Soup! The best comfort food around on a cold winter day or night. This minestrone-style soup is hearty, healthy and satisfying, loaded with veggies and pasta, and makes a delicious one-pot meal.

This recipe is from Holly Clegg's Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets To Sizzle At Any Age cookbook.

Your heart is too small to continue to carry painful experiences in it, all because you refuse to forgive! You should be tired of allowing people you haven’t forgiven to take up space in your mind. It is probably more than past the time for you to let it go, let them go, forgive, and live! You will find freedom, relief, as well as inner and outer peace when you give yourself permission to forgive. Forgiving as a Process Moving to a point of forgiving a friend or loved one for an atrocity…

There will always be times in your personal and professional life when you have to say "no" to someone's request. The challenge is how to do it without alienating them. In fact, would it be possible to say "no" and actually have the person walk away appreciating you? I believe it truly is. How Not to Say No I was in a small electronics store the other day and watched a woman try to return an item. She started out fairly pleasant, but no matter what she said, the store manager was curt, short…

Did you ever have the kind of day that made you wonder where all the nice people went? It was as if there was not a single nice person left in the world. Vendors were cranky, your coworkers were grumpy, even your best friend was a little testy. What happened? Was it something in the water? Were the stars lined up wrong? While there are times when we all get a little crabby, I do believe there is something we can do to bring out the "nice" in people. My Experience Let me share a story with…

You're committed to doing the best work you can. You're smart and hardworking and want to excel. But as you move ahead and make progress, you begin to detect a little resentment coming from your coworkers. At first you try to ignore it, then you start to get angry and frustrated. You're tempted to confront it head- on, but aren't sure if that's the right move or not. What's the right strategy? While there are no hard and fast rules, and every situation may be different, the following four…

All of us have been on the receiving end of someone else's anger. Through those miserable experiences, we have all learned one important thing: joining them in their anger and firing back verbal assaults didn't solve the problem. In fact, it might have made it worse. If we want to effectively deal with the problem in such a way that resolves the issue and maintains the relationship, there are certain key strategies and behaviors which you can employ. Listen First Assume that they have a…

Think of three words to describe yourself. What are they? These answers have a direct impact on the way you lead your life. Your self-image is directly related to your self-esteem and can actually become how you are viewed by yourself and others. You are a person with vast, unlimited potential. Until you believe that to be the truth, you will continue to deny yourself free access to your own wisdom and magnificence. Make Your Self-Esteem Soar Following is a list of seven ways to help you…

Relationships are complicated, multifaceted and an absolutely necessary part of life. They can be the source of our greatest joy and some of our deepest sorrow. There is absolutely nothing in life that we can achieve or accomplish without other people and it's our relationships that connect us to them. So, it stands to reason -- the better relationships we have, the better outcomes we will get. There are two myths in our culture that seem to influence our thinking, our behaviors and certainly,…

A positive attitude is very important for successful weight loss and weight management. To lose weight permanently, you must make a commitment to gradually adopt a healthier way of life. You can control your weight. To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories or burn up more calories than you need. The best way to lose weight is to do both. Following a very low calorie diet can leave you feeling deprived and can increase the temptation to binge. Often, very low calorie diets make you lose…

Stress is defined as "any stimulus, such as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism." Put simply, stress is our response to daily life. The right amount of stress can be a positive force. It helps us do our best work and keeps us alert, energetic, focused, and engaged in the world around us. However, too much stress can leave us anxious, depressed, and uncomfortable. Everyday life continually presents us with stressful situations.…

This easy, tasty recipe gives a wonderful blend of sweet and salt to sweet potato wedges. Fantastic prosciutto is wrapped around sweet potato wedges and baked until it’s crispy and mouth-watering. Mix with basil leaves to create a popular new treat. Add a kick to traditional potato wedges with this innovative flavor combination!

News outlets have recently published news reports and opinion pieces based on a study about a possible link between hormone therapy and a very rare increased breast cancer death risk. Dr. Holly L. Thacker discusses the facts.

With more than 30,000 items filling the shelves of the average grocery store, it is no wonder that you may feel confused when trying to select heart-healthy choices for you and your family. 3 Tips for Shopping for Healthy Food 1. Eat your veggies It always comes back to the green stuff. But it’s for good reason: The nutrients in vegetables (whether the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and/or polyphenols) all seem to be disease-fighters in a variety of ways. When it comes to your heart,…

Many restaurants offer delicious low-fat, low-cholesterol meals. These tips will help you make eating out enjoyable as well as healthy. Before you order: If you are familiar with the menu, decide what to order before entering the restaurant. This tactic will help you avoid any temping foods that might not be so healthy. If you are trying a new restaurant, take time to study the menu in order to avoid making unhealthy decisions. If possible, log on to the restaurant’s website before you…

A monthly self breast exam should be performed by all women starting at about the age of 20. A breast exam increases the chances of early detection and survival of breast cancer. Monthly Breast Self Exam 1. The first part of the breast exam is inspection, or looking at your breasts. Stand undressed from the waist up in front of a large mirror in a well lighted room. Look at your breasts. Don’t be alarmed if they do not look equal. Most women’s breasts are not. With your arms relaxed by your…

Nothing tastes better than a creamy dip with fresh vegetables and herbs served with toasted pita bread. Nonfat and low-fat cream cheese are mixed together to cut down on the saturated fat, but not on the delicious taste. Tofu is added for smoothness, which gives it a rich taste as well as extra protein – a win-win recipe!

Are all types of chocolate healthy? Before you grab a chocolate candy bar or slice of chocolate cake, it’s important to understand that not all forms of chocolate contain high levels of flavanols. Cocoa naturally has a very strong, pungent taste, which comes from the flavanols. When cocoa is processed into your favorite chocolate products, it goes through several steps to reduce this taste. The more chocolate is processed (through things like fermentation, alkalizing, roasting, etc.), the…

Facial aging is how the appearance of your face changes with age. It occurs mainly as the result of changes in the skin and the deeper soft tissues of the face. Factors that influence external skin changes include natural aging, skin type, sun exposure, facial movement and routine skin care. Facial fat deeper within the face thins with normal aging and, as gravity pulls on the face, the underlying soft tissues droop. However, facial aging can be treated. These two types of changes are separate…

Breast Cancer Guidelines Breast Self-Exams. Although monthly self-exams have been controversial, most women do find breast lumps themselves. Examine your breasts each month after age 20. You will become familiar with the contours and feel of your breasts and will be more alert to changes. The best time to examine your breasts is after your menstrual cycle is finished. Clinical Breast Exams. Have your breasts examined by a healthcare provider at least once every three years after age 20,…

A sensational and explosive combination of roasted sweet yams, crunchy corn, black beans in a light jalapeño dressing.. This recipe is from Holly Clegg's Trim & Terrific Gulf Coast Favorites: Over 250 easy recipes from my Louisiana Kitchen.