It’s their jam! This month our green couple rocked their toast with some fruit spread. Find out which one is worth waking up to for the morning nosh.
Crofter’s “Just Fruit Spread Superfruit”→
He said | 3 out of 5
This is what you make when you have way too much fruit and don’t know what to do with it. Grapes, cherries, açai, and pomegranate all went into this spread, and they give it a good-tasting, unique, but indiscernible flavor.
She said | 3 out of 5
This blend of açai berries, morello cherries, pomegranates, and red grapes is an antioxidant powerhouse! Even without any added sugar, this spread was still sweet enough. It had a sour, deep berry flavor that I wasn’t a fan of, but I’d eat it for the phytonutrients and antioxidant benefits. Read more
Put a twist to the famous sugar cookie recipe and go gluten-free. 
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup butter or margarine (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (gluten-free)
1 egg
4 teaspoons milk
2 cups flour (gluten-free)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (gluten-free)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
DIRECTIONS Dough can be prepared in advance
Cream butter or margarine with sugar and vanilla. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in milk. Add dry ingredients and blend into creamed mixture. Chill dough for 1 to 2 hours.
Roll refrigerated dough on lightly dusted gluten-free flour surface (you can dust the rolling pin with gluten-free flour as well). Dough should roll out approx. 1/4” in thickness. Cut out shapes as desired. Bake on greased cookie sheet (or using parchment paper) for 6-8 minutes at 375° F. After removing, put cookies on cooling rack after about 5-6 minutes.
Cookies can be glazed with a royal icing with coloring. Make sure that the coloring is gluten-free.
Recipe provided by Cookies From Home
BY DAVID M. BROWN
Frank Lloyd Wright would have approved.
The architect of record for this 8,240-square-foot Contemporary home in Paradise Valley is Scottsdale’s Vern Swaback, FAIA, who incorporated many of the sustainable concepts that Frank Lloyd Wright espoused and realized in his work — long before LEED certification and “green” design and construction. Swaback was one of Wright’s last apprentices. About eight years ago, the four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom one-level was built on 1.7 acres by Salcito Builders of Scottsdale. The home celebrates Zen simplicity, serenity, and mystery, with multiple water features and remembrances of the owners’ many work and travel years in Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, Burma/Myanmar and China. “Because it was designed and built prior to the program’s widespread acceptance, the home was not intended for LEED certification, but we wanted to make sustainable efforts in good design and material selections,” explains Mike Wetzel, AIA, design partner at Swaback. “Our goal for this project was to use simple architectural geometry to create strong linear elements, maintaining a low profile, yet giving volume to major spaces: Wright themes for his desert homes,” Wetzel explains. This the design accomplished by means of a structural steel and wood-truss frame and angled linear soffits that arch toward the sky — an architectural heliotropism thematic in both Wright’s and Swaback’s works. Read more
A typical workday for many women today often involves big stress to her back and neck. So, how can women survive the work week without incurring spine pain that dampens the weekend? In many cases, simple changes can bring significant relief in reducing back and neck pain complaints. Here are a few tips to make the “typical workday” easier on your back.
Purses
Breathe easy – purses don’t need to be eliminated, just downsized a bit. By examining clinical studies on the relationship between carrying backpacks and back pain in adolescents, as well as the impacts of wearing heavy protective gear, we can make some reasonable, scientifically based recommendations. Carrying extra weight has a direct correlation with increased rates of back pain, and the rate of back pain is greater when a bag weighs more than 6 pounds. Some of the trendy handbags can weigh up to 4 pounds when empty. Also, one strap versus two straps doesn’t seem to make a difference; however, the manner in which a handbag is carried does impact the stresses applied to the spine. The bag should lay about waistline and should be kept close to the center of gravity next to the body. Read more
BY BARBI WALKER
The holidays are over and the stress that normally accompanies them is behind us too. But sometimes a little melancholy lingers, leaving us feeling the blahs. So if you find yourself feeling a little, I don’t know…meh about things, then we have just the right tips for boosting your mood.
This too shall pass
Boosting your mood starts with patience. Take a deep breath and remember it won’t last. The blues are a natural part of life, as the experts point out. “Everyone gets depressed,” says Dr. Carl Hammerschlag, M.D., a Paradise Valley psychiatrist and authority in the science of psychoneuroimmunology (mind, body, spirit medicine). “Recognize it’s gonna pass and own what it is you are feeling.” By being realistic and accepting of yourself and your current mood, you can prevent making yourself feel worse, and shorten the time you feel down. Dr. Leslie Seppinni, a doctor of clinical psychology, agrees. “Take the moment for what it is—a moment.” So rather than rushing to conclusions about your blahs, sit back and relax with a cup of tea or a good book, and remind yourself that it’s temporary. Read more
Give mom a break and a full day of pampering with the Mama Pampering Kit. This handy bundle of goodies includes organic tea, some words of wisdom, bath salts and an all-natural heatable pillow for the end of a long day. jurneeproducts.com
Something pretty, special and distinctive – like any great piece of jewelry should be, Isabelle Grace necklaces are created just for you and customizable. The handmade items made from recycled silver make for perfect keepsakes or gifts.
isabellegracejewelry.com
Follow Us!