Making Love in the Kitchen

When was the last time you woke up in the morning and instead of either dreading what the day would bring or being excited about what was to come, you actually took the time to reflect on the goodness bits that remain pretty sweetly constant? See- it’s easy, oh so easy, to get caught up in the fleeting moments- the good ones and the bad ones, to recognize that for the most part we are blessed to be stressed about whatever it is we are stressing over. I tell you this today, on the Friday before the long weekend, as I pack up for a weekend with my family at our cottage together, that things are pretty sweet. And with that being said, it’s mostly ’cause of you. And because the sweetness is mostly ’cause of you, well, that’s why I’ve been working my tootsy tail off.

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You probably think I’m nuts. Sickness can be painful, ugly, stressful, agonizing, tragic, wretched, humiliating, sad. So what’s to be grateful for? I used to whine a lot about having Crohn’s disease. I felt sorry for myself. I adopted a ‘Why me, why does my body hate me so much?’ kinda attitude. It was me against my intestines – and it seemed as if my intestines were always winning. Sure, Crohn’s disease sucks. I’ve been on loads of medications, I’ve spent countless hours doubled over in hospital ERs, I’ve had a foot of bowel removed. It took me a long time to recognize all of the amazing gifts having this disease has brought me, but here I am, talking about illness like it’s a blessing and totally meaning it.

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We know you love our classes (checked out the fall semester yet?) but we are THRILLED to see Travel To Wellness magazine picked the Love in the Kitchen Academy as one of the Top 10 Best Cooking Classes in Toronto. Yipeeeeeeee! How exciting. We are flattered..and blushing. And all the fun things that come along with a sweet, sweet compliment such as that. You can read the whole awesome write up right here. (Also- check out this article I wrote for Travel to Wellness a little while back that is very seasonally appropriate: “8 Wellness Things to do in Toronto”)

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After 14 years of using a neti pot on a regular, almost daily basis – I must admit, I am amazed how overlooked this basic bit of personal hygiene is. Most of us brush our teeth and we usually expect the same of others. In fact, when someone neglects this important bit of personal cleanliness, the rest of us can be easily turned off. How about bathing? What if you knew someone hadn’t showered or bathed in months, years, or worse still, never at all… How would you feel about getting… um, close to them?

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Last week, we announced some super exciting news about upcoming projects-and that my collection of e-books would be going into the “vault” this week. I promise this is a good thing- but I know a lot of peeps were eager to get their hands on the goods before they go. Since my website was being a bit finicky over the weekend, we are extending the sweet, sweet offer for the next 24 hours so make sure you hop on over to our shop and take advantage while you can. Use the coupon code “byebyebooks” with the purchase of 2 or more e-books and see your awesome savings upon checkout. (Pssst- the discount only applies to single books, not collections).

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Remember a few weeks ago we wrote about our Friendly Correspondence with McCain Foods? After attempting to interview someone- anyone! – at the company in regards to their new “It’s All Good” campaign, our e-mails were dutifully ignored and we received no response after the initial inquiry about the nature of our interview. The thing is- after we posted our questions for McCain, it turned out a lot of you good peeps were looking for answers, too. We received countless comments and e-mails asking for a follow-up to our interview with McCain. Did we get our answers, you wanted to know? Maeve followed up with the representative at McCain who had initially (and briefly) been in touch, and passed along a link to our post. No response. Maeve followed up again- which, of course, garnered no response.

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Sunday is all about relaxing, spending time with family and maybe have a few giggles. Couldn’t help but share this AWESOME clip from Portlandia- one of the best shows ever (check it out if you haven’t!)

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Fueling your life is about taking into account all aspects of our lives including the food we eat, the thoughts we think, the people we hang about with, and what we do all day. For that reason, I think this story is best told in pictures. This is what fuels my life. Let’s start with the pics up above… I am Fueled by loads and loads of green juice. Green juice makes me happy right down to ever last cell in my body.

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Have you ever had a problem falling asleep? You know the annoying drill: staring at the ceiling, tossing from side to side, glancing at your alarm clock as the hours tick away without the relief of sweet, sweet slumber. You’re not alone, my friends. Not only are sleep problems one of the top issues we hear about in the kitchen, but they’re also a problem for over three million Canadians. Lack of sleep is more than just a nightly annoyance – it can seriously affect both our short-term and long-term health. Sleep is a time when our bodies relax, repair and regenerate, and if that isn’t occurring we become susceptible to a wide array of health issues including weight gain, immune system weakness, headaches and memory problems. A recent study also shows evidence that sleeping too little can put us at an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and heart failure.

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I get loads upon loads of questions from amazingly excited people about to embark on their career in the health or creative field, seeking tips and tricks on how I manifested this wee little biz of mine.

Now this may not seem like a health related question, but it is. It really, really is. Remember that video I shared last week- about the missing link in the secret of health?

On May 1st, in a little over two weeks time, my business, Meghan Telpner Inc., will be turning 4 years old! That is pretty freaking exciting, especially since, when I started this here little blog and cooking school, which were both teeny, tiny- I hadn’t a clue where I wanted it all to go. I just kept working, envisioning, working more, being brave, being creative a lot of the time and smart some of the time.

The result is that in four short years- I’ve taught more cooking classes than I can count, had over 2,000 people attend one of my classes or public cooking events, sold out 4 retreats with the 5th on its way (just 3 spots left!), been a regular writer for a national newspaper, and a regular on national television, and most recently signed my first book deal (and then wrote, shot, edited, edited some more the best book there ever was) that will have Canadian and US disribution. Plus I have a few very special signature products.

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Happy Easter, peeeps! How is the long weekend treating you, my loves? Well, I hope. I am busy making the final edits on my book- but I am happy to say this weekend hasn’t all been punctuation and grammar. I’ve enjoyed some lovely time with family and friends too. With Passover behind us, and Easter on it’s way out- it hit me just how quickly 2012 is flying by. A pretty good year, thus far, if I do say so myself. I have been having SO much fun with my CNE students, plus all the other wonderful people coming through my doors. I wish I could host the largest workshop ever, and have each and every one of you in the audience…I’ll make that a goal for 2013.

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I’ve been there. I am sure you have been too at one point or another. You know- where you feel like you’re doing everything right, everything according to plan and yet you still don’t feel well. You eat all the right foods, do everything your doctor or natural health care rock star suggests and still it seems like it is all continuing to unravel. As a health cheer leader, I am forever telling my own story and offering guidance for others. Sometimes, I need to hear it too- my words but in someone else’s voice.

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We know we’ve got a lot going on. To make sure you don’t miss you chance to hang out and play with us- whether it be in your kitchen with our goodies, in our kitchen or in Costa Rica for our retreat- I have out together a little summary of all that’s new, hip and happening.

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It seems like people are a lil’ bit sensitive about their soy products, which we discovered recently when Meghan wrote about her Natural Products Expo adventure. In case you missed it, here’s the gist: foods splashed with lofty health claims are usually not healthy, including faux sausage, turkey and hot dogs, which are almost always made out of soy. Some peeps believe that eating fakin’ bacon is a better choice for personal health, the environment and animal rights. We don’t agree, and here’s why:

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Do you ever marvel at people who can breezily turn down ooey gooey baked goods or a melty slice of pizza without batting an eye? For many of us, sticking to that two-week cleanse isn’t so tough. It’s when the cleanse is over that we find ourselves drooling over chocolate cake and reverting back to all the vices that lead us to the cleanse in the first place. Just a few weeks ago, my sister-in-law asked me if there was something that I was dying to cheat with, something that was so pleasurable and enjoyable it was worth the negative effects later. Did I ever say screw it, I’m going to stay home, eat that baddie and position myself in front of the washroom when the inevitable consequences arrived? I honestly couldn’t think of any junk food that was worth compromising my health so I would be holed up in the bathroom hollering at my husband for more toilet paper. Believe me, I’m no martyr.

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