It’s that time of year! Baking time! No matter what holiday you’re celebrating this holiday season, I think we can all agree that we’re spending more time this month compared to other months baking sweets or eating someone else’s baked sweets. What a fun time of year!

Indulging during the holiday season is all fine and dandy, but if I’m going to be eating more sweets than usual, they at least have to be made with real ingredients like whole grains and natural sweeteners. Oh who am I kidding – that’s my rule of thumb year round.

Baking with ingredients that aren’t white flour and sugar took a little while for me to figure out. Let’s just say there were some issues with texture and consistency. It wasn’t pretty. But that was a few years ago. I’ve grown since then.

So why the change? Why was it important for me to upgrade the quality of my ingredients?

White flour is pretty much a big loser when it comes to nutrition and flavor. Sure, it’s great at holding stuff together and getting that texture just right, but that’s about it. The same goes for white sugar – it’s a shock of sweetness to your taste buds that doesn’t last long and only leaves you wanting more, and more, and more. The taste of honey or maple syrup – now that’s real flavor.

Here are some gluten free baking ingredients that I’m crushing on right now in a big way.

Quinoa Flour

Why I love it – it’s loaded with protein (all 9 of the essential amino acids), zinc, iron, calcium and other wonderful essential nutrients, is easy to digest, and gives a subtle and delicious sweet and nutty flavor to foods.

Tapioca Flour

Why I love it – It’s a starchy white flour with a sweet flavor. It helps baked goods have a good texture and consistency because it can be used to thicken batters and soups.

Sucanat

Why I love it – It is whole cane sugar. It’s minimally processed – the natural molasses is still intact, giving sucanat a deep brown color and natural molasses flavor. Why the weird name? Sucanat stands for Sugar Cane Natural.

Raw Honey

Why I love it – Great flavor and it’s sticky which is great for holding the batter together. The real stuff, not the highly processed runny honey that comes in the bear-shaped jar, is full of enzymes that aid in digestion, amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

Coconut Oil

Why I love it – It can withstand the heat of cooking, unlike most oils. An oil’s smoke point is the temperature that decomposition and oxidative damage begin. Refined oils have higher smoke points than their unrefined counterparts, but they’re also refined and highly processed, making them a poor choice anyway. Yes, coconut oil is made up of mostly saturated fat, but not all saturated fats are created equal. The fatty acids in coconut oil are mostly medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), not long-chain triglycerides found in other fats and oils. Research suggests that MCTs improve the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol so it’s actually health promoting. Coconut oil is also known for its hair and skin benefits. I love it for its sweet and delicious flavor.

Happy baking and happy holidays!

This chocolate chip cookie has great texture and a very subtle sweetness. I love the addition of quinoa flakes for a soft crunch!

Ingredients: (makes 2 dozen)

¾ cup quinoa flakes (I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes)

½ cup quinoa flour

½ cup tapioca flour

½ to ¾ cup sucanat

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 eggs

2/3 cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 ounces high quality dark chocolate (I am currently loving Scharffen Berger 82% Cacao), chopped – size of chocolate chunks is up to you

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease cookie sheets

Combine all ingredients except chocolate in medium-sized mixing bowl

Use electric hand mixer to blend ingredients thoroughly

Add chocolate and use spoon to evenly distribute chocolate throughout batter

Use spoons to place dough balls on prepared baking sheet. Cookies will expand a little bit in the oven so allocate space on the baking sheet accordingly.

Bake until cookies are firm – about 20 to 25 minutes.

Most of the loved ones that I celebrated Thanksgiving with this year.

As far as non-Jewish holidays go, Thanksgiving is my absolute-favorite – Passover will always trump Thanksgiving in my book. What I love most about Thanksgiving is how pure of a holiday it is – it’s not about presents or “stuff”. It’s about family, good food and laughter. Thanksgiving is an annual reminder to reevaluate our priorities and to remember what’s really important – what we should be thankful for.

The last few years my family has asked everyone joining us at dinner to write a note about what they are thankful for and place it in a big woven basket before dinner begins. Between dinner and dessert the notes get passed around the table and read out loud. There are no names on the notes so no one knows who wrote what. It’s a sweet, but quick way to commemorate the holiday and I really enjoy hearing the kind words that my relatives share.

I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Here’s some of the delicious gluten free (except for the rosemary bread) and dairy free food that we enjoyed this Thanksgiving. I am so lucky for so many reasons including having a family that is incredibly supportive of my dietary limitations – although this meal hardly felt limiting to anyone.

Local turkey

Quinoa with herbs and pomegranates

Roasted veggies

Asparagus with mustard glaze

Whole wheat rosemary bread (recipe below)

Dutch Oven Bread

Ingredients:

6 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon yeast (active dry)

3 teaspoon salt

3 cups warm water

3/4 – 1 cup honey

6 twigs package Rosemary, stems removed and leaves chopped

Directions:

Measure out yeast in a bowl and add warm water. Stir until yeast dissolves.

Add in flour, salt, honey and chopped Rosemary.

Stir ingredients until flour is all mixed in.

Let flour rise overnight.

Grease Dutch oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with Dutch oven inside.

Put dough into Dutch oven and cook for 45 minutes. Take off lid and cook for 15 minutes.

To remove bread from Dutch oven, turn Dutch oven upside down.

Another shot of the bread because it was so delicious (so I heard).

Triple Chocolate Brownies (recipe by www.MyraKornfeld.com)

Triple Chocolate Brownies (recipe by www.MyraKornfeld.com)

Ingredients:

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 ¼ cups natural sugar – maple or succanat

1 cup silken tofu

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup sorghum flour

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt the semisweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate together over a double boiler. Stir continually to prevent burning or hardening – about 5 minutes. Mix in the cocoa powder and remove the double boiler from the heat.

Blend together the sugar, tofu and coconut oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl, stir in the chocolate, then the flour, cayenne, baking powder and salt.

Pour the batter into the baking pan, making sure it spreads evenly. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until slightly puffed. You’ll know it’s done if a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with some crumbs.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 2 hours before cutting into squares and serving.

Banana bread

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

3 very ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup raw honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease loaf pan

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl

Use electric mixer to blend ingredients almost thoroughly – I like it with a few banana chunks remaining

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake until top is brown – about 45 to 60 minutes

Allow loaf to cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving

Growing up in New York, school was always closed on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Little did I know that this was not common practice in other school districts and communities across the country. Since leaving New York in 2008, when it comes to Jewish holidays, life is served on a silver spoon a lot less often. But that’s ok. I think I’ve gotten the hang of it.

This year I didn’t have a lot of spare time to prepare a special meal on top of all my other commitments. Still, it was important to me to do something for Rosh Hashanah other than attending services at a local synagogue.

I invited some friends over and mostly stuck to recipes that I’ve made before and felt comfortable with. I skipped the hors d’œuvres and pre-dinner munchies and whipped up a few batches of cookies and banana bread during study breaks. This chicken recipe called for four ingredients and I’ve made it countless times before. I made a big batch of quinoa and threw in some spices. Of course there was the traditional plate of sliced apples and honey; apples for health, fall and the myth of creation and honey for sweet wishes in the New Year.

I read an article about traditional foods served on Rosh Hashanah and learned that eating carrots sliced into the shape of coins represents prosperity. Well that seemed easy enough to add to my Rosh Hashanah menu. I threw them in a pan with green beans from the Farmer’s market and came up with a sauce that complimented the sauce used for the chicken.

Dinner is served!

While it didn’t take days to prepare and I didn’t roll and matzah balls, I think this was a pretty good meal to celebrate the New Year and still manage to stay on top of my other responsibilities while keeping my stress levels to a healthy level. Finding balance can be tricky, but I’m proud that the New Year is off to a great start!

Ingredients:

Juice from 1 lime

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Equal parts:

Green beans trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Carrots: Cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch pieces

A head of kale, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped

1 small onion, chopped

Directions:

Add small amount of water to sauté onions. Once transparent add green beans and carrots. Cook al dente. Green beans and carrots should be slightly tender on the outside and crunchy on the inside.

While vegetables are on the stove, combine sauce ingredients in mixing bowl.

Once vegetables are cooked, drain extra water. Toss in lime ginger sauce. Serve warm or room temperature.

Tonight begins the Jewish New Year. If you celebrate, Shana tova! If you don’t, then Happy Wednesday!

Ryan and I are attending services tonight, but tomorrow night our friends will be joining us for dinner. I am very excited to celebrate our first holiday in our new home! Although my “free time” is extremely limited these days, taking the time to celebrate holidays and special occasions by getting together with friends and family and break bread is a huge priority.

I’ll share the rest of my recipes after I make them tomorrow, but today I took a study break and made this chocolate chunk banana bread. I had 3 bananas that were a day or two away from spoiling so I thought I’d try to turn them into dessert instead of putting them in the freezer for green smoothies. I debated between turning the batter into cookies or a loaf of bread. End of the story is that I’m very happy I decided on banana bread.

Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas – should be pretty easy to mash them with a fork

2 cups almond flour

1 cup teff flour

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup sucanat

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate from chocolate bar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease loaf pan – I used a Pyrex 9 x 5 loaf pan

Peel bananas and place in medium mixing bowl and mash with fork

Add remaining wet ingredients and mix well

Add flour, sucanat, cinnamon and baking soda. Use electric mixer to combine well.

Fold in chocolate chips with a spoon.

Pour batter into loaf pan and put into oven. Bake until top is firm and brown on the edges – about 40 minutes.

Store any leftover in refrigerator.

I lived in Asheville, NC, for 2.5 years, but can honestly say that it never felt like home. I always knew I’d be leaving and never really let myself get too attached. My fiancé and I expected to be in Asheville for 12 to 18 months, but when the economy collapsed our “short” stay turned into a long 29 months. Asheville is beautiful and a great place to visit, but this New Yorker at heart needs a bigger city for real peace of mind. I learned a lot from living in Asheville, but am grateful to have closed that chapter last March. I never expected to live in the Midwest again after college, but here I am. And very happy, I have to admit.

My fiancé and I bought our first house together. It’s a cozy old brick house in a perfectly central location to everything we need and like to be close to – grocery stores, restaurants, our offices and our social life.

When we both moved to Asheville and consolidated all of our stuff, there wasn’t too much to get rid of. It was a little hodgepodge and shall we say, an eclectic combination of tastes, but we knew we would be moving again in the near future and didn’t want to invest in anything new until we were living somewhere more permanent.

Well folks, that time has officially arrived!

Furnishing a home is so much fun – and this is coming from a girl that doesn’t like to shop. I want my home to be comfortable, but also functional. It’s where I need to be able to relax after a long day, break bread with my friends and family and build memories.

It’s been 6 months and we are nowhere close to being finished, but the “essential” stuff, like painting over the neon green kitchen walls (true story) and purchasing a dining room table and chairs have been taken care of. We even have pictures and art on the walls – sounds simple, but something we really didn’t do much of in Asheville. The rest will come together eventually.

I am patient and always looking for good deals and exploring ideas I see on my favorite home-related blogs and magazines. I’ve never really been able to relate to the concept of instant gratification, which you probably already know if you read this blog. I think it is much more rewarding to put in the time and effort, whether it’s regularly getting on the elliptical machine, or putting away a little bit of each paycheck and then jumping with delight when you fit back into your pre-pregnancy jeans or the new couch is delivered. Oh how I will jump in delight when we finally replace our current couch in the family room. One day…

So the whole point of this post – our backyard patio has been completely empty since Moving Day. Over Labor Day weekend we went shopping for a good sale and purchased a grill. Still no patio furniture, but now we can grill, which after being without one for the entire summer, I am loving and taking full advantage of as often as possible. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with eating outside on folding chairs or inviting friends over to grill and eating at our brand-spanking-new dining room table indoors. And because we waited so long to purchase the grill we really appreciate it. We don’t take it for granted.

Grilling is generally pretty easy and simple to do. We’ve been grilling lots of vegetables and meat that we get at the Farmer’s Market. I saw a recipe for grilling salt & vinegar potatoes on 101cookbooks.com that I had to try. They were pretty awesome and more natural than any salt & vinegar potato chips you can buy prepackaged at the grocery store. I will definitely be making these again.

Apologies, but there really aren’t any real measurements or quantities for this recipe. It’s more about the technique and you can make however much or little you want!

Ingredients:

Potatoes – preferably a white variation (versus sweet potatoes)

White wine vinegar

A little extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Any other spices you like to add to vinegar

Directions:

Slice potatoes into 1/4’’ slices

Place in large skillet, try to overlap as little as possible and pour in white wine vinegar – just enough to cover the potato slices

Bring vinegar to a boil

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes – the potatoes should still be firm and not falling apart

Allow to cool in the vinegar for about 20 or 30 minutes

Drain, spray lightly with extra virgin olive oil, add salt and other preferred spices

Place potatoes on heated grill – flip when one side browns – about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from grill.

Retouch with spices if necessary

Serve.

Brisk fall air might have made its way to Cincinnati this week, but there are still loads of the versatile summer staple – cucumbers – at the Farmer’s Market to remind me that the seasons haven’t turned just yet. But we’re getting close. I can almost smell fall in the air. I can’t wait for apples, pumpkins and all the sweet goodness that comes with fall.

But back to summer -

I added cucumber to the blender this week while making hummus and was very pleasantly surprised by the cool refreshing flavor it added. Just a hint of cucumber – not too overpowering at all.

Here’s a fun-filled fact I just learned about cucumbers – they are part of the same botanical family as watermelon, cantaloupe and all squashes. I guess I sort of see the resemblance with watermelon, but the other members of the family were a bit… unexpected.

Anyway, adding cucumber to hummus is an easy way to kick the nutrient-density of this dip up a few notches, cram in extra phytonutrients and maximize antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, which is always a good thing. This comes in handy, especially if you’re dipping chips into the hummus, which don’t really big a lot of nutrient-punch. Ok, they don’t bring any.

This is a great dip that I will definitely make for company, or just to have at home, again and again.

Ingredients:

1/2 large cucumber, peeled

2 cloves garlic

15 ounces cooked chickpeas

3 tablespoons tahini

juice from 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 – 2 tablespoons of water

Directions:

Put everything into blender or food processor and blend until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Use spatula to pour hummus into bowl.

Place bowl in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill. Hummus will thicken slightly.

Serve with fresh vegetables, crackers, chips or add a scoop to your salad or whatever else you’re eating!

Remember these? May be not, since the last time I tried they came out completely wrong (but tasty). Well, I tried the blackberry oat bars again this weekend – only this time I used blueberries instead because that was what I had in my refrigerator. Oh and I followed the directions correctly. That’s what really made the difference.

They were pretty delicious. And definitely a go-to for company, potlucks or even something sweet and satisfying for us to have around the house just for us!

Making changes – big and small – to diet and lifestyle is tough. I’ll be the first to admit it.

It can be difficult for many reasons, but I think one of the most common is the potential impact a healthier way of living can have on said individual’s social life. Concerns of isolation, relapse and judgment are very real.

It took quite a few months for me to be comfortable in public with my dietary restrictions. I remember how guilty I felt asking my waiter about ingredients in a dish I wanted to order, or placing an order but with a bunch of substitutes so that by the end of the order the dish barely resembled the original item on the menu. Picture the famous restaurant scene from “When Harry Met Sally”, but worse. Yea, that was me. And I hated it. I went on dates and was so worried my date would think I “high maintenance” and had “food issues” so I ordered food that I knew was going to make me sick. Because the real me was easy going and orders a dish as-is off the menu. The real me wasn’t obsessed with weight or body image. This “other girl” wasn’t the real me.

A close friend of mine also had medical issues that required her to have somewhat similar dietary restrictions. She helped me feel more comfortable with eating in restaurants, talking about my dietary restrictions and most importantly, accepting my new reality. Thanks, Jules.

For many of you, my experience is extreme. I get that.

What I hear a lot from my clients, friends and family members is that they want to make a change but are worried about two things more than anything else; (1) the social implications and (2) the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal for themselves and their family.

My suggestion – ask your friends if they would be interested in a weekly recipe swap and/or alternate hosting a weeknight dinner each week. This way you get at least one night off of menu planning, preparing and cooking OR you’re just making double the amount you’d be making anyway. Your friends come over for dinner on the designated night or you go there. Agree ahead of time that dinner is casual, with a focus on eating whole nutrient-dense foods and catching-up with friends. There’s no need to pull out the fine china or prepare a three-course meal.

I am lucky enough to have friends like this in Cincinnati. We alternate one dinner each week. I get to try new recipes I might not have come up with on my own an so do they. Last night was my turn to host.

I kept things really simple – sautéed kale and onions, a stir-fry of quinoa, onions, peppers, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes and black beans with a ginger teriyaki sauce and baked patty pan squash.

I saw the patty pan squash at the farmer’s market earlier that week and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. It was the first time I’d even heard of a “patty pan squash”. The woman who sold it to me said it’s great in the oven with some butter and parmesan cheese.  Well, that wasn’t going to work well for my dinner guests or me so this is what I did instead.

Ingredients:

1 summer squash – cut into half inch slices

cumin – to taste

pepper – to taste

nutritional yeast – to taste

extra virgin olive oil – enough to lightly coat each side of the squash slices

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray or lightly coat olive oil on each slice of squash (both sides) and place onto bottom of baking dish. Squash may overlap slightly.

Sprinkle cumin and pepper.

Lightly coat with nutritional yeast.

Bake until slices are tender – about 15 minutes.

I was a little skeptical at first, since nutritional yeast doesn’t melt like cheese, but the reviews were very positive so I will definitely be making it again this summer.

So last night not only was I able to socialize, but I also had a healthy home cooked stress-free meal! Win, win all around.

I know. I know. This picture isn’t exactly salivating-worthy. Let me explain.

I originally saw a recipe for blueberry oat bars on this website and wanted to give it a try – with a few modifications based on what I already had and what I had access to. However, I accidentally forgot to add the applesauce and water to the crust, but by the time I realized my error the layers had already been made. Instead of throwing everything away and starting over I decided to peel off the layers and save what I could. I purchased the blackberries at the farmer’s market the day before for the sole reason of making this recipe (there weren’t any blueberries available) and didn’t have a back-up supply on hand. So I added the water and applesauce and put everything back into the baking dish according to the recipe’s directions.

So while this outcome you see pictured above is not as aesthetically pleasing as it could be and the layers are not distinct, you can’t tell at all by the taste.

These bars are sweet enough for dessert, but light enough to compliment the summer heat. Personally, I love chocolate desserts year-round, but some of my friends prefer fruity desserts and I think this will make the perfect go-to recipe next time I’m dining with these folks.

I thought about waiting to share the recipe with y’all until I could make the bars correctly the first time around, but decided against it. I’m not a professional chef and don’t pretend to be one. Sometimes I mess up and my meals don’t always look pretty. But I use real ingredients and that is more important to me than what it looks like.

There was a time when I would have, without a doubt, thrown everything out and started over so that everything would look perfect for my readers. Perspective is a powerful thing and can completely change the way we deal with stress and expectations. I had 2 options once I realized my mistake. (1) I could have gotten upset and frustrated that I screwed up these oat bars. My entire day could have been ruined. A little bit of a drama-queen-like example, but I’m sure we all know people like this on some level. Instead of a baking mishap, may be it’s getting stuck in traffic, arriving late to a meeting, bad weather on a special day, you get the idea. (2) Or – I could say “Oh well. They still taste good.”

We’re only human. And sometimes stuff happens.

What really matters is how we handle it.

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 pint blackberries

5 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons cornmeal

“Crust”

3 cups rolled oats (not the instant variety)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened organic applesauce

6 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish.

In small saucepan combine blackberries, agave nectar and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

When it is boiling, add vanilla and cornmeal. Stir as mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.

Put 1.5 cups of rolled oats into blender and grind to a fine powder. Pour into medium-sized mixing bowl.

Add 1.5 cups of rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Mix.

Add applesauce, agave and water. Mix well.

Spread half of the crust batter into the greased pan – smoothing to cover the bottom of the pan.

Spoon the blackberry filling over the batter and cover the filling with the remaining crust mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

*** Store somewhere cool – like your refrigerator – to extend “shelf life”.

Technology is a funny thing. I don’t remember how I ever lived without a cell phone, wireless internet or Skype. Growing up and learning to drive, I obviously drove around without the security blanket of a cell phone in my bag. I can honestly say that I never ran into an incident on the road where having a cell phone would have really changed the outcome. However, by today’s standard, the whole town would be gossiping if a parent allowed their teenager to drive on the “open road” without their cell phone. Man, I feel old.

My blackberry allows me to stay in touch when I’m on the go. Living far away from home, I am so grateful for Skype and the ability to see my friends and family face-to-face. I’ve even used Skype to give walking tours of my new home to my family and friends that haven’t been able to visit – not quite the same thing as being together in person, but it usually fills the void and makes me feel closer to them.

Technology makes life easier. Or does it?

There was a time when I felt obligated to respond to emails immediately and always answer incoming calls. It was exhausting!

And you know what else? I noticed that I was never completely engaged with what I was doing or who I was actually with because out of the corner of my eye I was constantly looking at my blackberry – ready to jump into action if it rang or made my personalized alert sound indicating that I had a new email or Facebook update. I was missing out on the present.

Over time I established boundaries between my technology gadgets and me. And it feels so liberating!

I have no problem leaving my phone in my bedroom while I am in the living room reading and unwinding at the end of a long day. Or putting my phone on silent when I’m having dinner with my fiance. Or ignoring the ringing sound of my phone when I’m studying or trying to get through a to-do list. If I answer, I get distracted, I lose my momentum and my productivity goes downhill. I don’t have time or energy to be that inefficient.

It’s not personal, I just need to stay focused and on track. For me, answering my phone does not let me do that. I promise to call you back when I’m taking a break from the books or finish whatever it is I am working on or leave whoever I am with.

Does this make me crazy, rude or selfish? I don’t think so. I think we have so many distractions in our culture today and we are constantly moving on to the next thing without taking a moment to appreciate whatever it is we are doing or who we are with in the present.

As far as I’m concerned, mobile phones are absolute genius. But they have also created a lot of gray areas surrounding the etiquette of how and when we communicate.

I’ve never been unreachable for the important stuff – like when my brother was rushed into emergency surgery. I don’t believe that a good friendship is defined by how many times you speak a day or week. I think quality, not quantity, is important. So overall my stress is lower, my focus and attention on my loved ones is stronger and my productivity is higher. I’d say creating boundaries has been a healthy change for me.

How do you balance being accessible remotely with staying on task, being engaged with who you’re physically with and keeping stress levels manageable? Do you have boundaries or guidelines you like to follow for phone calls and answering emails?