Moxie Magazine - May 2021

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MOTHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE YOUR BRAIN ON MUSIC ANSWER THE CALL OF YOUR HUNGER

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FROM THE PUBLISHER |

Let’s Celebrate May!

I am so excited to welcome May! Being born and raised in South Florida, I have an affinity for the sunshine and heat headed our way over the next few months.

My perennials are waking up from their winter sleep, the birds have returned to my feeders, and we have dusted off the grill for summer suppers.

May is a month of celebration, and after a long winter, we are all in need of a little celebration.

This edition of Moxie Magazine contains a wonderful feature by The Kalamazoo Foodie filled with great (local) gift ideas for mom.

Elizabeth Precopio of Feed Me Kalamazoo helps us celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a review of the delicious, authentic Mexican fare served by Quekas, and I open my recipe box to share a couple of fun recipes for your Memorial Day get together.

and joy that life is finally starting the slow climb back to normal. It has been a very long thirteen months, but there is so much promise in the next few months. Until next time, be safe and, most importantly, be good to one another.

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contents

NSWER THE OF YOUR 12 ACALL HUNGER

LIFE

8 | Dear Future Daughter-in-Law...

It’s Not You; It’s Him 8 | Your Brain on Music 14 | Book Review: Virgil Wander 16 | The Kalamazoo Foodie’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide 18 | Well Packed 22 | A Diamond is a Diamond…or is it?

FOOD & DRINK 10 | Restaurant Review: Quekas Authentic Mexican Food 24 | Almond Texas Sheet Cake

HEALTH & BEAUTY 12 | Answer the Call of Your Hunger

BRAIN ON MUSIC 8 YOUR

DAY GIFT GUIDE 16 MOTHER’S

THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN PUBLISHER: Heather Dombos hdombos@moxiemediagroup.net LAYOUT & DESIGN: Alicia Pauwels apauwels@moxiemediagroup.net

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Cricket Alexander Emily Betros Kim Carson Kristie Curier Kelly Duggan Rachel Kirtley Heidi McCrary Jenny Opdycke Dr. Marti Peters-Sparling Elizabeth Precopio

Hannah Reuter Marlita Walker Demarra D. West WEBSITE: moxiemediagroup.com

BY MAIL: Moxie Media Group, LLC P. O. Box 2284 Portage, MI 49081-2284

THIS PUBLICATION PROUDLY SUPPORTS MASTERMIND

FOR SALES INFO: 269-350-5227

BY EMAIL: info@moxiemediagroup.net editor@moxiemediagroup.net sales@moxiemediagroup.net

May 2021

5

Dear Future

Daughter-

in-Law…

IT’S NOT YOU; IT’S HIM I have two sons. While I realize I will never know the joys of having a daughter, the same can be said for the many things in life we may never experience—like not having children at all, choosing a death-defying job (which brings me back to parenting), or moving overseas. Simply put, we don’t miss what we don’t know. I love my choices, adore my two boys, and wish for nothing more.

Still, as I watch my girlfriend answer her phone from her adult daughter even though she just called an hour ago, I understand that their bond is different from what I share with my sons. Not better or worse, just different.

As the saying goes

A son is a son until he takes a wife; a daughter is a daughter all of her life.

A bit trite perhaps (and sexist, but let’s save that for another time), but this sappy sentiment sums up the difference between mothers and their relationships with sons and daughters.

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So, dear future daughter-in-law, here are a few things you’re going to want to know before joining hands in matrimony with either of my sons…

enough for her son. You’re not only good enough, I think my sons will have to work at it to rise to your standards. Love my boys?

Check. Knowing my sons aren’t perfect?

Double-check.

IT’S NOT YOU; IT’S HIM

I’M GOING TO LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT

I may be the mother of your beloved, but I’m also a woman who was in basically the same place you are now. And I have the luxury of having learned the many quirks, idiosyncrasies, and faulty wiring in the male species. In the event of any fight you may have with my son (and you will have them), I’m likely to ask him what he did wrong, and suggest he apologize. I don’t even need your side of the story.

HE’S GOING TO GROW UP

One British medical report states that, on average, the male brain doesn’t reach full capacity until age 43, while the female brain flourishes 11 years earlier. The truth is, that young man you’re in love with, is only going to get better with age. But then, you can say that about all of us.

I’M GOING TO BE THE BEST DAMN MOTHER-IN-LAW

I know this because I also began married life as the new daughter-in-law. It can be an uncomfortable fit when the mother of your soon-to-be is convinced that no one is good

If my boys decide to marry, they will not be the only ones who will fall in love. If they see something in you, so will I, because my sons have good taste.

IT’S OK IF LIFE TAKES A DIFFERENT TURN

Whatever the future holds, you need to do what’s best for you, and I will understand.

Even if you don’t remain a part of my son’s life, you will always have a place in my heart.

So, dear future daughter-in-law, hear this.

While the two of you may make the perfect couple, you are just as complete as one.

Heidi McCrary Heidi is a writer and a regular contributor to Moxie Magazine.

Her novel, “Chasing North Star” is available at Kazoo Books, This is a Bookstore, and online wherever books are sold. Follow Heidi at heidimccrary.net and fb.com/HeidiMcCraryAuthor

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Your Brain On Music

BY KIM CARSON

I

’ve always wondered how I can have such a strong, visceral reaction to a song from my youth when I hear it on the radio. Has that ever happened to you?

Driving down Main Street hearing the first few notes and being magically transported back to a specific moment in time. Powerful enough to bring to the surface strong emotions. I’ve always thought it strange that tears involuntarily can come to my eyes upon hearing a few notes and THEN the memory tied to the song will come to mind. It’s completely unconscious. The memory doesn’t trigger the tears; the music triggers the tears, and the memory tied to that song follows.

For me, it’s usually something from the 70’s; I was 13 years old in love with the idea of love. I grew up in Detroit between 7 and 8 Mile (yeah, the one Eminem sings about).

As a kid I just didn’t fit in—I was different.

I wasn’t the most popular kid in school and socially it was always awkward for me. I was uncoordinated so you can only imagine what emotional reaction Dodge Ball would stir up in me. Music and radio were my escape, a magical world I could disappear into knowing I could count on my favorite DJs for companionship, and the music was there to soothe my soul. It was a constant.

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MUSIC AND MEMORIES

One experience that comes to mind is this one: I recently heard the song Right Back To Where I Started From by Maxine Nightengale on the radio. Hearing the first few notes, teletransported me back to a hotel room in Knoxville,Tennessee, 16-years old, turning on the radio, unpacking my suitcase and feeling so excited, knowing that tomorrow will be my first day on the air reading the weather on WKVQ radio station. Facebook friend Debbie Ralph posted saying, “...at 67 it’s such a sweet mind trip for a bit. Our most primal areas of our brain react strongly to evocative sensory experiences. Heard Grand Funk outta the blue; (suddenly) I was that cute little hippy chick and 16 out carousing with my bestie and going to concerts at the LA Forum.”

How and why are music, emotions, and memories tied together? I asked ED ROTH, Professor of Music Therapy at the School of Music-WMU. Ed is also the director of the BRAIN (Brain Research and Interdisciplinary Neurosciences) laboratory.

One of Roth’s most recent courses includes a neuroscience of music course titled “Your Brain on Music.”

Roth says, firstly, memory is actually quite complicated. Memories are considered shortterm or long-term, conscious or unconscious, knowledge about events, general knowledge about the world, and knowledge about the order in which certain activities take place; when building a sandwich, I don’t start with mustard; first, I start with bread, then maybe meat, and so on. To answer the how part of your question, memories are built in context: combinations of sensory and emotional information. It’s generally thought that

Ed Roth, Professor of Music Therapy at the School of Music-WMU

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the more robust, emotional component of a memory, the more vivid, detailed, and powerful that memory will be over time.

What I wanted to know though is why it happens. Roth says, That likely has something to do with survival from our ancient ancestors. Your survival could depend on remembering the difference between something that brought you or a tribe member pleasure and something that caused pain, and emotion provides amplification to those memories to cause us to run toward pleasure and run away from pain.

Music’s role, of course, is primarily tied to its ability to induce emotion and by doing so, conjuring up memories tied to those emotions, both pleasurable and painful. Part of it has to do with perception and biology and part of our response to music is culturally derived. You can play the same

song at two significantly different tempi and people would have different physical and emotional responses to it. That’s what I mean by perceptual and biological.

However, the other aspect likely has to do with our associations between the music, our memories, and our identities. Think about how many melodies and lyrics you have memorized at some level – it’s remarkable! That has both something to do with the musical structure of a piece of music and the context in which that song became meaningful to us; think weddings, funerals, breakups, the birth of a child, etc.

Ed added, music therapists are currently using music to help people who have age-related disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and strokes recover the ability to walk again, talk again, deal with memory degradation and importantly, the

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emotional recovery that is also necessary when someone is having one of these experiences.

One of the most compelling arguments for music as we age is its ability to make us feel connected to other people. Loneliness is not just a down feeling one might have from time to time. Still, it can lead to significant declines in health as people further isolate themselves which causes them to feel even lonelier, and the cycle continues. Simply listening to music can be the first step to combat loneliness; listening to it with our people allows us to share our emotions and memories brought up by the music. Those experiences can further lead to us taking better care of ourselves and enjoying our lives.

Wise words, Ed. Let the music play!

Kim Carson Kim is an Author/Podcast/TV/ Internet personality. Watch and listen for her on WGVU TV’s Kalamazoo Lively Arts and J. Schwanke’s Life In Bloom. Learn more at kimcarson.online and fb.com/kimcarson

May 2021

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

COMBO MEAL

QUEKA HARINA

AUTHENTIC TACOS

826 E Cork St, Kalamazoo | HOURS: Mon – Thu: 11 AM-8 PM | Fri – Sat: 11 AM-9 PM

T

here are so many wonderful authentic Mexican restaurants in our area that I have not tried before, so I thought that now was as good of time as any to make my way through them and find my favorite.

I started with QUEKAS AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD in Kalamazoo.

Because COVID-19 numbers are still high, I decided not to dine in. Lucky for me, Quekas makes ordering super easy! You can call ahead or do what I did and order right from their website. I was able to look through it, see pictures and descriptions of their food, and pay ahead as well.

They offer delivery within four miles of the restaurant, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to see their building, so I opted for pick up. Quekas sits on Cork Street and is a small but vibrant building. I would categorize the interior as casual, fun, and very clean.

I was excited when I got home and opened everything up! I tend to order a lot of food when I visit a new place to try many of their items.

I started with the COMBO MEAL, which had a tostada with chicken, two flautas filled with potato and rice and beans.

The flautas were crispy, flavorful, and quite

large for flautas. The tostada was a good size as well. I was in love with the flavor of the shredded chicken on top.

Next, I tried the QUEKA HARINA, which is essentially a flour tortilla quesadilla. I opted for the spicy chicken for my protein. This was one of my favorite items! There was a healthy amount of the spicy chicken, which was incredibly flavorful and not so spicy that it was uncomfortable. (I tend to be a wimp when it comes to too much heat.)

The special of the day was $1 TACOS, so I also got two tacos to try. I got the slow-roasted shredded pork and the beef. Both tacos came topped with cilantro and onions and were in corn tortillas. These were absolutely delicious!

The pork was my favorite! The unique blend of spices and just a hint of citrus made it all pull together magically.

Lastly, I ordered a side of CHIPS AND SALSA. Quekas offers a small, medium or large-size chips and salsa; I orddered the medium and was shocked to

see that a medium is about a 16oz cup! I’m definitely not complaining about too much salsa…it was delicious! I only had a few bites but had plenty left over to snack on throughout the rest of the week. The chips weren’t anything special, but I loved the salsa—just enough kick to it for me.

I would definitely have Quekas Authentic Mexican again. Their food tasted fresh, authentic and incredibly flavorful! The ordering process was simple, as was the pick-up process.

If you’re looking for some excellent Mexican cuisine to celebrate Cinco de Mayo I would recommend getting some awesome Quekas Tacos!

Elizabeth Precopio Elizabeth Precopio is a hairstylist by day and 24/7 food enthusiast. She visits restaurants in the Kalamazoo area and blogs about her experience at feedmekzoo.com

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ANSWERING THE CALL OF

Your Hunger “Oh that looks good, but I shouldn’t.” “I just ate a little while ago, so I can’t be hungry again.”

“I can’t eat that otherwise I’ll gain weight.”

Any of these statements sound familiar?

There’s a good chance that you’ve heard friends, family members, or even yourself say something to this effect regarding whether or not you should eat. While there is a lot to unpack around food and eating it, let’s focus simply on exploring hunger and what that physically and psychologically looks like and feels like to us. It might help reduce some self-imposed frustrations and anxiety we have around willpower, body size, and your weight.

HUNGER AND DIETING

First and foremost, dieting reduces our ability to trust and honor our hungry signals. After all, isn’t a diet just reducing food intake when we want it or eating something “diet approved” instead of what sounds good?

Dieting takes a further and further away from identifying our body’s wants or needs at different times in our lives.

So, the first step to answering the sign of hunger is to stop dieting. Just say no to any plan, pill, or persuasion that tells you what, when, or how to eat. Our bodies know the

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May 2021

answers to these questions; we just have to listen. We have to learn (or rather re-learn) to trust that we can innately make choices around food that will satisfy us AND allow us to be at our individual healthy weight.

When we listen to our body’s signals— hunger, fullness, or anything else—we can determine what it needs or doesn’t need.

Maybe what our body needs is food, or maybe we are hungry for something else: love, comfort, security, companionship, accomplishment, and so on.

DEFINE YOUR HUNGER

So how do we hear our hunger and answer its call? Let’s start by defining what hunger means for you. On a sheet of paper, create two columns. On the left side, number 1-10.

On the right side, identify what hunger and fullness look and feel like to you. For example, a rating of 1 might be “starving, can’t think straight, fixated on food and nothing else, can’t make decisions easily, short temper with others.” A rating of 5 might be “comfortable, focused, energized,

peaceful.” A 10 might be “very stuffed, uncomfortable, want to sleep or lie down, low energy.”

Define 1-10 for you and only you. This way you can identify your hunger and fullness signals for yourself instead of taking external cues from the outside world, i.e., it’s noon, so I must be hungry and have to eat my whole lunch. Often we find that “full” or “hungry” start way before we have to undo our belts or eat the first thing we can get our hands on.

SHOULD I HAVE THAT?

It might be surprising to hear, but eating foods that we find delicious not only satisfies

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our hunger but it is an excellent guideline for maintaining our unique healthy weight.

Biologically speaking, pleasure is our reward for taking care of ourselves. So, if we eat something pleasurable, instead of saying what a diet tells us we should eat, our brain responds in a way that allows us to eat what we need and then stop.

If you eat something that doesn’t induce pleasure or enjoyment (or simply isn’t what you really want), your brain will continue to stay fixated on the food you deprived yourself of long after eating the less satisfying food choice. Now you have a greater chance of eating the diet-imposed food AND what you really wanted in the first place. This can lead to overeating and tipping our fullness scale from a comfortable 6 to an uncomfortable 9.

Some of us have been dieting for so long that we don’t even know what foods would satisfy us or bring true pleasure! If we do eat something outside of our diet, we are riddled with shame, guilt, and fear about losing “control” and gaining weight.

EATING MINDFULLY

One way to reclaim your pleasure around eating it to start paying attention to your food. This is very different from fixating on it: calorie counting, meal planning with no flexibility, and other food rules.

Research shows that we don’t metabolize our food nearly as well when we are distracted during meals or just simply not paying attention to the smell, taste, look, or feel of our food. In fact, 30-40% of our physical response to food happens during this five-sense phase. If not paying attention, you can see how it would be easier to overeat and bypass your body’s response to fullness while eating. Another thing to note is when we are eating under stress, we don’t absorb nutrients as well.

All of this can be summed up as mindful eating.

A WORD OF SUPPORT

There’s nothing wrong with emotional eating or even eating too much…sometimes. Here’s what is important: you are aware that you

are doing it and don’t feel like a bad person as a result of it. Many of us have been eating for reasons other than hunger for a very long time, either because of dieting or disordered eating patterns and rules. Emotional eating isn’t an eating problem; emotional eating is a problem of not dealing with your emotions.

Your appetite, or rather your body signaling to you that it’s time to eat or stop eating, is not a bad thing.

It’s your body trying to keep you alive and well so you can eat and then get on with all the other amazing things you want to do with your life! Feeding ourselves is a form of self-care and it should be honored.

‣ DON’T JUDGE YOURSELF IF YOU DO

OVEREAT OR EAT FOR EMOTIONAL REASONS. Use that moment to reflect and learn. Layering guilt on to the experience won’t help. Choosing eating as a way to cope is not in and of itself a bad thing. It just can’t be the ONLY coping mechanism you have.

Here are a few things you can do if emotional eating without signs of hunger is of concern for you:

‣ CHECK-IN WITH YOURSELF BEFORE EATING. What are you really hungry for, and what would it take to satisfy this need?

‣ SIT QUIETLY WITH YOUR

THOUGHTS FOR A FEW MINUTES. Have a “feelings chart” available on your phone, in your home or office so you can more readily name your feelings.

A feeling is different from judging yourself, so make sure you go the extra step to truly identify how you’re feeling, not what you think you are. For example, “I’m fat” isn’t a feeling; it’s a judgment about how you feel.

‣ ONCE YOU’VE IDENTIFIED YOUR

EMOTIONS AND HOW YOU’RE FEELING, FEEL THEM. Experience them. Process them. Cry, write, talk to someone. This isn’t a practice of drowning them out or pushing them away. It’s about moving through them or just simply sitting with them until they pass.

There is nothing wrong with you or your experience around hunger. We have internalized so many negative thoughts around this perfectly normal biological process that it feels scary to trust it. Just remember that mistrust has been taught to us by the diet industry that profits from us every time we try to fight against our bodies. The next time you feel hungry, thank your body for signaling to you that it needs to be taken care of and answer its call.

Emily Betros Emily is a licensed clinical social worker, certified health coach, and owner of Reclaiming Health, LLC. She specializes in body image support, eating disorders, anxiety, life transitions, mindfulness, and women's issues. More info: www.reclaiminghealth.net.

May 2021

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|

BOOK REVIEW |

{

MARLITA WALKER REVIEWS

}

Virgil Wander

BY LEIF ENGER

L

eif Enger is a masterful storyteller; more specifically he is a weaver of tales about life in the northern Midwest state of Minnesota. “Peace Like a River,” his first novel, left me speechless with wonder as I pondered the beautiful characters and the calm prose. An action writer with a swift pace, he is not…but a developer of larger-than-life characters and authentic life scenarios is definitely his forte. But even more than that, his canny ability to describe inanimate objects with human characteristics by the turn of a well-worded phrase, is the strength that makes a reader lean in and relish his books. Several times I caught myself pausing, rereading the line, and then settling back with a contented grin.

Virgil’s life has just taken an odd turn.

As Virgil describes it, “Apparently my heartbroken Pontiac breached a safety barrier and made a long, lovely some might say cinematic arc into the churning lake.”

Fortunately for Virgil, an observer dove into icy Lake Superior to retrieve him, but throughout the story he is on the road to recovery...recovery of his lost adjectives, of his physical strength, of his dreams.

Leif unfolds Virgil’s story with a variety of whimsical hometown locals who have known and loved him for years, but perhaps the strongest relationship is with a stranger, Rune, who arrives in this depleted industrial town looking for clues about the disappearance of his son.

Though serious in his intent, Rune also has a philosophical outlook regarding life; that you should take pleasure in the small things around you. Virgil appreciates how Rune methodically creates and crafts kites for the sheer pleasure of it, how he spends time in listening to hurting people, and how he finds joy in the raven that befriends him.

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Kite-flying is the bridge to their relationship, and it is where the author adeptly uses his vocabulary to woo us.

At their first meeting, Virgil spots the kite from his 2nd story apartment and wanders purposefully down to the lake to speak to the stranger. “It’s good in the air; this one,” Rune mused, “Not that it behaves. No No! Its manners are very terrible! But what a flyer...as if hearing its name the kite woke riffling in his hands.”

Once Virgil catches the kite flying fever, he thinks, “Who doesn’t want to be carried sometimes? Come to think of it, it sounded a little like how I felt flying Rune’s kites.” And towards the end of the story, after an acquaintance has lost one of Rune’s beautifully crafted kites to a powerful gust of wind, Virgil ponders that special gift from his friend: “I loved that kite...we were old friends. I had soared and laughed with that kite. It got me out on the perimeter…Thinking it over, I became a bit less angry, and more proud of the kite itself; it had refused to be flown by Leer one moment longer. It

broke the line and caught the next gust out of town. A perilous move, choosing to throw yourself at the future, even if it means one day coming down in the sea.”

Of course, this last thought is what Virgil had been wrestling with since his accident.

Who did he want to be in his older life?

Did he want to continue as the hometown cinema owner and part-time city clerk, or were there still adventures and dreams to be had? Could his brush with death give him a new perspective and a new lease on life? Can we perilously throw ourselves at the future, not knowing if we will crash into the unknown sea ahead? Virgil Wander must choose.

Marlita Walker Marlita is a native Michigander, who returned back to the area after 18 years spent in IL & PA. When not on cruising adventures with her hubby in their vintage Roadtrek camper van; she relaxes by re-arranging her home decor, walking with friends, and connecting with her 10 grands who live in TN and CA. Read more book reviews at litaslines.blogspot.com.

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THE KALAMAZOO FOODIE

|

Mother’s Day GIFT GUIDE

Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It is a day to recognize mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, mothers-to-be, and all mother figures in our life! Moms always take care of everyone else. Check out this list of Mother’s Day gift ideas to find Mom a gift that takes care of her!

• If the weather permits, have a picnic in your backyard

CELEBRATE WITH A MEAL OUT

With the world’s uncertainty these days, there is one thing that will always remain: the love that we all have for our mothers.

This year our local restaurants have partially opened back up, and the weather is starting to feel a lot like spring! I love how our local restaurants have thought outside the box and gotten creative with their patios.

• Give mom a spa day at home. Put together a spa basket with bath bombs, bubble bath, wine, face mask, nail polish, & a new book • Throw her a tea party • Plant flowers •

If you are looking for a cozy, more intimate Mother’s Day brunch or dinner, The Millennium Group Restaurants have incorporated pods at their 600 KITCHEN & BAR and COVE LAKESIDE BISTRO locations.

MARTELL’S also has a beautiful view with clear tents so you can stay socially distant, yet enjoy the weather and views.

• Buy mom a new plant from our new local plant shop in downtown Kalamazoo, MASON JAR PLANT SHOP, www.masonjarplantshop.com

CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY AT HOME

• Put together a photo album or scrapbook of fun memories together as a family

• Try cooking a new recipe together

• Binge watch her favorite TV show or movie

• Have a family night and play board games together

• Take mom to create her very own perfume at THE AROMA LABS located in downtown Kalamazoo, www.thearomalabs.com • Make a hand-made card. Grab some paper, colored pencils or crayons and write a handwritten card. This is also something that the kids can help with!

• Get mom a cake or cupcakes. I highly recommend ISLAND CITY CAFÉ in Plainwell. Their cakes are custom, unique, and they have some adorable and yummy macarons!

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• Grab a bottle of wine from TEMPO VINO WINERY downtown Kalamazoo or take mom wine tasting, www.tempovinowinery.com • Make mom her favorite dinner • Let mom relax for the day and do all of the cleaning

• Grab a candle or take mom to make her very own candle from KALAMAZOO CANDLE COMPANY www.kalamazoocandle.com

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sheet and cover it with a towel or placemat.

Or you can set the dining room table and grab some champagne and OJ for mimosas!

• Grab a jar and have everyone in the family write down fun memories together for her to read later • Make a pancake or waffle bar. Cook your pancakes or waffles and setup multiple toppings such as chocolate chips, whipped cream, fresh fruit, jams, syrup, or sprinkles

• If you find yourself in downtown Kalamazoo, POP CITY POPCORN has well over 20 different flavors of popcorn! www.popcitypopcorn.com • Support your local bakery and order her favorite dessert • Send mom on a scavenger hunt throughout the house with her favorite candy, perfume, flowers, wine, chocolates • Make mom her favorite breakfast and surprise her with breakfast in bed. Grab a large baking

• Buy chocolates from local shops, including CHERRI’S CHOCOL’ART, www.cherrischocolart.com, and CONFECTIONS WITH CONVICTION, www.confectionswithconvictions.com

Everyone’s life is hectic and busy, particularly now, so it’s essential to spend quality time with our loved ones, especially mom. Over all of these years, she has been your chauffeur, cook, maid, teacher, shoulder to cry on, and your biggest cheerleader. Show mom how much she means to you and make her day special and all about her. Remember, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to show mom you love her; spending quality time together or a heartfelt action will mean more to her than anything else.

Rachel Kirtley Rachel has worked in all levels of the food industry for over a decade. She is currently a Social Media Influencer, Content Creator and Restaurant Reviewer.

You can visit her at thekalamazoofoodie.com

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Spring is in the air and travels have begun. With COVID-19 vaccination in full swing, a sense of relief is loosening the strings of heightened travel concerns. In recent days my Facebook feed has significantly increased with posts from adventurous spring break destinations and family talk of work-related travel soon filling their calendar.

As we continue our journey through spring and on into summer the odds are high that there will be the potential for travel. Whether traveling for work or pleasure, the style-conscious traveler doesn’t want to waste time packing or missing an important ‘must have’ garment or accessory. Use these tips to pack your wardrobe efficiently while coordinating fabulous ensembles for your next travel destination.

Create a Wardrobe Plan

Make a master list of everything you may need for your trip, remembering that “less is more.” Refer to this wardrobe plan often as you pack, only taking with you what you will need, and leaving room for any travel purchases. Take time to consider what you will be doing and where & with whom you will be with when listing your selections.

Packing Space

Pack in a dedicated space that allows you to easily lay/hang garments and accessories out with the ability to see all that is being considered for packing. A packing table near hanging space in a closet is ideal or a bed with a garment rack is an easy substitute.

Lay/hang your selected pieces out in a manner that you can see all that is being considered, along with your wardrobe plan, for your final selected pieces.

Making Your Selections

Build your wardrobe around one versatile neutral (navy, grey, black or stone) and one other color from your palette. You can mix and match everything else around these colors. To save space, opt for two pairs of shoes (potentially a third pair if you need a dressy evening sandal) that meet the needs of your planned wardrobe, both coordinating with your color scheme.

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Key ingredients for a travel wardrobe Dark pants/denim or skirt. Although it may be tempting, skip your sweats or jeans if traveling to Europe.

A twin sweater set. Great for layering and can be worn several ways. The short-sleeved or sleeveless first layer can be used under the jacket. The twin set can be worn alone with the skirt or pants on alternate days.

Tops/t-shirts/tanks. Cotton (blends) for day, silk for dressing up. Typically, synthetics/blends are less likely to wrinkle when packed. Select Solid colored garments that compliment your base pant or skirt.

Evening-dressy pants. Try a statement trouser: drapey palazzo pants or shimmery straight legging. Let your wardrobe plan guide you in need and appropriateness.

Accessories. An assortment of jewelry… casual to dressy, a colorful print scarf, a tote or backpack for day, a small clutch or evening bag for night, and a great pair of sunglasses.

Don’t Pack in Haste

Maybe you have been there, particularly if you are in charge of getting the rest of your family packed as well! It is 11 p.m. the night before the 6:30 a.m. departure and you have just started considering packing for yourself.

You are tired, stressed, and with minimal time to think through your true packing and wardrobe needs. You begin by throwing in various garments, accessories, and just a few more items for “just in case” and slam your bag shut. Right?!

Save yourself from the packing stress and later frustration of not having the right pieces with you. Take the few minutes it takes to create your wardrobe plan. Use it to guide you through easily selecting the few coordinating garments and accessories that you will need to create a multitude of stylish coordinated looks.

Lastly, if your destination includes a flight, pack your wardrobe plan in your carry-on bag.

If your luggage gets lost or stolen, you will have complete documentation for the airlines or insurance company.

Kelly Duggan Kelly is an Image Consultant specializing in executive and personal image development, etiquette & communication skills.

She is a certified member of the Association of Image Consultants International. Contact Kelly at: www.kellyduggan.com.

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A Diamond is a Diamond …OR IS IT? According to the Gemological Institute of America, the world’s love of diamonds originated in India as early as the fourth century BC. But what about diamonds makes them so special?

Diamonds are considered the most durable gemstone on the market. On the Mohs hardness scale—ranging from 1(softest) to 10 (hardest)—diamonds are a 10; they are the hardest natural substance on Earth.

While many of the diamonds you usually see are clear in color, they can actually come naturally in any color of the rainbow.

Their value comes from the fact that only 30% of the world’s mined diamonds are actually gem quality. All of the world’s diamonds were formed billions of years ago with tremendous amounts of pressure at temperatures ranging around 1652–2372°F at depths between 90–120 miles beneath Earth’s surface. On average, 1 million units of mined rock yields just one part diamond. So for every one million pounds of diamond-bearing host rock (that’s a whopping 500,000 tons), miners expect to find just one. The expense of mining those diamonds significantly impacts their price and our environment. This is why the world has turned to more sustainable, durable gemstones in lieu of diamonds.

LAB-CREATED DIAMONDS One alternative to a natural diamond is a lab-created diamond. Lab-created diamonds came to the market in the 1950s. Originally they were produced for industrial purposes; such as lenses and telecommunications. By the 1980s however, producers were able to create gem-quality diamonds that could be faceted.

The first gem-quality lab-created diamonds were mostly yellow, but over time the quality improved. While the price of these lab-grown diamonds is tremendously less, the quality and durability are that of natural diamonds. This is because chemically and atomically, natural and lab-grown diamonds are identical. You cannot tell the difference at eye level; only with special equipment can you tell the difference between a natural and a lab-created diamond. They are every bit a diamond at the molecular level and produce the very same durability, fire, and sparkle found in all diamonds.

won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He found microscopic particles in Arizona, in a crater created by a meteorite that fell to Earth. He initially thought that he had discovered diamonds, but later determined that the crystals were composed of silicon carbide. The moissanite available today is laboratory-created. After many years of trial and error, the particles Moissan discovered were successfully synthesized to produce what is now one of the world’s most scintillating gemstones.

Moissanite is engineered to give the illusion of similarity to diamonds but is compositionally and visually quite different from a real diamond. Moissanites exhibit a heightened brilliance compared to diamonds, as their faceting pattern is different. Moissanites are typically colorless. For the same size from the top view, moissanites are dramatically lower in pricing than diamonds of that size.

MOISSANITE Another alternative is moissanite. Moissanite was first discovered in 1893 by a French scientist named Henri Moissan, who later

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RECIPES

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Memorial Day Dessert So, I can’t really take credit for this recipe, but I knew I had to add this dessert to my recipe box when I tasted it for the first time. My friend, Lisa, was gracious enough to pass along the recipe, and now I’m going to share it with you. It is my go-to dessert when I’m looking for a simple way to delight a crowd, and it will make an excellent addition to your Memorial Day celebration.

ALMOND TEXAS SHEET CAKE CAKE:

2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup butter, cubed 1 cup water 2 large eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon almond extract

FROSTING:

1/2 cup butter, cubed 1/4 cup whole milk 4-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup chopped almonds

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Preheat oven to 375°.

Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk the first 5 ingredients.

In a small saucepan, combine butter and water; bring just to a boil. Stir into flour mixture.

For frosting, combine butter and milk in a large saucepan; bring just to a boil.

Remove from heat; gradually stir in confectioners’ sugar and extract. Stir in almonds. Spread over warm cake.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, and extract until blended; add to flour mixture, whisking constantly.

Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

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