I read recently about how Facebook’s incredibly talented and respected CFO Sheryl Sandberg Leaves Work at 5:30.

Image via The Beast magazine

Gobsmacked. How cool. Bloody good on her…. I thought all these things. And I loved that she’d spoken out on it. This is important.

I also liked that it appears not to have affected her career trajectory:

“I walk out of this office every day at 5:30 so I’m home for dinner with my kids at 6:00, and interestingly, I’ve been doing that since I had kids”

But she was somehow ashamed…and had to “justify” it:

”I did that when I was at Google, I did that here, and I would say it’s not until the last year, two years that I’m brave enough to talk about it publicly. Now I certainly wouldn’t lie, but I wasn’t running around giving speeches on it. I was getting up earlier to make sure they saw my emails at 5:30, staying up later to make sure they saw my emails late. But now I think I’m much more confident in where I am and so I’m able to say, ‘Hey! I am leaving work at 5:30.’ And I say it very publicly, both internally and externally.”

The Washington Post makes the point that we need to keep talking about this stuff…to get a better idea of how women are meant to juggle it all. They ask of Sandberg: Does she have a cook? Does her husband cook? Does she have a nanny? Is she involved with the school PTA? Is her husband? When I meet a highly successful woman raising small children who is willing to be real, I ask those questions. It drives me crazy feeling like my generation is left to figure out how to make our lives work when so many other women already have. And is the trail really blazed if you keep it a secret?

Why shouldn’t we work less hours? Evidence suggests we work smarter when our parameters are narrowed. The French have mandated reduced working hours. They like it. Four-day work weeks…I can vouch for them (I still take Thursdays off and get just as much done in a week).

I made the bold move of stepping away from the clock-in-clock-out system a while back and now set my own hours. It took me ages to get used to this idea and I still feel odd finishing at 6pm, when all my career I’ve worked

Recently I chatted with Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions. You can catch the podcast here where we talk about how to get more enzymes into your body and how to look younger longer. It’s a rippa chat.

Image by Christoph Niemann

I thought I’d share some of her ingenious household tips. I’ve been collecting them for a while…the kind of stuff our grandmothers talked about.

You might also like to check out my previous post of cooking tips. And this one.

1. To remove insects from organic or homegrown Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, artichokes, etc., soak thirty minutes in water to which 2 tablespoons of salt and vinegar have been added. Rinse well.

2. Use wooden cutting boards – they harbour less pathogenic bacteria than plastic.

3. Do not add garlic to sauteing onions or other vegetables, because it has a tendency to burn. Add garlic after you have added your liquid—stock, wine, stir-fry sauce, tomatoes, etc.

4. Use duck or bacon lard for frying potatoes.

5. Don’t use a pressure cooker. Just don’t. It cooks too fast and denatures food.

6. Use only unrefined salt, preferably Celtic sea salt.

7. Always skim foam off stock, sauces, soups, legumes and stews. Many impurities rise to the top with the foam. Add spices and seasoning to stock, sauces, soups, legumes and stews after skimming.

8. Grated lemon and orange rind should always be organic. If not, wash the skins well with soap, rinse and dry before grating.

9. If you’re to grow one herb, make it thyme. Nothing beats fresh thyme for flavor.

10. To dry lettuce, watercress, spinach or parsley, wash well, shake dry and place in a pillow case (in the case of lettuce) or small cloth bag (in the case of watercress or parsley.) Tie up and place in your washing machine. Run on the last spin cycle to remove water by centrifugal force.

First. A big thank you to everyone who’s already bought my I Quit Sugar Cookbook, released last week. Loved getting instagram pics of the dishes you made from it over the weekend…keep them coming. I’ll re-insta them as they come in.

photography by Marija Ivkovic

Second. If you’re curious about what kind of recipes I share, I thought I’d share this one…a kids’ treat (I include a chapter of kid-geared treats). Avocado and coconut water popsicles! These things are seriously creamy and sweet… and contain fully nutritious ingredients. A meal on a stick!

You can watch me make them here:

One of the biggest requests I’ve received since I launched my first I Quit Sugar ebook eight months ago has been for recipes that will keep kids happy. So I obliged.

I’ve shared about coconut water and it’s merits before. I’ve also recently written this post about fructose in coconut water. But, in a (coco) nut shell,  know this:

• coconut water is loaded with electrolytes, calcium, potassium, & magnesium in an easy-to-absorb liquid
• it promotes good circulation and it speeds up your metabolism – thus helping with weight loss