Appetites for Life

08/17/2025

It’s that time of year when summer bursts with tomatillos and peppers! It begs for green enchilada sauce!

Here’s what I do:
Combine green peppers, onion, green onions, tomatillos, garlic, jalapeño and lime on a baking sheet with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast on convection at 350F for about 20 minutes depending on your oven, or until all are soft and tender.

Let cool then put all but the lime in a blender with a handful of cilantro. Juice the roasted lime and 1 fresh lime and add to blender.

Blend til smooth. Taste and season as needed.

You can use this as a salsa, sauce or marinade. Make it spicy with a whole jalapeño or less so with just a small amount of jalapeño.

07/29/2025

Cucumber season is in full force this week in the garden. Pickles, cucumber salad, cucumber water, cucumber relish….

Cucumbers are cooling and hydrating, great for your skin and reducing inflammation.

What’s your favorite way to use cucumbers?

07/17/2025

Today I had the honor of sharing information about food and mood in a corporate workshop webinar. Such an exciting topic that links diet to mental and emotional health.

07/09/2025

If you are interested in AFL retreats, could you please take 1 minute to answer these questions? Just click on the google form below. Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeP5kHl_7_uD9065J3PWhJCggWEhaIKsq_SWusrZdqXGOQcFw/viewform?usp=header

07/02/2025

Homesteading day: drying herbs for tea and making a nesting mixture for the chickens

06/17/2025

Happy to be back at in Parsippany, NJ to host a cooking demo on easy to make lunches.

06/17/2025

06/07/2025

Continuing the conversation on hormones, we have to turn attention to the ADRENAL GLANDS because these are SUPER important to women, especially in the perimenopausal stage of life.

The adrenals glands are two small, triangle-shaped glands located on top of each kidney. They are part of the endocrine system and are responsible for the production of essential hormones, including cortisol, adrenaline, and small amounts of estrogen. However, during perimenopause, as ovarian function declines, the adrenals become the primary source of estrogen in your body.

So, adrenal health is very important. I will be talking more about this in my next newsletter - make sure you are on the list. Link in bio and below.

https://www.appetitesforlife.com/newsletter/

06/02/2025

Cobb salad with homegrown lettuces, dill, chives and eggs. Alongside escarole bean sausage soup with homegrown escarole!

Garden season has begun and tastes delicious!!

🌱

05/30/2025

What is estrogen?

Estrogen is the main female hormone, produced by the ovaries, adrenals and fat cells. Estrogen thickens the uterine lining and protects your bone density, brain health, gut, and heart. It also enhances the release of serotonin – your happy hormone.

LOW: If estrogen is low, which common in the later stage of perimenopause and menopause, we might see signs like shorter periods, loss of skin elasticity, vaginal dryness, low s*x drive, hair thinning, anxiety, depression, and difficulty conceiving. Low estrogen levels also raise your risk for osteoporosis.

HIGH: Too much estrogen causes a whole heap of problems like weight gain, breast tenderness, fibroids, cramps, low libido, heavy periods and infertility. You may have heard the term “estrogen dominance”, which occurs either due to too much circulating estrogen or low progesterone. This increases your risk for tumor growth, breast cancer, and thyroid dysfunction. So it is really important to get it in check.

Now that you've seen some symptoms of high or low estrogen, how do you think you are doing?

05/28/2025

Women need to be empowered by the rhythm of our cycles, instead of feeling like they are an inconvenience or holding us back.

Knowing what happens at each point in your monthly cycle helps you discover if there are hormonal imbalances, and how to correct them. This is empowering! I wish I had known this information 20 years ago, because I could have saved myself a lot of cramps, headaches, and zits! But now I am in a place with my cycle that sometimes I don’t even notice my period coming on, and the times I do I can make the changes I need to feel better the next month. I am determined my daughters know this information because the earlier you understand the clues of imbalance, the better.

Do you know what is happening in your body each month?

05/21/2025

I hear it all the time from women in their 40s, "I can't lose the weight." And the first thing that happens is they start to limit their calories and cut out fat. But instead of cutting out calories, how about focusing on chemicals? Yep, that's right, there is a boatload of chemicals in our food chain, household products, & beauty products and these interfere with your hormones, weight, mental health, fertility, and more. When you are stuck with weight that won't shed, or if you are struggling with getting pregnant, or if you have PMS symptoms every month - look at your what you put on and in your body every day.

Personally, I think many of our hormonal, perimenopause and menopause "symptoms" are expressions of toxin overload.