Reiki Services

The Gourmet Healer is now Reiki Level I certified! I am very excited to start helping people receive healing energy other than just with foods. In working with patients and clients in both clinical and private practice, I have noticed that most of the time, people need a shift in energy and on the spiritual level before they can start making positive life and food changes. Physical ailments are but symptoms of energetic imbalances. These energetic imbalances can be healed with Reiki along with good nutrition, physical activity and other healing modalities. Western medicine is best for acute illness, whereas chronic issues start from subtle imbalances in the body and energy field that are not properly dealt with. Certainly if imbalances become chronic, allopathic medicine is needed, but why get to that point?

I would like to help facilitate physical healing by starting with Reiki for my clients who are open. I plan to take Reiki II and III and reach Mastery sometime in 2011, and I can start practicing immediately with a focus on facilitating physical healing.
Contact me for more information about Reiki as a Gourmet Healer service.

Blessings and Good Health!

Organic Baby Formula: Breast Is Best, But What's Next?

A friend of mine who is not able to breastfeed, asked me about the next best milk to feed her son. She is concerned about the ingredients in the formula she's currently feeding him, one of the ingredients being corn syrup solids. She is right to be concerned. As a classically trained, complimentary seeking pediatric clinical dietitian, I struggle with having to prescribe conventional formulas containing not only low quality ingredients, but ingredients that are treated with chemicals like bleach and hexane in processing. Standard formulas are often times void of essential fatty acids for proper brain development and overall health. Unfortunately, the standard formulas are all that low income families can access. I think that an underlying problem is that many people, even those with plenty of money, just don't know enough to be concerned and therefore don't make their babies' and their own nutrition a top priority. Deb, my friend, I hope you and others find this concise and informative article from The Daily Green helpful. It was certainly helpful for me and I will be checking to see if the formulas recommended are covered by WIC and my patients' insurances.


Organic Baby Formula: Breast Is Best, But What's Next?

Quick Stewed Chicken and Asparagus and Black Bean-Quinoa Salad

Tonight, I wanted to get in and out of the kitchen with minimal mess. That's usually the goal, but tonight I was fully committed. It had been a long day at work, and I knew my fiance and my daughter would be starving when they got home at 6:30 from a long day and my daughter's swim practice.
Earlier in the week, I skinned some whole chicken legs and set them in the fridge in a freezer bag. I meant to marinate them, but I never did. This morning as I walked the 15 minutes from my car to work, I did a mental inventory of what I had: the chicken, a can of spicy 365 black beans, asparagus, Roasted Red Pepper Soup, quinoa, salsa, cumin, lime, white wine, garlic, onion, my new Giada Di Laurentis stainless steel dutch oven. Hmm...surely only good things would come of this.
Here's what I did:
I placed the chicken in the Dutch oven and dusted it generously with cumin and a bit of cayenne powder. I then poured in about 1 cup of the Roasted Red Pepper Soup, doused the chicken with about a quarter cup of white wine, about 2 tsp of lime juice and a quarter cup of Lime-Cilantro Salsa. I mixed all of this and placed it on the stove on medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, I rinsed a half cup of Red Quinoa and combined it with 1 cup of water and 1 smashed clove of garlic in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. I then rinsed and chopped my asparagus into thirds (after chopping the woody ends off) and placed them on top of and around my chicken. I added some minced garlic and half of a small, chopped onion, stirred and covered. By this time, the liquids in both pots were boiling, so I turned the heat down to medium for the chicken and Low for the Quinoa. While these items were content for the moment, I opened and drained my black beans and poured them into a medium glass storage bowl with a flat bottom and high sides. We already had some avocado chopped in the fridge, so I tossed this in, along with 2 TBSP of Cilantro Lime Salsa and let this sit covered on the counter.

I suddenly realized that I had some time to relax, so I decided to have a small bowl of the watermelon and cantaloupe that were already chopped and stored in the fridge. Yum! By the time I was done enjoying this and checking my Facebook, my family was arriving home. The first thing out of my fiance's mouth: Is dinner ready? I'm starving... My reply; Why, yes. Yes it is. Let's get it plated up and eat!

It was very yummy, and we were all very satisfied--even my 10 yo daughter who usually has something to say about at least one thing on her plate. Tonight, only good things (contented smile). If I had to do it over again, though, I would have added spinach leaves to cook with the chicken and asparagus. That would have made the meal even more nutrient rich and satisfying. Next time...

All of this took 1 hour with time to kill in between. What made the most difference was having the chicken skinned and ready in the fridge and focusing on what to make earlier in the day by doing my mental inventory on my walk. Had I really been on it this week, I would have planned all of the meals on Sunday, but what is ideal just doesn't always happen!

Official launch of doTerraBella.com!

Official launch of doTerraBella.com!

Cedar Planked Salmon

I grilled salmon on a cedar plank last night for the first time ever and all I can say is, WOW! Actually, I can say more than that. It was the best I've ever made and maybe even had. The only problem I ran into was that I didn't soak the plank long enough. The directions said soak for 2 hours, but I was being spontaneous on this one, and decided to just soak it for 1. Well, it caught on fire. But this was easily remedied with the spray bottle I had on hand and turning off the grill. I then transferred the salmon, still on the plank, to a 375 degree oven to finish for about 5-7 minutes. The plank can used on the grill or in the oven, so no harm done.

Cedar Planked Salmon
Start by soaking your Cedar plank as directed.
1.5 pound filet of Salmon
1/2 tsp of Maple Pepper or a mixture of sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and raw sugar.
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Mayonnaise
1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp dried or fresh Dill Weed

Place salmon flesh side down in a small square dish and dust skin with Maple Pepper or other spice mixture.
Turn over and pour on Apple Cider Vinegar.
Spread on mustard and mayo, mixing and distributing evenly.
Top with Dill Weed.
Let sit covered in fridge until ready to cook.

Fire up the gas grill and preheat to 400 degrees. While the grill is preheating, place soaked (as directed) plank on the grill. When the temp hits 400, place salmon on the plank and turn the heat down to low. Let cook for 7-10 minutes, covered, but start checking it at 7 minutes. Remember that you can do this in the oven as well. For grilling, keep your spray bottle and tongs handy! When cooked to your liking, serve immediately, and enjoy the flavor that can only be imparted by cooking on a wood plank. This is such a great way to make a simple, healthy food taste gourmet!

Synthetic or Natural Vitamins - What's The Difference? | Supplements for Children

Synthetic or Natural Vitamins - What's The Difference? | Supplements for Children

Light Healer: Clear YOUR Path Healing Workshop Saturday August 2...

Light Healer: Clear YOUR Path Healing Workshop Saturday August 2...: "In our Clear YOUR Path workshop, you will learn a new approach to help bring the body into its optimal state of being. We use all the tools ..."