We’ve done our homework. All year long, the Venue Magazine has had eyes and ears focused on great performances, creative presentations of the arts, exciting entertainment in our region and note-worthy area businesses that stand out to serve you exceptionally. We are all about wanting to bring you, our readers, a publication that is filled to the brim with the very “best” our region has to offer so you can continue to experience it and enjoy your experiences.

The services of businesses and community events are like people. Some speak volumes to many, others whisper to a few. Some speak out with great confidence, attracting the attention of customers and participants. Some are less revealing and keep a quieter profile. Each having a story to tell. We want to listen to your story.

What experience in 2011 was the most fun of all? For you? For your kids? Where did you go and where will you go, again? What makes our area a great place? (I can almost hear the lilt of a well told story in the air…) What story do YOU have to tell? We would love to announce to the world (or an important slice of it), your opinion.

We value your opinion and participation. Under no conditions should you and your taste conform. We ask for your thoughts for the purpose of helping each of the 17 communities we serve know what YOU like and what YOU want to look forward to in the year 2012.

Event coordinators want to know. Your town leaders want to know. Business owners want to know. Your neighbors and friends want to know. Visitors from out of the area want to know. WE want to know so we can get the word out. One statement abounds throughout – we have the very best to offer and we live in a great place!

MAIL YOUR story, thoughts, opinion, criticism, suggestions before January 24th, and you will be entered into a drawing to receive $100 to spend at a VENUE Magazine advertiser of your choice. Drawing will be held on January 25th, 2012. There is no purchase necessary.

Mail to: VENUE Magazine,

PO Box 820, Moses Lake, WA 98837

by Theresa Sergneri

….cooking food & eating as family and community. The holidays are upon us. I am already looking at recipes and new ideas for an “old” tradition in our culture as Thanksgiving is coming into view. America is a new country and our old traditions are recent in comparison to the most places in the world. We are a melting pot the ethnic traditions , a fusion of many cultures and this affects us in all area of eating, and the frequency and quality of coming together. November marks the beginning of a season of celebration that spans thru the New Year. Many will gather and sit together to raise our glasses and forks to another year gone by. Food is the central focus in many a holiday celebration. Food is our intimate connection to the world around us and affects us in profound ways. Health, community and environment all sit at the table with us.

I grew up in a home where we all sat down together at dinner. The family table was a place where seven very different people sat down one time a day to break bread together. The food was always good and the emotional climate varied from day to day. My father, a full on Italian passed away at the ripe old age of 92 this summer. He was our central fire in the home. His family recipes and scratch cooking gave a rich flavor to our lives and food. He came from a world and family of traditions, a clear line from his heritage and culture to the family table. His family ate local food. They hunted, grew and ate from the world around them. No longer in Italy they adapted to foods that were available in their new environment. A few basic ingredients and used in a variety of ways is the basis of the Mediterranean way of eating. My Father carried this on in his way into a new place and time with our family. He ate and drank well right up to the day he died. His cooking and love of the the kitchen gave a place of coming together where paths crossed and hearts met one time a day.

This year our family will gather at Thanksgiving. Everyone will bring food and drink to create a feast for us all. It is one time of year there is not any confusion what will be served . Tradition dictates the menu. Cultural food and eating habits are comforts as is common understanding of what and why we eat. Thanksgiving gives us a story of meaning to the foods selected for this occasion. Our ancestors and their guests had food available to them in the autumn harvest. Turkeys were grown or hunted and were at their peak for harvest this time of year. Possibly corn, squash and apples would find the way to the table and the abundance of the fall season was celebrated. My father is missed and time and the holiday tradition will carry our family through to share another great meal together. Thanksgiving is an American Tradition and we all know the recipes. Rest in peace Dad.

Food is reflective of geography as the natural world dictates what and when a food can be grown. I was in a major super market this weekend and the beauty and abundance of food available displayed food from many places and climates. This access to so many choices is inspiring and mind boggling. Lost in the multitude of choices and endless combinations is a blessing with bit of an edge to it. I looked at the food in the local and organic section and the choices became simple…I opted for simplicity. My journey to wellness requires I take a realistic approach to food and cooking as my credentials and degree have put me into a sort of expert in this area. If the truth be known I am still searching myself. This turns out to be a life long adventure into listening to mind body and soul in this area. I do believe the food thing will lead us to a thread that may be simple and put the maze of nutrition info into perspective. All paths will lead to home eventually.

So Thanksgiving is a no- brainer. We know what the menu will be more or less. Still so many ways to choose, shop. and cook. I understand family traditions as well as financial considerations shape our choices. I still hope crate a bridge from farm to table in a way that connects us for better to the earth and one another. This Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year let us all celebrate in ways that give us comfort and joy. Continue to explore ways to share to bring ourselves, families, communities and world ever closer together. thru living, celebrating and creating from the world around us.

by Wendy Nickell, Certified Nutrition Practitioner

Do you remember that old saying? It still holds true today! Our body needs the fiber to keep our digestive tract clean and uncongested. One fiber in particular, pectin, helps to reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Some new research also suggests that the phytonutrient called quercetin may help to prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons, which is also found in apples. There are many health habits that we can practice once a day that can drastically increase our energy, improve memory, and keep us vibrant and healthy. Many cultures, including our early American culture, made habits of the following basics:

• Eating dinner at home at least 3-5 times a week

• Fresh, local, foods are the way to go

• Supplement where your diet may fall short

• Keep our bodies moving

• Exercise is vital to our health

• Walking around the parking lot at lunch or simple movements at your desk

• Laugh out loud (What a big stress reliever!)

• Do something fun and creative every day

• Do you recall your favorite dish, activity, or person to chat with? Make these pleasures a daily occurrence

• Sing and dance (This can happen anywhere – in the shower, living room, or break room at work…even if you can’t hold a tune)

Live, love, and laugh are the basic rules of life.  We are here for the ride and should enjoy it.  Decide today to make your personal “Once a Day” list and stick it on the fridge!  Make sure to do what it involves and note the improvement in your life.

Another recommended “one a day” is a daily multivitamin. We must replace the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that we use up on a daily basis.  Even if your diet is optimal and you eat rather healthy, a whole food multivitamin supplement might not be a bad idea. Think of it as an insurance policy, a way to make sure you are giving your body the fuel it needs to help you excel throughout the day.

The information contained on this page is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, be used as the basis for treating a particular ­symptom or disease, or to replace any prescribed treatment that you are currently undergoing. If you have a serious health condition or are pregnant, you should always consult the assistance of a qualified practitioner. Any statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the FDA.

by Eric Haeger, MD, Central Washington Sleep Diagnostic Center

Many people sacrifice sleep in order to complete all their shopping, decorating, cooking and other holiday preparations. But a lack of sleep can reduce your ability to enjoy the season. It is easy for your sleep need to be swept aside during the hectic holiday season. But by making sleep a priority, the holidays can be happier, healthier and safer.

To assure you will enjoy the holiday season, anticipate and budget the extra time needed to carry out your holiday ‘to-do’ list. Getting an early start and doing a little bit each day will save time and relieve stress. Delaying your ‘to-do’ list until the last possible minute not only leads to sleep loss, it also makes one contend with heavier street traffic and more aggressive crowds in stores.

A few tips to help you sleep better through the holidays:

• Take time to relax in the evening. Giving your brain time to calm down before bed will help you sleep better. Stop all activities one hour before going to bed. Turn off the TV or computer – they’re stimulants. Take a shower, brush your teeth and get ready for bed. Reading in bed is okay as long as it is a book you can put down and isn’t frightening – otherwise, like TV, a scary book can stimulate your mind and keep you awake.
• Stick to your regular sleep/wake schedule. This will help ensure you get a good sleep.
• If you become drowsy while driving, pull off into a rest area and take a short nap — about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Don’t eat a heavy meal before bedtime. This can cause heartburn or discomfort that can make it difficult to fall asleep or disturb your sleep.
• When you’re at evening holiday parties, avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol close to bedtime. While alcohol often speeds the onset of sleep, it disrupts sleep in the night as the body begins to metabolize the alcohol, causing wakefulness. If you do drink alcohol, allow one hour before bedtime to metabolize each alcoholic drink.
• If you wake up in the middle of the night tossing and turning about all the things you need to do the next day, get out of bed and write a list. Somehow, organizing all your anxieties on a single page seems to allow you to put these worries aside…at least until morning.
• Make sure your sleeping environment is relaxing and a pleasant place to rest. If that means buying a set of flannel sheets, a better pillow, a new blanket to keep you warm or black-out curtains, do it. Nothing is more important than getting a good night’s sleep.
• Exercise helps promote good sleep. If you like to exercise vigorously, do it in the morning or early afternoon. A relaxing exercise such as yoga can be done right before bed.
• Reserve the bed for sleeping. Don’t eat, work or watch TV in bed. Teach your body that when you hit the sack, it is because you’re ready for some shut-eye.
• Plan ahead for holiday chores. Set aside time earlier in the day to wrap gifts, decorate the house, plan your holiday menu and similar tasks. To stay on track, write these “appointments” in your daily planner.

The holidays tend to throw off sleep patterns, because of parties, gift shopping, eating more and drinking more, people tend to go to bed later this time of year, but still get up early. That can lead to sleep deprivation. Keep in mind that it may take several nights of good sleep to make up for one sleep-deprived night. The more nights you skimp on sleep, the longer it will take you to catch up. Remember that sleep is just as important as food and water. You need all three of them to be healthy. During this busy holiday season, as you nestle snug in your bed, forget the presents yet to be wrapped and settle your brain for a long winter’s nap.