We have some rainy day blues going on here with a pretty empty fridge and pantry as well as a dead car battery. That’s no bueno when you’re feeling snacky! Thankfully, I had a carton of beans and still tons of basil in my summer garden. You can use this recipe as a rough guide. [...]

The start of fall, officially today, commences the start of soup season for me! Savor this fix it and forget it slow cooker meal after a long day. It is plenty hearty on its own but don’t let me stop you from serving it with some crusty bread or over rice, couscous, or quinoa. French lentils, red [...]

I have a stash of bars for a handy on-the-go breakfast or snack but nothing replaces real food. These overnight oats honestly take me as long to prepare as walking over to my pantry, finding a bar, packing it in my bag, and unwrapping it! The plus is knowing all of the ingredients too. I [...]

(Polenta cakes served with goat cheese, roasted veggies and hot sauce.) Polenta, which originated in Europe, is similar to grits as both are made from stoneground corn. The type of corn for each varies as does the coarser texture of the cornmeal used to make polenta. I consider polenta to be a great vessel for [...]

There was a time when extra overripe bananas meant the pleasure or pressure to bake. Once I made the banana ice scream recipe from the Vitamix cookbook, I realized that bananas were just as useful frozen as any other frozen fruit. This is an easy way to preserve those spare bananas without them sticking together! [...]

What started out as an interest in eating :) and led to my love of cooking was then followed by my weight loss journey. Through books like The China Study, documentaries like Food, Inc. and Forks Over Knives, attending seminars, and following investigators like The Food Babe as well as physicians like Dr. Mercola and Dr. Weil as well as other [...]

On one hand beans have had an excellent reputation since the beginning of time being a cheap, accessible, nutritionally dense food and on the other, many claim that beans are hard to digest causing gastrointestinal distress and diets such as Paleo are against them all together. I have already said a few times on this blog [...]

Happy Labor Day! No matter your role, profession, daily tasks, or accomplishments, today is a day that your diligence deserves reward! I have used this chocolate cake recipe many times but I really fell in love with it the last time. I had a couple of cousins in town unexpectedly one night after dinner and nothing [...]

Another Labor Day weekend is upon us and marks the end of most swimming pool seasons and the last of cookout get togethers. I’m always glad for a long weekend but never ready for summer to slip away! Let us be positive and reflect on how much gratitude we hold for the American work force and ethic. [...]

(This versatile veggie contains manganese(bone and skin health), potassium, antioxidants, fiber, folate, and other B vitamins.)   I remember having a heavy dislike for eggplant when I was a child. Thankfully, it turns out that I just hadn’t had it the right way for me yet. Experiencing eggplant parmesan changed that. Because yes, what vegetable will [...]