Fires and Heat...How could this be happenin g? The United Kingdom is experiencing a brutal heat wave where temperatures are surpassing 100 degrees Farenheit which is a record in UK weather history.  Multiple fires broke out during the past few days and have burned down grassland, properties and homes.  The fires originated in grass as the record temperatures continue soaring.  On Tuesday, temperatures reached 104 degrees Farenheit at Heathrow Airport.   A SkyNews correspondent, Laura Bundock, discussed her experience with the chaotic fires: "It was like night fall near the fire, with winds moving the flames at a terrifying speed. You could see the smoke spreading though fields, fueled by brittle dry ground, which crunched underfoot," Bundock wrote. "As the fire grew, we saw emergency services running through the village to evacuate homes." 104 degrees Farenheit in the UK? NO way it could be true! Still even with the confirmed research and science some British pe...

“Somewhere along the way, meals became complicated. We got overwhelmed about where our food’s grown How it’s raised  What it’s fed  And lost trust in the right decision It’s time to uncomplicated our plates again by getting back to the basics Serving less of the bad stuff more of the good Taking out the guess work and the legwork It’s time to fix dinner…” You’ll probably never guess where these words came from. There is so much truth in them.  As uncanny as it may be, the message here could even be used as an introduction for a speech focused on how the plant based movement came to be, how it’s impacting our grocery store shelves, science and our general beliefs about food and eating.   The First Wave of the Plant Based Movement The “plant based movement” began in the late 2010s by a somewhat well known organization.  PETA, an animal rights organization could be said to be frontrunners of the “plant based” movement before the term was even coined. If you kn...

Green Chef is up next for review on the boxed recipe delivery circuit!  I learned about Green Chef from a mailing ad insert.   Green Chef was acquired by Hello Fresh in 2018.  HF's goal was to reach the customer base of Green Chef and attain their organic menus while utilizing Hello Fresh's scale and resources for continued growth.   Green Chef is a certified Organic company who is very similar to Hello Fresh in its packaging, easy to follow recipe steps and pricing.   A weekly box with 3 meals at four servings per meal costs approximately $160 while a box of the same size at Hello Fresh costs approximately $112.  A Green Chef box with 3 meals and two servings will cost $91 compared to $70 at Hello Fresh.  The recipes at Green Chef are healthier and contain more vegetables from what I've noticed.  They also offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, keto and paleo meal options which incorporate whole foods.  The only gripe I had abo...

I wanted to get in on this social trend and experiment with the Tik Tok “healthy coke” craze. Amanda Jones shared a secret recipe that her pilates instructor deemed as a healthy alternative to coke. Now I’m certainly no coke fan but I am a sparkling water maestro. Jones stated that any flavor of sparkling water can be used to make the drink along with a dash of balsamic vinegar. I thought to myself…”hmmm, I should definitely try this.” I grabbed my Whole Foods balsamic dressing, a ginger sparkling water (Whole Foods) and a La Croix Kiwi Sandia. Two staples: balsamic vinegar (my favorite dressing flavor) and sparkling water. What could possibly go wrong here? Heck yea, I’m so excited to try this!!   After I mixed everything up, I took my first gulp and squinted my eyes as I entertained the thought of others that had willingly drank this potion and actually encouraged people to try it. Yes, it may look like coke but it does NOT taste like coke—not even the slightest bit! Y...

Burberry released a special silk square scarf in honor or Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee celebration.   The scarf  is hand illustrated with wildlife and pollinators such as butterflies, birds and yew trees from the nations of Scotland, England, Wales and North Ireland.  The Platinum Jubilee marks 70 years of service as a monarch.  Proceeds from the sale will be donated to Woodland Trust, a conservation charity. The scarf can be purchased here:   Platinum Jubilee Scarf

Have you heard about Plantpub?  Plantpub is redefining the pub experience in America and offers a 100% plant based menu featuring classic American favorites and local New England ales and craftbeers.  This is a major accomplishment in the vegan and plant based restaurant scene.  Plantpub opened in the Fall of 2021 and they’re now opening a new 8,000 sq ft location this spring which will be situated across the street from Boston’s Fenway Park.   It’s hard to believe that classic comfort and sports bar favorites can be 100% plant based but Plantpub is making this happen.  The menu features items such as  Loaded Nachos Pulled Pork Sandwich Buffalo Wings Chicken Caesar Salad Fried Chicken Sandwich                       An Array of pizzas (Wild Mushroom Truffle & Margherita) The menu offers gluten free, soy free and nut free versions which great for people with nut allergies ; ) and sensitivity to g...

Today, I’m reviewing another pre-prepped meal delivery company called Gobble.  I learned about Gobble from my sister who had a friend that recommended it to her.  Her friend loved the fact that the foods were ethnic and very quick to prepare.   Gobble is similar to other pre-prepped meal delivery companies such as Hello Fresh and Green Chef. In the pre-prepped world of cooking, recipe ingredients arrive to your door already chopped, portioned or peeled. You’re simply responsible for cooking the chosen meals yourself.  If you are a seasoned chef or cook, then you know that this makes the work revolving around cooking extremely easy since most of your time is centered on prepping the ingredients that are needed.     Gobble offers three different menus: Classic, Vegetarian and Lean and Clean.  Classic offers a variety of meals, which include meat, poultry and fish. The vegetarian menu does not include meat item...