef
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Category: Holidays
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Jesus showed us that grief and sorrow can coexist with joy, celebration, baby giggles and hysterical laughter.
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It’s the second Sunday in Advent, and I’ve had carols playing nonstop. Until these words stopped me in my tracks: “Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices…” It’s so easy to view the Christmas story like a Nativity scene, with perfectly poised characters who…
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“So this is Christmas, and what have you done, another year over, and a new one just begun…” (John Lennon) And just like that, Christmas is here again… this year went by frighteningly fast! The festive trees, twinkling lights, carols and good cheer make this season pretty magical, but with the familiar sights and sounds…
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I had my 3 month post-op appointment with my surgeon this past week in DC, and as part of that, I got a CT scan done a few weeks ago to see the progress of the fusion. It can take up to 6 months for bone to fuse, and I have a bone stimulator that…
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My mom has always said the older you get, the quicker time passes. Well, now I’m left to face two harsh realities…that I’m getting old, and that my mom is right! This past year has held really challenging days and weeks that felt like they might never end, but as a whole it has gone…
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Two years ago on Memorial Day weekend, I had an ischemic stroke from brainstem compression due to instability at my craniocervical junction. My dad flew to my house, helped me finish one last job for a client, and then flew me and Spritz up to Massachusetts for what was to become the most challenging 6…
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When I wrote the post below about peace a year ago, I still had a dad and never though that it would be my last Christmas with him. He passed away Memorial Day weekend which was exactly one year from when he flew down to my house in Florida during a very scary time with…
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Four weeks since my tethered cord release surgery! My surgeon cut through the muscle down to my spine, removed the piece of bone covering my spinal cord, then cut into my spinal canal and removed the very bottom portion of my spinal cord, called the filum. My surgeon told me that when she cut into…
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For any of you who have followed my blog from its early days, you’ll remember that it used to be called “Cooking Up Reciprocity” and was where I shared my adventures as a volunteer intern in the Philippines with PEER Servants/CCT, and where I played the role of “Elsa” for every Filipino child who laid…
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I recently wrote this poem…Hoping to make some light of the past year and ring in good cheer! And it ended up being published in the Tampa Bay Times this past Sunday. I hope it makes you laugh…just make sure you’re covering that with a mask😷🤣 A Very Covid-Free Christmas Written and illustrated by Ashley…
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O Holy Night O holy night, the stars are brightly shining It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth Long lay the world, in sin and error pining ‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn Fall…
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Easter would not be complete without my family’s favorite rice pudding. And if you need a last minute desert…I bet you have all of the ingredients already on hand! And don’t limit this to only Easter…it is a perfectly acceptable breakfast, lunch, dessert, or snack. It’s even been known to count as dinner during the…
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Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, I always go back and read this blog post from 5 years ago when I was living in the Philippines, working in microfiance and playing Elsa as a side job. I also want to thank so many of you who gave so generously towards the building…
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How to Make a Dry-Brined, Self-Basting, Hands-Off Turkey + Bonus Recipes Our holidays look very different this year. Many of us are not able to be with loved ones. Some of us are having to cook the entire Thanksgiving meal ourselves, some of us are choosing not to cook at all! For those of you…
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Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, I always go back and read this blog post from 4 years ago when I was living in the Philippines, working in microfiance and playing Elsa as a side job. It’s easy to think that the magic of Christmas is just for kids eagerly awaiting that…
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I’ve spent many holidays living overseas and it’s always been exciting to see how other cultures celebrate. Except for Thanksgiving. Being an exclusively American holiday (sorry Canada, you don’t count) I always felt especially isolated and foreign when Thanksgiving rolled around. However, my Thanksgivings abroad have been anything but boring, and by far the most…
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A little comic relief and post to give you the warm and fuzzies as I make light of my total dating fails! As you are bombarded by images of love today, be reminded of our father’s immense and eternal love for us that is never going to change. I wrote this post 4 years ago…
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Rice Pudding for #GivingTuesday The Black Friday and Cyber Monday madness is over…congratulations for making it through without being trampled in a department store somewhere or getting carpal tunnel from those long hours spent surfing the web for the best deals. And today is #GivingTuesday and just like last year I will donate $1 to…
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I’ve spent many holidays living overseas and it’s always been exciting to see how other cultures celebrate. Except for Thanksgiving. Being an exclusively American holiday (sorry Canada, you don’t count) I always felt especially isolated and foreign when Thanksgiving rolled around. However, my Thanksgivings abroad have been anything but boring, and by far the most…
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We lost my Auntie Lorilee to cancer 9 years ago today. I was there holding her hand when she passed, my uncle and cousin weeping quietly by her side; my mother softly quoting Psalm 23. The day of her wake was on Halloween and for years when October came around I wanted to go to…
A (mostly) Healthy Blog 