Bella Magazine- February 2017

b february 2017

H EA RT H EA LT H M I N D • B O DY • S O U L B E M Y VA L E N T I N E

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february 2017

Fe b r u a r y 2017

Is su e On e Hu n d re d Twe nty- E i g ht

Joey Coakley Beck Publisher & Owner jbeck@beckmediagroup.com Hayleigh Worgan Editorial Director hworgan@beckmediagroup.com Sara Coakley Office Manager bella@beckmediagroup.com ••• ADVERTISING Meredith MacKenzie Advertising Sales Representative meredith@beckmediagroup.com (540) 904-6800 ••• Contributors Member One Federal Credit Union, Aaren Nuñez/Well Fed Farm, Zoë Pierson, Stacy Shrader, Hayleigh Worgan Editorial Inquiries editorial@beckmediagroup.com

LLC

P.O. Box 107 Roanoke, Virginia 24002 540.904.6800 fax 540.904.6803 Bella Magazine is the property of Beck Media Group LLC. It is a free publication printed monthly and is distributed throughout Southwest and Central Virginia and beyond. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse ad space for any advertisement or editorial content the staff deems inappropriate for our readers. The concept and design of Bella Magazine, as well as the design, advertisements, art, photos and editorial content is property of Beck Media Group LLC and may not be copied or reprinted without written permission from the publisher. ©2017 Beck Media Group LLC All Rights Reserved. PRINTED IN VIRGINIA w w w. l o v e l y b e l l a . c o m

inside mind.body.soul.

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be my valentine

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Making your health and well-being your top priority.

Festive recipes for parties and a memorable date night at Chateau Morrisette.

Love is in the air!

save smarter

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Protect yourself from identity theft.

common good

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Exploring the local food culture in Southwest & Central Virginia.

poppyseed

Celebrating the connections that create diverse families in the region.

meet the maker

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Local weaver spreads joy to animal shelters in our area.

be the change

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A few ways to donate your time to support the LGBTQ community.

bella loves

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For the Bella girl who craves adventure!

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Written by Hayleigh Worgan

mind • body • soul

put your health first

The importance of advocating for your own health at every age

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Amanda Heasley is a wife, a mother of three, and an active lover of the outdoors. Despite her active life style, at 40 years old, she suffered a heart attack.

It began in the early evening when she noticed a slight stiffness in her right shoulder.

Slowly, over a period of five hours, the pain became unbearable as it moved down her right arm, across the inside of her wrist to her thumb. She tossed and turned in bed as the pain increased while her two-month-old baby slept in the crib next to her. Finally, she woke her husband to tell him, “If I were 70, I would think this was a heart attack.”

Earlier that week, Amanda raced her dingy in a sailing regatta. It was a windy day, and the race required energy and physical exertion. The next morning, she met her personal trainer for a workout. As the pain on her left side increased, she thought back on these activities and wondered if she had pulled a muscle, but the pain seemed deeper than her muscles. Eventually she began to vomit and called her mother to try to work out what might be wrong.

“It was Mum who told me to go to the hospital,” Amanda explains. “In Triage, I couldn’t sit still because of the pain. I said those words one last time, ‘If I were 70, I would think this was a heart attack.’ The intake nurse said it was not likely because I was too young. However, I was promptly hooked up to a heart monitor, and after two doses of intravenous pain killer, I was feeling much better.”

The hospital ran several tests that came back normal until the final one that checked the enzyme levels in her blood. When the results came back, her elevated levels indicated she was having a heart attack.

Amanda was diagnosed with a rare condition called Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection causing acute Myocardia Infarction. The condition is rare, but it most commonly affects otherwise healthy women between 20 and 40 years old. Thirty percent of those affected are in the third trimester of pregnancy or early postpartum. It’s february 2017

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mind • body • soul

Hayleigh Worgan uses her voice as a writer and the editor of Bella Magazine to tell the stories of women in our community regardless of race, religion, country of origin, or sexual orientation. In her free time, she works on creative pieces that focus on equality. www.hayleighworgan.com

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likely that her recent pregnancy, along with activities prior to the heart attack, resulted in a tear in one or two layers inside her coronary artery. Blood pumping from her heart seeped between the artery layers leading to a blockage and heart attack.

Amanda was reluctant to take medicine for this condition because she was still nursing.

She was discharged with instructions to take aspirin, not lift anything, and rest completely until she met a specialist. However, with a newborn and a toddler to take care of, she pushed herself too far and was back in the hospital three days later with a second heart failure. She was prescribed Beta blockers and ace-inhibitors along with Aspirin.

The second time, she followed every instruction—the hardest of which was no lifting!

Full arterial recovery took a year, which consisted partly of very gentle cardiac rehab. Amanda counts herself as very fortunate and hopes to educate others about cardiovascular disease and health.

More than one in three women aged 20 and older are living with some form of cardiovascular disease. Almost half of cardiovascular-related deaths are in females. Be your best health advocate. Prevention is your first step with healthy eating and regular exercise. No matter what your lifestyle, if something is wrong go to the doctor or call 911. Get regular checkups and ask questions about your heart health. Do not let someone tell you that you are too young to worry about it. You will never regret investigating symptoms and asking important health questions that could save your life.

Visit www.heart.org for more information on risk factors, taking action, and managing your health.

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mind • body • soul

Written by Stacy Shrader

heart healthy & happy

A few simple steps in the right direction

February is all about showing love, however that doesn’t mean you can’t send some love to your own heart. Heart health has been growing into a more prominent topic in the last few years. With heart disease being the number one killer of Americans, your heart can never be too healthy. Here are some tips to jump start a heart healthy February:

Healthy Eating in Restaurants

It’s no secret that avoiding heart disease is aided by eating right and clean. However, sometimes it’s difficult to make these choices at restaurants and in a time crunch. When you choose a restaurant, say no to all-you-can-eat. Buffet restaurants will make you eat more than you would usually would in a single meal. Some menus are so large that it gives you too many opportunities to choose something high in fat. Plan ahead to what you’re going to order and stick to it. It’s important that you know what is in your food at restaurants, so don’t be afraid to ask for butter or sauces on the side to control what you consume or ask the server how your meal is prepared. Also, you can ask for half of your meal to be put in a to-go box since restaurant servings are so large.

Be Active

Stacy Shrader is an undergraduate student at Virginia Tech pursuing a dual degree in public relations and management. She is a dog enthusiast and loves anything athletic related. Stacy dreams to one day take over the male-dominated sports communication world with her feminist style and passion. w w w. l o v e l y b e l l a . c o m

Everyone has intentions to keeping a regular exercise schedule, but sometimes your workout plan doesn’t always stick. It’s important to make your expectations reasonable by starting small. For example, take the stairs instead of elevator, stand up at your desk, and go on a walk during lunch breaks. Don’t get discouraged when you don’t feel up to exercising every day. Even if you’re not in the mood, try to do something that gets your heart pumping just to stay on track. Most people detest exercising because it seems like a hassle and a chore. Yet if you find an activity that is fun and exciting, you won’t want to stop!

Stress & Heart Health

Almost every part of life causes stress including finances, jobs, and families. Everyone has a different way of handling and reacting to their stress. Unfortunately, that can lead to some serious health problems down the road. Coping mechanisms like binge drinking, overeating, and smoking can negatively affect your heart. Even though stress will never go away in life, you can always manage it to improve your overall health. Exercise is one of the best answers to handling strain, however there are hundreds of way to relax. When you find a perfect stress management for your lifestyle, your heart and whole body will thank you! february 2017

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mind • body • soul

Written by Hayleigh Worgan

eliminating stubborn fat

An affordable & professional way to achieve your goals Hooray! You’re back on track with exercising. You’ll be healthy and ready for summer before you know it!

However, like many of us, you may be noticing some stubborn fat that just won’t take the hint. Don’t worry, the professionals at Starkey Medical Esthetics can help!

Starkey Medical Esthetics now offers SculpSure, a non-invasive body contouring system for the reduction of stubborn fat in areas such as the abdomen and love handles.

“It is a medical procedure using laser technology. Similar to liposuction it’s a one treatment procedure that kills fat cells,” says Michele Meinhart, Nurse Practitioner. “The laser raises the temperature inside the fat cell to a point that the cell itself is destroyed. Your body slowly breaks down the fatty components over time and passes that through your lymphatic system.”

The process is much less invasive than liposuction. With SculpSure, you don’t have any downtime, incisions, nerve damage, or bruising. It’s a body contouring procedure, but it gives significant reduction.

Because there is no downtime, you can get right back in the gym. After one 25-minute procedure, the results are permanent because the fat cells are dead.

Six weeks later, many patients begin to notice results.

“At the time of the procedure, the skin is cooled and the fat is heated. Over the first six weeks of time, your body is breaking down the fat cells and it’s slowly being drained through your lymphatic system.

You notice a difference at the six week point that is maximized at the twelve week point. It’s almost as though you had a bruise. Your body slowly heals it and takes away the dead tissue. In this case, that is fat. It is subtle and slow, but it is a great advantage for people that don’t want to spend a lot of money and don’t have time for downtime.”

A lot of procedures are becoming less invasive because people can get very near surgical results without going through surgery. This is great for people who cannot afford to take the time off work, and it is often very cost-effective as well. A huge part of the services that Starkey Medical Esthetics offers includes laser therapy. They also use it to treat wrinkles, acne scarring, and active acne. Additionally, it helps with medical issues including psoriasis.

For more information on SculpSure and Starkey Medical Esthetics, visit their website at www.starkeymedical.com.

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be my valentine Written by Zoë Pierson

sweet escape Valentine’s Day at Chateau Morrisette

Celebrate your love at Chateau Morrisette with the Wine & Chocolate event February 11-12! As one of the largest wineries in Virginia, with an awardwinning restaurant and unforgettable wines, there many reasons to visit. Winemaker Brian Smyth will be present to discuss wine pairings for the selection of sweets. Ranging from chocolatiers on site to others around the region, the array of chocolates will include everything from sweet to savory, and can be enjoyed along with the popular wines of the Chateau.

Our favorite special blends, Our Dog Blue and The Black Dog, would be great for this occasion! However, Bella girls will also love their Chardonnays, Merlots, Petit Manseng, and Nouveau Chien.

The William Morrisette Room will mimic the epitome of the holiday with its warm and homey feel, and spawn memories of cherry cordials with its deep cherry wood. The stone fireplaces are sure to keep you warm, and the view will bring meaning back to “love at first sight.” If you would like to explore more of the winery, complimentary cellar tours are available Saturdays at 1 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm and on Sundays at 2 pm and 4 pm. Tours last about half an hour.

Two seatings will take place on Saturday, February 11 from 1-3 pm and 5-7 pm and on Sunday, February 12 from 2-4 pm. The event is $48 per person and includes wines, chocolates, taxes, and gratuity. Advanced reservations and pre-payment are required.

Two dates are always better than one! Visit Chateau Morrisette again on February 14 for their Puppy Love Valentine’s Day Dinner from 4-8 pm. The special prix fixe menu will offer three courses prepared by Chef Mitchell Sheppard and his culinary team. During this event, their winemaker will suggest a different wine that can be paired with each of the menu items, and glasses of those suggestions will be available for purchase. Not only will this be a lovely date, but it can serve as an educational experience for future meals. Reservations are strongly recommended for this event, but walk-ins will be accepted on a “seating as available” basis.

Visit www.thedogs.com or call (540) 593-DOGS (3647) for more information and to make reservations. Chateau Morrisette is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 287 Winery Road SW Floyd, VA 24091.

Zoë Pierson is a First Year at Hollins University who is pursuing a dual major in communication studies and international studies, with a minor in business.

She enjoys animals, coffee, and reading new books.

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be my valentine

Written by Hayleigh Worgan

sweet treats Easy recipes to surprise your loved ones on Valentine’s Day

We were always told that the quickest way to someone’s heart is to make them something delicious! If your resources are limited or, like some of us, you don’t spent a lot of time in the kitchen, you can still create the recipes we’ve included here with minimum effort. And, honestly, what’s not to love about a dessert that is easy to make AND delicious?

Red Velvet Cake Truffles www.julieseatsandtreats.com

Valentine’s Cake Pops www.makeit-loveit.com

Valentine’s Day Oreo Pops www.happinessishomemade.net

Shot Through The Heart Cake Pops www.hellolittlehome.com

Cherry Jam Heart Pie Pops

(Photo courtesy of Cyd Converse) www.thesweetestoccasion.com

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sweet treats Because cake is better than candy & we all need a cheat day.

Looking for something to serve with those delicious Valentine’s Day beverages? We love this recipe for Strawberry Cake Truffles from www.hollys cheatday.com. This recipe yields 30, so you may want to freeze a few unless you’re hosting a party—or eat them all, we won’t judge you!

Strawberry Cake Truffles THE CAKE: 1 package of Strawberry Cake Mix 1 cup of Water 1/3 cup of Vegetable Oil 3 eggs 3/4 cup of Pre-Made Cream Cheese Frosting (She uses Pillsbury) 9x13” pan THE COATING: 20 ounces of Almond Bark 1/2 cup of Vegetable Shortening Red Food Coloring (Optional) Red Decorating Sugar (Optional) DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your 9x13” pan with baking spray and set aside. With a handheld or stand mixer with paddle attachment, place your cake mix in the bowl, then the water, oil and eggs mixing all of these ingredients together until well incorporated. Pour your bake batter into your pan and bake 22-24 minutes (She took hers out precisely at 24). Cover and place in your fridge to let it cool completely. Once cooled, crumble the whole cake with your hands into your bowl, then place your frosting into the bowl as well and beat until evenly blended. Line a pan with wax paper and using a mini ice cream scoop or spoon roll cake mixture into 1.5 inch balls and place on the paper, cover and freeze for at least an hour.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE COATING: Using a double boiler (which she used) or a microwave safe bowl, place your almond bark and shortening, heating until completely melted and smooth.

Now drop your cake balls into your melted coating making sure to completely coat each ball, carefully removing them using a spoon or toothpicks and placing back onto your wax paper.

If you would like to put decorating sugar on top, make sure to do it as soon as you place onto your paper because this coating sets very quickly. These can be served immediately or covered and placed in the fridge. *Notes: You are welcome to use white chocolate chips instead of almond bark, but she finds the almond bark holds up so much better. For some of the ‘designs’ on top of the truffles, she just added some red food coloring to some of the melted white chocolate, put in a sandwich baggie, and piped it on top. w w w. l o v e l y b e l l a . c o m

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save smarter

Article courtesy of Member One Federal Credit Union

the art of avoiding the scam Security Tips to Protect Your Identity

As technology evolves to secure our identities, so has scammers’ creativity and resourcefulness to steal it. While we may think we’re savvy enough to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft and fraud, the reality is that we’re all susceptible to the threat. Secure yourself with these helpful tips.

Don’t give out personal information unless you’ve initiated contact. Scammers will contact you by phone, mail, and even email requesting personal information. Never give out that information unless you’ve initiated contact or know exactly whom you’re dealing with.

Avoid logging on to personal accounts on public computers. This can make your information accessible to the next person who uses it. Additionally, accessing your checking account via public Wi-Fi puts your information at risk. Only use your personal computer on a private, trusted Wi-Fi signal to access any information that people could use to do you harm.

Create strong passwords. Make it something challenging for others to guess by interchanging E with 3, switching between upper and lowercase, and adding special characters. For example, if you wanted to make your password “animal”, a better alternative might be @N!mA1. That’s much harder to guess and still easy to remember.

Check your credit report annually to look for any discrepancies. The three major credit reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—are required by law to provide you with a free credit report every 12 months. To request a free copy, visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call toll-free 1-877-322-8228. Be cautious of websites that advertise a “free” credit report.

They often require you to sign up for a monthly subscription fee in order to receive your report.

Secure your debit and credit cards. You can sign up for digital wallets, which help add a layer of security to your debit and credit cards by encrypting the card information. You can also sign up for purchase alerts where you’re notified via phone and/or email if a certain parameter, such as a dollar amount on a transaction, is hit. It’s also a good idea to let your financial institution know if you’ll be traveling to prevent your card from becoming locked due to unfamiliar transactions.

Being proactive and staying on top of your credit and finances goes a long way toward protecting yourself from scammers; however, if you find you’re already a victim, visit https://www.ready. gov/cyber-attack to learn what your next steps should be.

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Join Member One here each month for more money-saving tips and financial advice! Be sure to visit their website, www.memberonefcu.com, for more information on the products and services they offer. february 2017

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common good Exploring the local food culture in Southwest & Central Virginia Winter Feels & Sunshine in a Jar Written by Aaren Nuñez It is cold, wet, and a lot of the time snowy. The ground around the farmhouse and barns fluctuates between a boot sucking muck and being frozen solid, brutally pitted with deep hoof prints and tire tracks. Layers upon layers of warm clothes have to be pulled on, sloughed off, and hung to dry by the fire multiple times a day as we go in and out for farm chores or play. A constant supply of wood is being carried indoors for the woodstove. Hoses have to be drained and pulled inside routinely after watering so they do not freeze. Another round bale gets moved out to the cattle. February is when we all get a bit stir crazy and tired of the cold weather routine. There is the arrival of baby chicks in a big box picked up from the post office to look forward to, though, and thoughts drift easily to the warmer days that lie ahead.

The summer in a jar that was put away last season is never truly appreciated as much as when it’s pulled from the pantry shelves in these grey days of winter. That enchanting glow of the ruby and bright orange filled jars lining the shelves down in the larder is pretty special. I usually try to put away hundreds of pounds of fresh tomatoes every year. I find this task equally parts satisfying, and invariably useful. We need that sunshine now. Rely on it for morale, even. A warm bowl of tomato based clam chowder checks so many boxes for me. There are still a good amount of storage onions, potatoes, and garlic in the basement cellar to be used. There are frozen chopped sweet peppers aplenty in the deep freeze. While fresh clams are always preferable, with several cans of store bought clams in the back of the cupboard, this is a meal that can be knocked out quite easily without much fuss. Plus, anything that begins with our freshly smoked farmstead Old Spots bacon is always a crowd pleaser around here on a bleak and blustery day.

Aaren Nuñez is a Mother, Farmer, Cook, and Photographer. She lives with her partner, Craig and two sons in Floyd, VA where she owns and operates Well Fed Farm raising heritage breed livestock.

She enjoys being in the farmhouse kitchen just as much as working out in her ridiculously large vegetable garden.

On any given day you can find her milking a cow or two, developing a recipe, driving a tractor, photographing food, and of course thinking about her next meal. Say Hello! aaren@wellfedfarm. com // Instagram: @wellfedfarm // Facebook: Well Fed Farm, Floyd VA

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Manhattan Clam Chowder & Lemon Garlic Toast Chowder recipe adapted from Jasper White, serves 6 { for the chowder } • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ cup water 2-3 anchovy fillets in oil 6 ounces smoky cured jowl/ bacon, cut into ½ to ¼ in. dice 1 large yellow onion or 1 medium onion and one leek, diced (10 ounces) 1 carrot and 1 parsnip, peeled and diced (4 ounces) 2 ribs of celery with leaves, diced (3 ounces) 1 green bell pepper (6 ounces) cut into ½ in. dice (home frozen or fresh) 3 cloves garlic, diced (about a tablespoon) ¼ cup dry white wine Bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste), freshly ground black pepper, salt ½ cup minced fresh parsley 1 pound purple potatoes, unpeeled cut into ½ inch dice (peeled if not using organic) 40 ounce can chopped clams, clams separated out and juice reserved 1 quart home canned tomatoes (or 28 ounces crushed or whole, store bought) 1 tablespoon home canned tomato paste

{ for the toast } • • • • •

Baguette 4 tablespoon butter 6-7 garlic cloves, sliced 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped Juice of 1 lemon, as well as, the zest from half the lemon

For the Chowder: Place a heavy bottomed 5½-quart pot over medium heat.

Add olive oil, bacon, and water. As water boils off, turn down heat to low, and stir frequently keeping an eye on the bacon until it is nicely browned.

Remove bacon to a small bowl and pour off all but a couple of tablespoons of the fat. Keeping the pot over low heat, add the anchovy, diced onion and leek (if using). Stir, breaking up the anchovy fillets, and sauté over low heat for about 5 minutes. The onion will be fragrant, look translucent, and also be colored by the bacon fond that was left in the pot. Now add your garlic, bay leaf, oregano, crushed chile pepper, black pepper, and wine. Give a stir or two, and continue cooking until the wine has completely reduced. This step is not only about deglazing the pot, but also adding another layer of flavor.

Next add in carrot and parsnip, celery, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook for another ten minutes or so, until the veg has softened, adjusting the heat so it does not brown. Then it is time to add the potatoes and reserved clam juice (which should be around 4 cups). You want the liquid to just cover the potatoes, so add a touch of water if needed. Cover the pot and raise the heat to bring everything just to a boil. Continue to cook until the potatoes are soft on the outside but still firm inside (about ten minutes). Remove lid, add tomatoes, tomato paste, and the cooked bacon. While stirring to incorporate these additions, smash a few of the potatoes against the side of the pot.

This will help thicken the chowder. Simmer everything for another ten to fifteen minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Remove the pot from heat, and stir in the clams and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more freshly cracked black pepper, if desired. Allowing the chowder to sit for about twenty minutes to cool a bit and let the flavors meld is recommended before ladling into bowls and serving. You can make the garlic bread during this time.

For the bread: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the lemon zest, garlic, and half the parsley. Simmer gently to infuse the butter for at least 5 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic. Preheat your broiler. Slice the baguette, lengthwise, and place the halves open face on a baking sheet. Squeeze the juice of one lemon evenly over the crumb of the halves. Spoon the garlic butter mixture on the bread next and broil the bread until toasted and fragrant. Finish with a pinch of salt, the remaining parsley, and cut into smaller pieces for serving. * Please use these recipes as a guide and adjust measurements + ingredients as necessary. february 2017

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Enjoy!

Aaren

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common good

the vegetable butcher Mastering the art of selecting, preparing, and cooking your vegetables

Cara Mangini has a passion for helping people select and prepare their vegetables in an adventurous, yet simple, fashion.

Both her grandfather and great-grandfather were butchers, but Mangini uses her knife skills to prepare mouthwatering recipes containing ingredients like artichokes, chiffonade kale, beets, eggplant, cauliflower, and more. In her new book, The Vegetable Butcher, she provides a complete vegetable education that includes an in-depth guide to common butchers’ cuts, guidelines for knife selection and care, when vegetables are in their peak season, and how to wash, prep, and store each vegetable. Try this recipe, Eggplant, Tomato, & Mozzarella Stacks with Pesto Sauce & Balsamic Reduction, and pick up a copy of The Vegetable Butcher for additional amazing recipes and techniques. { We will be giving away a copy on our Facebook page this month, so stay tuned! } page 20

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common good

Eggplant, Tomato, & Mozzarella Stacks with Pesto Sauce & Balsamic Reduction (Makes 10 stacks; serves 4 to 5)

Grilled eggplant, walnut-basil pesto, and a thick balsamic reduction elevate—quite literally—the venerable tomato and mozzarella pairing. The pretty and sturdy stacks make a meal, two on a plate with a delicate salad of baby greens. They travel well, too, and are impressive! You can make them ahead, and not fuss over them (although I might save the last drizzle of balsamic reduction until you reach your destination). Use a mix of colorful heirloom tomatoes, and the colors on the plate will wow you.

1 medium globe eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (see Notes) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Fine sea salt 2 to 3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced into a total of ten 1/4-inch-thick rounds 2 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced into a total of ten 1/4-inch-thick rounds Coarse or flaked sea salt 1/3 to 1/2 cup your favorite pesto 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ten 1/4-inch-thick slices Freshly ground black pepper Balsamic Reduction (recipe follows) 10 fresh basil leaves Photo by Matthew Benson Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place the eggplant rounds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and brush both sides with olive oil. When the grill is hot, use tongs to place the eggplant rounds on the grill. Cook, covered and turning once, until the eggplant flesh is tender through the center, but not completely soft and limp, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the eggplant back to the baking sheet to cool. Sprinkle lightly with fine sea salt. Line another baking sheet or your work surface with parchment, and place 10 of the largest tomato slices on top in a single layer. Sprinkle each with a small pinch of coarse or flaked sea salt. Next, top each tomato slice with a grilled eggplant round that is equal in size (or slightly smaller). Spread a small spoonful of pesto over each eggplant round and top it with a slice of mozzarella. Place smaller tomato slices on top of the mozzarella. Sprinkle each tomato slice with a small pinch of coarse or flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with the Balsamic Reduction and top each stack with a basil leaf. Carefully transfer the stacks to a serving platter or individual plates and serve.

Notes: Japanese eggplant and small heirloom varieties are not ideal for this recipe. Select a medium globe or Italian eggplant that is tall and round, but not too portly. Eggplant rounds will shrink some when they cook, so try to buy large tomatoes that are slightly narrower than the widest part of the eggplant. You will want to match rounds of equal size once it is time to stack them. Roasted eggplant works well here if you don’t want to fire up the grill. Roast the oiled eggplant rounds at 400°F, flipping them halfway through cooking, until they are golden and tender through the middle, about 20 minutes. Store any leftovers in the fridge and enjoy them cold as is or pressed into panini.

Balsamic Reduction (Makes about 1/4 cup) 1 cup balsamic vinegar

Place the vinegar in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the vinegar reduces to about one-quarter of its original volume, about 20 minutes. Check the consistency: It should be syrupy and coat the back of a spoon. Simmer slightly longer if needed.

Store the reduction in an airtight, heatproof container in the refrigerator; it will keep indefinitely. When you are ready to use it again, bring it to room temperature. Place the uncovered container in hot water until you can stir the reduction, adding drops of hot water as needed to thin it to your desired consistency.

Photo and recipes courtesy of Cara Mangini, The Vegetable Butcher, and Workman Publishing w w w. l o v e l y b e l l a . c o m

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poppyseed Bella’s guide for all families of Southwest & Central Virginia

Written by Hayleigh Worgan

Intercept Youth Services leads the way in Promoting Health & Well-being for all Ages Intercept Youth Services began in 1996 when its founder, Mark Bogert, decided that he wanted to redefine the group home experience. That year, he opened a group home for children with eight beds. Now, twenty years later, the company has grown to provide 14 group homes and 32 services for entire families and individuals across the state. They average around 1,200 clients each week.

“I came here because of the company and our values,” says Natalie Elliott, Senior Director of Program Development. “When you work with a population that is affected by mental illness and children who come into foster care, it is important to be innovative and collaborative.

You have to be able to meet the needs of the community.”

There are several parts that make up Intercept’s full continuum of care. This includes Crisis One, a program that allows patients to call Intercept whenever they are in need of brief therapeutic interventions to achieve mental stability. It offers immediate response—24 hours a day, seven days a week. Mobile counselors will travel to children, adolescents, and adults that need help.

“Crisis don’t always happen between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm,” says Natalie. “We are not an 8 to 5 agency.

Services have to be worked around families.”

Additionally, Intercept offers LifeBridge Counseling, an outpatient treatment that allows individuals (of all ages) with a variety of insurance providers to get the help they need. Through a partnership with Carilion, they have also opened True North Health Clinic. In this facility, doctors and physician assistants provide medication management for patients. Not only is this beneficial for adults, it helps meet a need for children in our area as well.

“There is a severe shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists,” explains Natalie. “In many cases, they could wait as long as six months to see a doctor. True North gives patients the option of seeing a physician within three weeks.”

Intercept clients go through True North, but once they cease a service with Intercept they can continue to receive medication management without attached services. The ultimate goal is to make psychiatric treatment easier to attain. In an effort to achieve that, Intercept launched a program last month called Open Access. This allows patients to walk in, be assessed for services, and connected with those that can help them based on what they need and how the treatment plan matches with their insurance.

Essentially, what began as a group home has grown to meet the needs of entire families. This goes above and beyond serving children once their lives are in crisis, working to stabilize their environments before things get out of hand.

However, there are around five thousand children in foster care every day in Virginia. Intercept continues to offer many services for these children in addition to group homes throughout the state. Those who live in Intercept’s group homes attend public school and blend right in with their peers—exactly what they are meant to do. The company also works with local departments of social services to place children in foster homes. They take matching children to families very seriously, citing that it is imperative to helping them be successful in youth and as adults.

As these children get older, many of them become eligible for independent living services offered by Intercept. Young adult participants, between the ages of 17-21, live in supervised apartments and practice the skills they need before they go out into the world. After they leave custody, they can return to the program to receive additional services as needed. This reduces the likelihood that they will not have good outcomes once they age out of foster care.

Visit www.interceptyouth.com for more information on the myriad of services that Intercept offers, their involvement in the community, their values, and more! w w w. l o v e l y b e l l a . c o m

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poppyseed

Tackle Reading

AN INVALUABLE TOOL FOR CHILDREN, PARENTS, & EDUCATORS We believe that one of the most important things you can foster in your child’s life is a love for reading. It serves as the foundation for developing skills that will serve them in every facet of life. Recently, we were ecstatic to learn that Kathryn Starke, author and native of Richmond, Virginia, is helping parents and educators everywhere achieve that goal.

Starke has experience teaching multiple grades in elementary schools and served as a literary specialist for over a decade in Richmond and Chesterfield’s public school systems. Her multicultural children’s book, Amy’s Travels, is used in schools in over twenty countries.

Tackle Reading, her most recent book, combines her expertise with advice from valuable community mentors and resources including NFL players, celebrities, and authors to inspire children, parents, and fellow educators. It includes lesson plans, activities, and guidance to improve literacy for all children.

The impact of this book is just beginning. Thousands of copies of Tackle Reading were donated to inner city elementary schools nationwide thanks to charitable giving and sponsorship.

Regardless of your role in a child’s life, it can be a great tool to nurture their love for reading. To purchase your copy and learn more about Kathryn, visit www.creativemindspublications.com.

we celebrate ALL families Highlights Magazine A tradition worthy of the next generation

My grandmother bought my first subscription to Highlights magazine when I was nine years old. I remember eagerly awaiting its arrival in the mail each month, knowing that it would contain stories, illustrations, and content to which I could relate—even as a child of divorce.

Now, almost twenty years later, I look forward to buying it for my own children. We live in a world where people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and familial circumstances converge together on a daily basis. It is important that children are aware of that from an early age. Highlights recently stated that they “strive to be diverse in every way…not to specifically call attention to diversity, but to represent it within the context of the magazine the way [they] always have to help kids understand that while differences exist, we are all actually more alike than different.”

This means that they will continue to incorporate families headed up by grandparents, a single parent, adoptive families, blended families, same-sex families, multi-generational families, multi-racial families, and more.

Children will meet new friends from different environments for the rest of their lives. Material like this creates a foundation for being open to learning about their similarities and differences. Also, when they can relate to stories and illustrations, children begin to truly enjoy the act of reading. It fosters community, and helps achieve Highlights’ mission to show every child reading it that “all families, including theirs, are important.”

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MEET THE

MAKERS

Written by Hayleigh Worgan

Local weaver, Ariel Lev, gives back to senior shelter dogs

Ariel Lev has always loved dogs. She and her husband were able to rescue two, but they found that they were not in a place to have more than that at the same time. Still, like many animal lovers, she knew she wanted to do more.

“Donating money was one thing, but I couldn’t always do as much as I wanted to,” Ariel explains. “Volunteering and fostering are dangerous for me because I know that would mean a third dog for us, and we are unable to do that right now. Walking away from those dogs in need would be heartbreaking.”

With all of these things resting in the back of her mind, Ariel sat down last summer to watch a friend weave. Her friend let her try it out, and shortly thereafter, Ariel bought her first loom.

Ariel began posting pictures of her creations on social media and received an onslaught of support from her friends.

The interest generated a new set of questions.

“I have a full-time job, and I didn’t want to commit myself to making a profit or selling my weavings to friends,” she says. “What would I charge them? What would I do with the money? At that point, I realized that I could sell them, but donate the money to senior dogs in shelters. Donating the money keeps the acting fun and fulfilling for me.”

As many of us already know, a lot of shelter dogs are seniors. People decide they can’t keep them, they move, or sometimes, unfortunately, owners die and the pets don’t have anywhere to go. Puppies are quickly adopted out of shelters because they are an easy sell. Potential adoptive families often avoid the dogs who already have someone else’s habits or illnesses. They forget that the dogs who are not always the most appealing also need and deserve a loving, safe, and warm environment.

“Senior dogs have lived their entire lives with a human and, all of a sudden, find themselves in a concrete cell wondering what happened,” Ariel adds. “As our dogs have gotten older, I’ve fallen more in love with their greying faces. When I see other little grey faces in shelters, it breaks my heart.”

Last month, Ariel hit her first thousand dollar mark and donated the money to Angels of Assisi. She has committed to donating every one thousand dollars she makes from her creations to a different shelter, and the next beneficiary will be Franklin County Humane Society Planned Pethood. Currently, she chooses shelters out of her interest in them. However, if the business continues to grow, she will be accepting nominations.

Ariel will also begin teaching weaving to the public this month in a series of classes at the Taubman Museum of Art on February 5, 12, and 19. Visit www.taubmanmuseum. org for more information on the class, and check out Ariel’s Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/woven4mutts.

Our monthly Meet the Maker feature is proudly sponsored by HomeTown Bank. Each month, we recognize local makers selling their unique handmade products. Visit our website, www.lovelybella.com, to view these features throughout the year. w w w. l o v e l y b e l l a . c o m

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be the change

Written by Hayleigh Worgan

some call it activism

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Becoming an ACTIVE ally for the LGBTQ community

If you are a member of the LGBTQ community, or if you consider yourself an ally, there are several ways that you can get involved locally to lend support to those in need. The Roanoke Diversity Center is seeking volunteers for a variety of tasks including the services of attorneys for those who need legal help. They also need assistance with grant research, programs, social media, their website, public relations, advertising, events, fundraising, and outreach. For a full list of the Diversity Center’s needs, go to www.roanokediversitycenter.com. There, you will find links to several organizations that are helping our community (and our country) work towards equality.

One of the organizations they have included is the LGBTQ Democrats of Virginia.

They present issues and act “as an advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning/queer persons within the Democratic Party of Virginia.” Additionally, when a pro-equality candidate runs for office that supports these issues, they endorse and often contribute to that candidate’s campaign. They work hard to organize LGBTQ people to “promote the values of service, competence, and honor in support of the Democratic Party and its candidates.” Through these actions, they help get the right people into positions with the hope that equality can be recognized as a legal right for everyone—and that is something we couldn’t agree with more. To achieve this goal, they encourage, educate, and finance LGBTQ candidates who aspire to public office and continue to raise awareness of LGBTQ issues in Virginia. Visit www. lgbtvadem.org for more information on existing democratic committees and ways to get involved.

Lambda Legal is another great resource in need of community support. Their website, www.lambdalegal.org, includes an entire section on laws in each state that protect those who identify as LGBTQ. They are in need of volunteers to help plan and run education, community, and fundraising events throughout the year. This group receives no government funding and doesn’t charge clients for their services. That said, they are also in need of attorneys who want to join their Cooperating Attorneys Network. The service they provide is invaluable, and help from local allies can make a difference.

Throughout 2017, we hope to highlight the volunteer needs of local organizations promoting equality for everyone—regardless of race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, or religion. If you would like to nominate a nonprofit that fits these guidelines and is in need of volunteers, please email editorial@beckmediagroup.com. february 2017

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bella loves

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A Little Adventure February has us dreaming of all of the adventures we are going to have this year. Naturally, we found ourselves perusing through Instagram for fun ways to fill our surroundings with maps of our favorite locations. Whether you are planning your vacation, daydreaming of trips to visit the ones you love, or simply appreciating your own home, we think you'll love these finds just as much as we do!

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