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 >>

Do you sometimes not only feel like an old junkyard dog - but like a junkyard itself? The Journal of Food Composition and Analysis notes, unfortunately, there's often good reason for that: almost one-third of the food the average person eats is junk... More >>

Valentine's Day is most often celebrated as a romantic holiday for two. That's fun, but what can be even more pleasurable and unexpected is to bring your whole family into the act. When you designate your entire troop as your one true love, you provide even more love and support than usual. More >>

Slow cooking is a misnomer. Using the inexpensive appliance as a home to tempting economical ingredients that meld their flavors over hours without any work from you means that time is your own to achieve lots of other accomplishments done fast and to still have prepared a delicious family meal. Old-fashioned, plain recipes are no longer the norm when it comes to slow cookers... More >>

Most of us have been taught not to "double dip" at parties. Once you've stuck that chip in the dip bowl, don't try to later steal a second bite using the same chip! However, when it comes to best utilizing your prep time for the gatherings on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day that many busy party throwers' give (like an elegant adults' evening soiree to ring in the New Year and a casual family football-watching brunch the next day), it's precisely a double dip that'll do you good. More >>

Have you ever surprised your Christmas guests with a sweet gingerbread man waving from atop their rosemary-, thyme- and brown sugar-enhanced butternut squash soup or a broiled stuffed fig side dish that's brimming with Granny Smith apples, real bacon bits and brown sugar? Sound gourmet? More >>

If you love the socializing and stories that serve as side dishes to a holiday cookie exchange, but don't have the time to whip up the homemade delicacies yourself, you don't have to sit cookie-less on the sidelines.  More >>

Eat like a royal family on the at-home budget, not of the emperor, but his cooking staff. It's easy with these three-course weeknight menus (appetizers, entrees, and healthy desserts) that include everything from an all-in-one soup 'n' sandwich in a snap creatively prepared with fresh herb-added tomato soup and grilled cheese "croutons," or cost-conscious veggie burgers that "Mama Mia" would be proud of with their tasty additions of fresh Italian herbs, vegetables, low-fat cheese and antioxidant-filled tomato dipping sauce. More >>