On Your Table: Time for Christmas cookies!

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times Who can resist sugar cookies at Christmas time? The countdown to Christmas is well underway and in many kitchens so is the rush to bake holiday sweets, notably cookies.  Why do we eat cookies for Christmas? For so many families, it’s not Christmas without cookies. Our kids leave cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve, we spend weeks baking and...

My present is to be more present

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times So, I had the best intentions to do a last-minute Christmas Super Six for y’all. But, then I realized that 90% of the world is currently wrapping gifts, not still buying them. (Know that I hate you if you fall into this category.) Therefore, I will spare you my holiday panic and move on to lecture about the other stuff on my mind. Namely, that I discovered...

How being vegan can affect your teeth

By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times As the year comes to a close many people are considering changes to make for the new year.  I was recently asked if there were any dental concerns with being vegan.  Does the vegan diet have an impact on dental health? There is no doubt that plant-based food sources can be a healthy choice. Even meat eaters benefit from the nutrients found...

Don’t Retire, ReFire: How will you wrap up the year?

By Gail Supplee Tatum, Columnist, The Times It’s hard to belief that 2018 is rapidly coming to a close.  It’s a time of reflection on the achievements and challenges of the year and, as well as a time for looking forward, with great anticipation, what the new year may hold. Are you one of those people who were able to complete everything on your list of things to accomplish in 2018 or are you...

Inner Nature: Getting touchy-feely with Somatosensation

By Vidja Rajan, Columnist, The Times Somatosensation is the ability of the body to sense stimuli, but is not as straightforward as it seems. For example, touch can range from being barely perceptible to being excruciating; an itch that is scratched can go from feeling pleasurable to painful. Percussion and loud music can can be felt as a physical sensation. How does this happen, and is it touch or...

Giving thought to a few words of thanks

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love it for its simplicity. Basically, it is a day dedicated to sharing a meal with people you love. That’s it. No pressure to give or receive gifts. The present is our presence. (Cheesy, I know. But, isn’t it the truth?) And, as the title suggests, it is a time to give thanks for the many wonderful things that get...

Just scraping by — the tongue — for better oral health

By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times If you never heard of tongue scraping – you are not alone. While it’s been a standard go-to therapy in bad-breath treatment for years, most of us never really paid a lot of attention to our tongues.  So let me explain what it’s all about. Just imagine that cold winter day (the one we are all dreading) … as you stand at the door,...

On Your Table: For Thanksgiving, don’t stress, but plan ahead

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times Turkey is central to Thanksgiving Dinner Thanksgiving is coming and the best advice I’ve heard about this is, “Take it all in stride.   Everything is going to be ok.” Executive Chef Tim Baker of The Whip Tavern in Unionville agrees.  He declares Thanksgiving to be his favorite holiday for eating with family and friends.  And it needn’t...

Don’t Retire, ReFire: What is your contribution to the season of Thanksgiving?

By Gail Supplee Tatum, Columnist, The Times Autumn in Chester County, this year, is one of the most brilliant displays of color that I’ve seen in recent years. This month of November is packed with so many thoughts and emotions, as we enter the season of giving thanks and being grateful for what we have. All of that spills out into the holiday festivities leading to the New Year. So, here we go!...

Camping? Nope. But Glamping? Absolutely.

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times I am not a camper. Even as a kid, the idea of sleeping on the ground did not appeal to me. I wanted to be a Girl Scout for the cute, green outfit and sash full of badges but, ultimately, gave it up due to the relentless, camping trip requirements. While I enjoy being outside, I don’t like dirt, bugs, wild animals, or walking to a community bathroom in the...