Outside of being able to hire a personal chef (ah, living the dream), it’s wonderful to know that when you get home at night, dinner is ready to pop into the oven. I grew up on casseroles, also known as hot dishes, and I still rely on them today. I like to make my casserole […]
I recently spent a significant amount of time at the hospital with a loved one, and the truth be told, it was a complete emotional and physical drain. Not only were we dealing with doctors and nurses and surgeons and insurance companies, but I was still working part-time and caring for my house and four-legged […]
In addition to adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to my diet, I’ve also been looking for ways to reduce the calorie count without actually missing those calories! Here are a few quick ways I’ve discovered: Salad dressing – I love creamy dressings; I can’t help it. But I have recently been mixing my own […]
One of my dietary enemies is cheese. I hate that I love it so much! I have even been known to build a mini cheese plate for lunch or dinner for myself. Now I just pick the ones I enjoy, but to build a truly great cheese plate for your party guests, you have to […]
We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why do so many of us simply have a cup of coffee as we head out the door? Or worse, grab that donut once we get to the office. With a little planning ahead, you prepare some healthy breakfast options […]
I have recently discovered a new product in my local grocery store, the Near East Couscous products. Not only are they delicious as-is, but I’ve found that you can use them as a base for some wonderful new recipes. Couscous itself is essentially tiny pasta and this particular brand comes in lots of varieties. I […]
One of my favorite kitchen devices is the crockpot. The one we love has a timer so that you can set it in the morning and then when the timer goes off, it switches to ‘warm’ so that everything stays nice and ready. Not only is this handy for dinner when you get home, but […]
It seems that lately, more and more people are choosing to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet. By technical definition, vegetarians do not eat meat of any kind. Likewise, vegans do not eat anything that originates with animals including eggs, honey, or dairy. Sometimes these choices are influenced by religious beliefs, in which case the […]
For most of the gatherings in our group of friends, the guests are invited to bring their own beverages and ‘a plate to share’. I love this idea – it alleviates some of the stress and cost of the host/hostess and it ensures that everyone will have something to eat because they will bring something […]
The sandwich is one of the easiest things to pack if you are looking to brown-bag your lunch. But sometimes that exact same turkey and cheese or peanut butter and jelly can get very old very quickly. I know that for myself, if I don’t have a good variety in what I pack, I’m more […]
