Current life status: rehabbing from total knee replacement surgery. Current state of mind: trying to figure out how this will impact my life, my work, my workouts, my body, and my motivation in the future. Current goal: seize this challenge as an opportunity to find a more balanced way of living. The knee that’s been […]
Before you write me off as a complete loon for claiming to talk to God, let me just say that 2016 was a rough year for me. Yeah, I know Donald Trump and all, but that’s not what I’m talking about. 2016 is the year my 30-year marriage ended. My divorce was final just a […]
I always wondered why the whole “bloom where you’re planted” and “be grateful for what you have” thing left me feeling empty. Not just empty, but it left me feeling guilty, like an ungrateful, selfish wretch. I don’t know if you were an Oprah follower back in the days of her regular talk show, but […]
Full disclosure: today’s my birthday. Side note: no freaking way I feel 53. Okay, I confess, I don’t know what 53’s supposed to feel like, but whatever it is, I don’t feel it. I’m (very slowly) coming to terms with this whole aging thing. Looking back, 44 was a really big year for me. I […]
There’s something that takes me back to childhood when I crack open a new book. The sound the spine makes when it’s opened for the first time. Skimming through the pages as I take in the typeface, photos and read about the author. And the smell! Oh, how I love the smell of a new […]
No matter where you’re headed this weekend – heck, even if you’re staying home – there will be holiday food involved in your festivities. But it’s time to declare our independence from the usual, unhealthy summer celebratory foods. And let’s be honest, George Washington probably wasn’t eating a foot-long hot dog and potato salad when […]
I know, I know … it’s not terribly healthy, but giving our beloved Stella a homemade peanut butter and bacon dog treat every now and then is a way for me to vicariously enjoy two of my favorite foods without the calories (for me, anyway). My daughter Katie has been making these delightful doggie treats for […]
After having put our house on the market last Thursday (click here if you’d like to see the listing), we’re currently sitting back and waiting for the offers to (hopefully) pour in. If you haven’t sold a house in a while (for us it has been quite a long time) apparently the way you do […]
There she is, crossing the finish line to the theme music from “Rocky.” Go mom! I called my mom this morning to find out how she was holding up after our race yesterday. “How are you feeling?” I asked. “Well, I won’t be doing much today, that’s for sure!” she answered with a groan. “But […]
There are days when I feel like my house has been whipped around in a Kansas-style twister and crash-landed in a strange, far-away place. In fact, from time to time I feel like the one whose feet are sticking out from under the house. Fortunately those times are few and far between, but I’m smack […]
Just over twenty-seven years ago, when I launched myself into parenthood, I had only a vague idea of what it meant to be a mom. I was working full-time at a public accounting firm in Chicago, supporting myself and my husband, who was a law student at the University of Chicago. When we found out […]
I’m generally a pretty neat and tidy person, but stuff creeps into my house sometimes, cluttering things up. Sometimes that “stuff” is food that has no place in my healthy household. (Ahem, Girl Scout cookies!) What do I do when that happens??? Time for a little spring cleaning! Please click here to read more …
How do you raise a child with an adventurous palate? Well, you don’t do what I did. Oh, I did fine with baby foods; I did it just like the parenting books said and introduced them one at a time and waited a week or so before trying another new food, in case she had an […]
Could they be any cuter? Those adorable little Girl Scouts, proudly wearing their brown (for Brownies) and green (for Juniors) sashes and vests. They eagerly greet us at grocery stores, banks and discount store entries, waiting to sell us their delicious cookies. Dammit! I am such a sucker for these girls, too. Not only am I […]
Our one remaining child at home had mid-winter break this past week. We decided to seize the opportunity to take a trip to the east coast to visit my dad and his wife, who live on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Having only ever been there in the summer before I […]
Love it or hate it, it’s almost Valentine’s Day. Count me among those who love it, but I don’t love the widespread practice of giving fattening foods to loved ones for this holiday. I just don’t understand how it shows love to give people things that are bad for them. Given that philosophy, I’m on […]
I can’t tell you how much I wish I had a clever punch line for that. Truth is, what’s pink and blue and beige all over is my kids’ bathrooms. You see, we’re building a house – not far, just a few miles from our current one – but we’ve lived in our current neighborhood […]
My dear friend Paige Green Dunn recently introduced me to the greatest invention since sliced Ezekel bread: home delivery of fresh, local, organic produce. She was telling me about it over lunch the other day, but then I discovered that she’d written about it on her own blog, “Mom Around Town.” The process couldn’t be […]
“Where’s the food?!?” is a common question heard at my house on Sunday mornings. The reason they’re digging through the fridge and pantry in desperation is that, other than staples, I pretty much buy exactly enough food for one week. I shop on Sunday afternoons (during football season, it’s before or after the Seahawks game), […]
If you’ve never cooked with herbes de provence, I encourage you to try it. Herbes de provence typically contain savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and, for the American market, lavender leaves. I mix it with olive oil, salt and pepper and simply rub it on the turkey breast before roasting. The smell while it’s cooking is intoxicating and the flavor it imparts is divine. I like to […]
I texted my daughters “Wanna make truffles this year?” “YESSSSSSS!!!!” they enthusiastically responded. Making homemade truffles was a Christmas tradition in our house throughout their childhood, but since my weight loss 7+ years ago I haven’t made truffles or any of the other McKenna family favorite holiday treats that I did for so many years. […]
It’s not like I haven’t been buying Christmas presents since the holiday’s inception (a slight exaggeration, I admit), so I have no excuse for the fact that every year it catches me off-guard. I remember – usually at the last minute – “oh my gosh, I have to fill the stockings!!!” Now, I know the […]
As I learned when I spent an afternoon testing motion games at Pixelkin, video games have a lot to offer for those of us who want to spend quality, active time with our families. Pixelkin is an organization that covers the latest news, reviews, and developments in games—with a special focus on families. They let me come […]
Who says video games rot your brain?!? I recently had the good fortune to spend an afternoon at Pixelkin, an organization that covers the latest news, reviews, and developments in games—with a special focus on families. They introduced me to family-friendly motion games and I learned that gaming can be a great way to spend quality time […]
Feliz Navi-dog from Stella! The days after Thanksgiving are a time of excitement as we begin the transition into Christmas or Hanukah mode (some of us faster than others). I’m not a shopper, so my idea of Black Friday is staring at the inside of my eyelids, leaving the lines and crowds to someone else. […]
The tables are set, the stuffing and cranberry are sauce are made, and the star of the show is brining in the fridge. It’s Thanksgiving morning and I wake up to a house that’s quiet, but not “too” quiet, if you know what I mean. Three out of four of my kids are home (my […]
Turkeys, eyeing farmer with cleaver headed toward them: “If we work together, I think we can take him.” Excerpted from “Holiday Horror” blog (original post November 29, 2012) My husband (aka “resident comedian”) has said for years that he can time the guests’ arrival at any family gathering by the onset of my nervous breakdown. Haha! Funny […]
Even those of us who don’t spend much time in the kitchen the rest of the year are dying to gather up our favorite tools to make the most-anticipated meal of the year: Thanksgiving dinner. Not hosting? Take a healthy side dish to share, or maybe bring one of these Thanksgiving-essential cooking tools for your […]
I was having lunch with a friend the other day who told me that her high school senior had just made her college decision. It’s a nerve-wracking process every time, but this was my friend’s first time through; she was both nervous and elated. Her biggest fear was that her daughter had chosen a school […]
Text from Rob, who’s been away on a business trip: I’m boarding the plane! Be home in a few hours! Me: Great! The house is a mess and Stella puked on the carpet. Brace yourself. Rob: Bad news; my flight’s been diverted. Me: ? Rob: To Hawaii. Me: Haha. Nice try. You’ve all moved before, […]
This whole birthday thing left me feeling all grumpy and out-of-sorts last week – the anticipation of something you dread is always worse than the thing itself – but yesterday, on my actual birthday, I decided something. One of the tried and true methods to improve your mood is by reaching out to others. Really, […]
My son Connor, now almost 15, was a superhero junkie in his younger days. When he was little, it was all about Batman, Spiderman and Superman. Of course, there was a certain macabre fascination with their arch villains as well. The Joker especially was a rival worthy of respect. Connor was so enamored with superheroes […]
You’ve probably never given any thought to whether or not Play-Doh has a shelf life. Well, it does. I can’t tell you exactly what that shelf life is, but I can tell you it’s not 10 years. My youngest child is 14, so it’s probably been about that long since I last put the kids’ […]
That’s my new house. At least, it will be in six to nine months. The exact date of completion is somewhat nebulous and depends on whether one believes the builder or the neighbors who have already moved in and found that their move-in dates that were moving targets. Nonetheless I am excited beyond words about this […]
Fabulous frozen foods fulfill your fit food fantasies! Try to say that three times fast! If you haven’t already guessed, today’s ABCs of weight loss are brought to you by the letter … The plethora of healthy convenience foods that are available in your average grocery store these days is nothing short of miraculous. Nowhere […]
Childhood obesity is a societal problem, to be sure. We are all impacted by the repercussions of generations of young people who are conditioned to overeat for a variety of reasons: they are less active than older generations, they are more technologically connected but less connected to other people than older generations, unhealthy food surrounds […]
When you set out on a weight loss journey you need to survey your home almost as if you were a homebuyer going through a house assessing its strengths and weaknesses. You must evaluate each room with a critical eye, discerning how well it meets your needs. In terms of creating a healthy lifestyle, you […]
All month we’ve been talking about how to create a home environment that supports weight loss and healthy living. There was the “Pantry Purge” and “The Proactive Pantry,” the “Refrigerator Rehab” and “Refrigerator Reset,” the “Franken-Freezer” and “Frozen is Fabulous.” But what about the rest of your house? Is it set up to support a […]
No, this isn’t a movie review. It’s a clever pop-culture reference to grab your attention is what it is. Worked too. Though the frozen foods we found in the Franken-Freezer were horrifying, the freezer has great potential for long-term healthy food storage. Now that we’ve cleared out the RED LIGHT FOODS and put the YELLOW […]
Don’t get me wrong, the freezer offers excellent long-term storage of very healthy foods. We’re going to take a detailed look at the best way to stock it in Thursday’s blog, but today it’s time to clean out the dreaded Franken-Freezer! Just like when we did the pantry purge and the refrigerator rehab, clearing out […]
There are two forces at work in your refrigerator that you can use to your advantage for weight loss: foods that must be refrigerated are by definition perishable. Buy fresh foods and use them quickly! And second, the number of very healthy convenience foods has dramatically increased in the last few years. Now that we’ve […]
It’s time to rehab the fridge as we continue our quest to create a “safe haven” in your home to support your weight loss goals. I’m really hoping we don’t have to call in a HAZMAT team to clean it out! Just like when we cleared out the hazardous foods in the pantry and cupboards, […]
I am probably the last person on the face of the Earth who will tell you to start canning all your food in order to eat healthier. I am, after all, the laziest (healthy) cook in North America. I will, however, tell you that once you’ve done your “Pantry Purge” based on the principle of […]
You’re afraid to open the cupboard, aren’t you? It’s all gonna come crashing down if you open it … don’t do it! Maybe your pantry and cupboards aren’t overstuffed and disorganized to that degree, but sometimes it seems like we keep buying things because we forget what we’ve already got. Or, we’re just in the […]
Dorothy didn’t have to go looking for her heart’s desire over the rainbow because, as she learned by the movie’s end, it was in her own backyard all along. In fact as we all know, there’s no place like home. Throughout the month we’re going to look at how to set up your home environment […]
I won’t keep you today; I know there are a lot of things you’ve still got to get done before the caroling and wassailing can begin. Hopefully you don’t save all the wrapping until the last minute like I do, but if you do, put on your favorite Christmas album and enjoy a cup of […]
I love the visual of the two tables because it so clearly defines for me what I have proactively chosen to eat (my table) vs. every possible food choice (the other table). I use this visual constantly when I’m confronted with a new food or need to remind myself which table chocolate chip cookies belong […]
