I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how grateful I am for what I have.
- I’m grateful to open up my refrigerator and find an abundant supply of fresh, healthy food.
- I’m grateful to coach and do what I love for a living.
- I’m grateful to have a husband who cooks with me, bakes with me, and supports me in every endeavor.
Mixed with gratitude has been a month of grief and loss.
This week, a high school classmate of my niece’s was killed in an auto accident. His death was a huge loss to the small community where I grew up and to everyone who knew him.
Earlier this month, my family gathered for a memorial service for my grandmother. She was 88 when she passed, and in a lot of pain. She was ready to go. I wasn’t exactly ready to let her go, and since her death I’ve been considering ways I can honor her memory. My mother’s idea, which I think is a good one, is to make a donation in my grandmother’s name to Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian relief organization working in drought-stricken northeastern Kenya and the horn of Africa to provide food and water to people who are literally starving to death. The coverage of this disaster made me wake up to the fact that my refrigerator is full, my pantry is full, and my cup runneth over. It’s time to help other people in need.
Last week, I heard that Jennifer Perillo, a beloved food-blogger and mother to two small children lost her husband Mikey to a sudden heart attack. Her posts since his death have been incredibly moving. One of her friends and one of my favorite gluten-free bloggers, Shauna Ahern of gluten-free girl and the chef, has set up a fund for Jennie and her girls. As she explained it:
As you can imagine, Jennie is overwhelmed not only by her grief, and the sudden responsibility of raising two children by herself, but she is also struggling with this financially. She just learned that she cannot collect widow’s benefits from Social Security because she earns too much money each year. The health insurance for her and her kids runs out in December and she just learned that the total she will have to pay will be more than her mortgage. It’s possible she’ll have to pay off the entire mortgage in one lump sum because the apartment was in his name alone. And more than anything, Mikey wanted Jennie to continue living her dream of being a food writer. And he wanted to make sure his kids were taken care of well. That’s why he worked as hard as he did. So we want to help. And we hope you want to help too.”
I do want to help. In fact, I am donating my six-week Transform U coaching package to a special auction for Jennie on the site Bloggers without Borders, a new non-profit helping bloggers assist others in need. I’ve also sent a donation directly through the fund, which you can do too by clicking on their logo below.
I’ve also been thinking about ways to give back through my coaching, and I am offering three new ways for you to give and get back:
1. Bid on my auction for a fund for Jennie by sending me an e-mail at janelle_holden@hotmail.com. I’m starting the auction at $50. The coaching package I’m offering is worth $576 so you have the opportunity to get an incredible deal. I’ll let you know if you get outbid. Bidding ends next Monday, September 5th. You don’t have to be gluten-free to benefit from this coaching package. If you want to lose weight, change your relationship with food, and find some peace of mind, then I’m here to help you. Coaching is a lot like getting a good soul massage, and you can do it from the comfort of your own home!
2. Learn how to go gluten-free! I’m offering a new telecourse, 4 weeks to Gluten Free, beginning September 14. I’m giving 10 percent of all the proceeds to humanitarian relief in Africa, and have already made a personal contribution in my grandmother’s memory as well.
3. Sign up for my newsletter. Scroll down to the right hand side of this page and enter your name and e-mail address to sign up. I’m giving anyone who signs up for my newsletter a chance to experience life coaching. You’ll get a 30-minute coaching session that you can book on-line. No sales pitches. Just a life-changing experience for you.
In the midst of grief and loss, food is important. There is something about sharing food that reminds us of our connection to each other, the community we have, and the joy in life. In that spirit, I want to offer you my recipe for my crunchy apple kohlrabi salad. It’s still summer, but if you’re hankering for fall cooking like I am, this recipe may soothe your appetite with some crisp apples and kohlrabi from your local farmer’s market.
Crunchy Apple Kohlrabi Salad
Ingredients:
1 apple, cored and cubed (you can leave the skins on)
1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
1 kohlrabi with ends trimmed, bulb peeled and cubed
1/2 cup walnuts (you can leave these out if you have a tree nut sensitivity or don’t have any on hand)
Honey Mustard Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
To assemble:
1. Mix together diced vegetables in your favorite salad serving bowl
2. Assemble dressing by whisking ingredients together in a small bowl or large measuring cup.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad and add salt and pepper or your favorite herbs to taste.
4. Enjoy!
