Summer cooking - whether it's a quick grill or just tossing together fresh cold ingredients - is marked by ease and speed. That alone, is enough to make some folks dread the transition to more complex autumn dishes, no matter how tasty they are. During these next weeks of seasonal transition, though, it's a wonderful time to synergistically blend the best of both times of year. More >>

Some of the best discoveries in the kitchen are accidents. When they are time-savers that's even more for the better. Recently, I decided to up the protein content of frozen multigrain waffles... More >>

Perking up your cooking is easy, fast - and fun. Including a mystery ingredient can be responsible for all three of those desirable results. Currently, a major sugar-free gum company even has joined the escapades and has a mystery flavor on the market. More >>

It used to be that when many of us engaged in "mindless eating" perhaps we were plunked down in front of the TV, snacking on handful after handful of chips or popcorn or so caught up in gabbing with our friends over dinner that we lost track of what we were feasting upon long before that last huge hunk of cake. More >>

July Fourth is often a time for festivities and fireworks to celebrate our nation's birthday. If we want to up the chances of enjoying more and more of our own birthdays and those of members of our families, however, we might want to turn the parties into health-improving ones. More >>

Often we buy ingredients for a specific recipe and the leftover items don't get used in a timely manner and get trashed. That's both wasted shopping time and money going out with the garbage. The easy three-course feasts below (appetizers, entrees and healthy desserts) show how simple it is to thread one or a few ingredients through every dish in the meal while still offering a tempting variety of choices. Red seedless grapes, for instance, show up in seasoned multi-item hors d'oeuvres skewers, then stuffed with its skewer companions into a delicious main course, sweet-sauced chicken and as a topping on spicy pound cake dessert toasts... More >>

Thinking of sewing Dad something for Father's Day? Why not sew him a festive menu instead. By "threading" one ingredient through a plan for everything from appetizers to dessert, you'll not only be making an impressive cohesive spread, but saving money on your grocery bill... More >>

Fresh fruit at the peak of ripeness is one of the biggest bargains in the supermarket during the summer. Exotic fruits that just months ago might have broken the bank by being flown in from faraway locales are much better for you and your family - and the environment - when in season from nearby local growers... More >>

All growls and scowls concerning food preparation usually fade away during warm-weather grilling season. Barbecuing cuts time and ups health benefits (as fat drips away when meats cook). Of course, it's fun, too, frolicking outside with friends and family. Often that distraction takes away the incentive for healthful side dishes that are instead replaced with bowls of potato chips and store-bought fatty salads, like potato and coleslaw... More >>

Fresh foods are often the most economical. After all, processing - even though it's not the best for our health - takes time and money. Save both of yours by instead following innovative advice about vibrant foods like these... More >>