Savoring West Texas, now and always

Friends, It is with the heaviest of hearts I’ve ever known to write this. This will be my last Savoring West Texas weekly column. And this one isn’t going to be about food. One week ago today at 1:15 p.m., my beloved partner in everything, my husband Bob, took his final breath and flew into the Great Beyond. Following his completely unexpected and massive brain bleed on March 13 that required extensive emergency brain surgery and all that goes along with it, his recovery was nothing short of miraculous. We were gifted 33 of the most excruciatingly beautiful days and … Continue reading Savoring West Texas, now and always

My recent Letter to the Editor of the Alpine Avalanche <3

On Saturday, March 13, the Johns’ world was shaken and shattered. My beloved husband Bob suffered what we now know was a Hemorrhagic Stroke – a brain bleed brought on by untreated hypertension – and it was a total shock. (More specifically, it was on the right side – in his Basal Ganglia). Many of you know us in person from Alpine Farmers Market, and our Texas Coffee Roasters business in Fort Davis, as well as my weekly column here in the Avalanche. I write this on the one-week mark of our family tragedy. My husband has been in ICU … Continue reading My recent Letter to the Editor of the Alpine Avalanche ❤

Letting food be your medicine and medicine be your food

I might not have made any really earth-shattering New Year’s resolutions on New Year’s Day, but I did start our new year with a big batch of beef bone broth and microgreens growing in the window. My simple personal resolutions this year include baking more cookies with premium, natural ingredients; growing superfoods and herbs in the kitchen windows where critters can’t eat them or drag them into the yard, and the usual Jan. 1-April 1 fast from adult beverages. Adding healing, nourishing bone broth to the menu just feels natural. The first written documentation of bone broth being used medicinally … Continue reading Letting food be your medicine and medicine be your food

Adventures of a first-time sprouter

About a week ago, I decided to try my hand at growing microgreens… the seedlings of vegetables and herbs. When we lived near the city, I bought microgreens regularly at the grocery store. I loved adding them to tacos, salads, sandwiches and soups. They add a crunch and an unexpected punch of flavor to everything. They can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Microgreens are a good source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Some scientific evidence suggests that microgreens are powerful antioxidants, but that depends on the plant. Broccoli sprouts are especially healthy because while both broccoli and … Continue reading Adventures of a first-time sprouter