http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com About finding balance in your life, connecting with who you are, and creating a lifestyle where you wake up each morning eagerly anticipating the day ahead. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:14:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/tips-for-using-storing-herbs/ http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/tips-for-using-storing-herbs/#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:02:46 +0000 Shirley http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/tips-for-using-storing-herbs/ Reader question... "I'm just starting to use herbs more in my cooking and I'm realizing that I don't know very much about this subject. Are herbs something I should buy in bulk, how should I store them, how do I know how much to use? Any hints or information you could share would be very appreciated. Thank you." --Sheryl Probably the most important thing to remember is that dried herbs are much stronger than fresh herbs because the chemicals responsible for the flavor have been concentrated by the drying process. As a rough estimate, one teaspoon of dried, crushed herbs... or 1/4 teaspoon of an herb that has been dried and powdered... are about equivalent to two to three teaspoons of fresh herbs.]]> http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/tips-for-using-storing-herbs/feed/ 3 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/book-review-the-whole-soy-story/ http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/book-review-the-whole-soy-story/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:26:58 +0000 Shirley http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/book-review-the-whole-soy-story/ The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food, describes its purpose perfectly... to counter the exaggerated health claims about soy and soy products and to provide a more balanced view based on facts and science.]]> http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/book-review-the-whole-soy-story/feed/ 5 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/how-to-make-your-own-italian-seasoning-mix/ http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/how-to-make-your-own-italian-seasoning-mix/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:07:27 +0000 Shirley http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/how-to-make-your-own-italian-seasoning-mix/ "I used your instructions and made garlic powder over the weekend. It turned out great and it tastes much more garlicky than my jar of store bought. I'm wondering do you make your own Italian seasoning mix and if you do if you would share your recipe. I am trying to make as many things from scratch as I can and I'm finding your blog wonderfully helpful." --Patti ]]> http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/how-to-make-your-own-italian-seasoning-mix/feed/ 0 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/how-i-make-garlic-powder/ http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/how-i-make-garlic-powder/#comments Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:29:42 +0000 Shirley http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/how-i-make-garlic-powder/ http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/how-i-make-garlic-powder/feed/ 5 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/book-review-the-hidden-dangers-of-soy/ http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/book-review-the-hidden-dangers-of-soy/#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:59:14 +0000 Shirley http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/book-review-the-hidden-dangers-of-soy/ The Hidden Dangers of Soy, went into anaphylactic shock in an emergency room. Doctors stabilized her condition but could not find the reason it had happened, even after many examinations and tests. Their tentative diagnosis was food poisoning. The author felt that food poisoning was not the answer, but she could not figure out what had gone wrong either.]]> http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/book-review-the-hidden-dangers-of-soy/feed/ 0 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/a-soy-free-thanksgiving-dinner/ http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/a-soy-free-thanksgiving-dinner/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:57:25 +0000 Shirley http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/a-soy-free-thanksgiving-dinner/ Reader question... "Is it possible to have a Thanksgiving dinner that isn't full of soy? I was diagnosed with a severe (life threatening) soy allergy a few months ago and everything we normally would have for our Thanksgiving dinner seems to have soy on the label. Ideally we would have turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, pies, stuffing, but all the labels say soy. What can I do?" --Diana S. ]]> http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/a-soy-free-thanksgiving-dinner/feed/ 1