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If you’re expecting a baby, one of the smartest approaches you can take is to create a nursery that can easily transition to a young child’s room. It will save you money in the long run as well as a lot of energy that you’ll need to direct elsewhere. I’ve got lots of tips for how to do this in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section.
Yes, a burger, but half lean beef and half sautéed mushrooms. Photo by Alejandro Tamayo for The San Diego Union-Tribune.
You wouldn’t exactly expect a self-help book from chef Richard Blais, but surprisingly, the new cookbook he and his wife, Jazmin, have just published is kind of self-helpy. “Plant Forward: 100 Bold Recipes for a Mostly Healthy Lifestyle” (October 2023, Victory Belt Publishing) reflects the healthy lifestyle the Blais family follows. While “Plant Forward” suggests a vegetarian or even vegan collection of recipes, it does include some recipes with animal proteins. But the emphasis in “Plant Forward” is on healthy eating — or as Blais said, “healthier” eating. And the recipes are delightful. I spent some time chatting with the Blaises and got some insights into how they developed the book and the rationale behind the ingredients they use. Check it out in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune Food section.
Anna’s hummingbird by Catherine Werth
I rarely cover upcoming events, but when my editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune asked me to write a piece on the upcoming San Diego Bird Festival, hosted by the San Diego Audubon Society, in fairly quick turnaround, I was all over it. Am I a birder? Nope. But for years I’ve been the “landlord” to pairs of doves that nest in my garden. I have visiting hummingbirds and phoebes. Crying hawks wake me in the morning. In other words, I’m a gardener. But I’m also entranced by other, more flamboyant birds and a fan of one of the keynote speakers, Christian Cooper, who charmingly hosted a too-short National Geographic series, Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper. So this was a fun piece to write and I hope you take a look and then get tickets to attend some of their cornucopia of events!
Pollution is bad for our health in so many ways, but you may be surprised to know that it’s also bad in the context of diabetes. While we usually think of diabetes as a disease of genetics and/or nutrition the environment and the air we breathe can also impact the development and progression of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Numerous studies over the past 20 years have investigated the connection between air pollution and diabetes both in the U.S. and in other countries. They’ve found that exposure to air pollution can contribute to the onset of diabetes and can cause health complications for those who already have diabetes. In my newest piece for Diabetes Daily, I explore the impact of particulate exposure to diabetes risks and to the health of those who already have both type 1 and type 2 diabetes—as well as how to minimize pollution exposure.
Chef Claudia Sandoval. Photo by Alejandro Tamayo of The San Diego Union-Tribune.
San Diegans know we have it pretty easy compared with other parts of the country when it comes to the mayhem of winter weather. Still, chilly is chilly, and there’s nothing as comforting for lunch or dinner when the temps are well below balmy than a bowl of soup. And a family soup you learned to make from your mother or grandmother? Well, those flavors and aromas can take you straight back to childhood.
That’s what it does to San Diego/Tijuana-area baker and chef Claudia Sandoval. Sandoval, of “MasterChef” fame, is the author of “Claudia’s Cocina: A Taste of Mexico” and is working on a new cookbook while also serving as the culinary director of this year’s Culinary Concerto — Mainly Mozart Gala Soiree, in March. Sandoval shared a few family recipes with readers in my new story in The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Jackson Design and Remodeling
We’re in the thick of San Diego’s version of winter, and here’s hoping all the holiday decor is finally back in storage. Does removing the sparkle make your home feel a little drab, especially in this season when we don’t have as much sunlight, and it can be cloudy, damp and cool?
Well, with a new year we deserve a home refresh, however modest, to inspire and re-energize us. I asked seven of my favorite local designers to provide simple, easily achievable but creative ways to spruce up, freshen up and cozy up spaces in our homes for a story in The San Diego Union-Tribune.. Dig in! There’s so much you can do with these as inspiration!
