Not Just Cooking News

Some very exciting news for us at

Not Just  Cooking!!! 

                                  
Some of you may know I started a job through a temp agency and was just hired as a permanent employee. Well, the company has a new Wellness Coordinator. Her name is Michele, a/k/a Well Michele. With over 5000 employees, Michele quickly realized she needed some help so she formed a Wellness Advisory Committee - right up my alley! We had a brainstorming meeting just this week.  During the meeting someone mentioned they do healthy food demos on the weekends so I followed up by mentioning Not Just Cooking. As a result, and to make a long story short, we received approval to do food demos during lunch time beginning in June! Michele will also push for more healthy foods and beverages in the cafeteria. One suggestion I had was a Trail Mix bar. I am so grateful that this company is interested in the health and wellness of its employees.  I know there are ulterior motives, but these ulterior motives are worthwhile and healthy ones!  What a great way to have more focused and effective employees while reducing the cost of insurance (as long as employees start taking responsibility for their health and life)!  Pass the word - this could be contagious! Jamie Oliver - we might have to team up!

We regret to say that our Not Just Cooking event at All About Vitamins for People and Pets on May 1st has been postponed. The owner needs to reschedule. It looks like it may be some time in June now. We will update our blog with the new day and time, post it on Face Book and send out an email.

We are in the process of finalizing our Not Just Cooking distribution list and would like to include all who are interested. If you would like to remain on the list there's no need to do anything. If you don't want to, then please respond to me via email, otherwise if you're on the list, you'll continue to be on it we receive further notice from you. The last thing we want to do is bother anyone so please let us know if you're not interested at this time. No hard feelings, we understand. We'd love to add anyone who is interested in Not Just Cooking, so if you know anyone who would be interested in being on our distribution list, please have them email me.

We'd like to find out who is interested in receiving our Not Just Cooking newsletter. Because they do take time to prepare, we'd like to get an idea of who would be interested before we continue with them. Our first newsletter came out last winter and we were thinking of doing one each quarter. However, we'd first like to know if this is worthwhile to all of you. So please email me and let us know.

Even before we started Not Just Cooking it was not unlikely for me to receive phone calls and emails from people who need help with diet due to weight problems, disease or just because they want to be healthier. I meet and talk to so many people who don't know where or who to turn to.  They go to their doctors and ask for help but they are either given wrong information or are given none at all.

If anyone is suffering or isn't sure where to turn, please don't hesitate to contact me. I don't give medical advice but I can give advice on how to strengthen a compromised immune system and how to maintain it.  I also have many resources including names and phone numbers of Naturopaths, Chirpractors and Integrative Medical Doctors, including one who is a cardiologist.  Also, Martindales Natural Food Market in Springfield, PA and Fran at All About Vitamins for People and Pets in Cinnaminson, NJ are also great resources.  If you have a question about health, diet and nutrition, they either have an answer for you or can point you in the right direction.

We are also in the process of preparing a presentation to Martindale's Natural Market in Springfield, PA so that we can book an event there in very near future. More on that when it's confirmed though we know it will be on a Saturday. This, too, will be posted on our blog, on Face Book and an email will be sent out.
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Pampered Chef
As you may already know, Pampered Chef products are available through me without hosting a party.  However, if you host a Not Just Cooking class, you not only get your class for free but you also will get 10% off Pampered Chef products for as long as I am a consultant, as do those who attend the class!  Please contact me for our Pampered Chef Spring catalog or visit the main Pampered Chef website.  Then just give me call at (610) 764-1371 or send me an email.

April Specials:

Cranberry Microfiber Towel FREE with $60 purchase! Item # GU30
Mother's Day Special Trifle Bowl - $29.00  Item #GU31

We apologize that we don't have the Pampered Chef website up yet...time is a luxury these days but it's on Things To Do list! So if you would like to place an order, just contact me.
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Planting a Vegetable Garden this summer?  
Here are some Gardening Tips:

• May is the month to begin planting most vegetables outside here on the East Coast. Plant carrots, lettuce, potatoes, corn, beans, and peas. Start with either a seed or a plant. 
• In mid to late May (some people use Mother's Day as a time line) you can plant in the ground tomatoes, squash, cucumber, pumpkins and peppers. These are warmer weather plants.
• Grow an organic garden. Martindale's Natural Foods sells organic seeds. Home Depot does as well. You can find organic vegetable and herb plants at Whole Foods Market, Home Depot and maybe even Trader Joe's.
• It's important not to use pesticides, herbicides and pesticides or chemicals of any kind on your fruit and vegetable plants, even believe it or not, on your lawn (think about walking on it in bare feet, babies and animals). As popular and as great as Miracle-Gro seems, it is a fertilizer laden with chemicals. It's unhealthy for us to eat foods grown with chemicals. Not only that, but these chemicals will spoil your soil. 
• If you've used pesticides or chemicals on your garden, it takes three years without using them to get your soil healthy again and considered organic.
• When planting vegetables, create rows of hills or mounds and plant in the hill or mound so that there's a slight valley between rows. Planting this way is good for drainage and keeps roots from getting saturated in case of heavy rainfall or watering. You can also plant on flat ground creating a well around each plant.
• If at all possble, water your vegetable garden with filtered water.  Click here and here for websites that offer garden hose water filters for sale.  And check out this gardening website for tips, ideas and products.   Ooooh - here's wonderful Kitchen Garden Planner.     
• Don't water your plants after the sun has gone down or during mid-day when the sun is at it's hottest. Watering in the hot sun can cause your plants to burn. Watering after the sun has gone down can cause mold. Watering early in the morning or after dinner is best.

I love the idea of going out back to pick fresh vegetables and herbs for our meals. So here's to growing a healthy garden this summer and eating the fruit (and vegetables) of our labor!

We are grateful and so appreciative of the support and encouragement we recieve. 

Thank you so much from all of us at Not Just Cooking!

Healthy blessings to you and your loved ones,

Lisa
(Rich and Janelle, too)