It was a rainy cool day today, so my garden planting came to a screeching halt. Not to be discouraged, I made plant markers and baked a batch of cookies using a recipe I received yesterday in a Clean Eating e-newsletter. (I was able to shoot this photo in between rain showers when the sun peeked through…

Now this is something to chirp about…  yogurt-covered raisin "eggs" in a nest of toasted coconut atop a fluffy mound of marshmallow-like frosting. The toasted coconut adds a wonderful crunch to the frosting's smoothness. The birds in my yard, that have returned to serenade us, were my inspiration for April's cupcake. The Seven Minute Frosting is aptly named since it requires 7…

I found this recipe in my spring 2008 Clean Eating Magazine… so very yummy! The recipe is similar to some pecan spice delights that I made in December with a slightly different twist. The paper cups and scalloped paper doily are from a party in a box kit by Martha Stewart Crafts.   Dried Fruit Coconut…

If I was the head cook in a school cafeteria, this is what the students would be served on their lunch trays… garbanzo bean sandwich filling on a slice of homemade whole wheat bread or a piece of lettuce, yogurt (mine is from my second homemade batch), pomegranate juice, and cucumber slices. The garbanzo bean…

Dick and I are spending the weekend at our daughter Jessie's, so I made a pot of beef stew and baked a loaf of honey whole wheat oatmeal bread to bring along. My friend Sheila gave me the idea when she posted a stew recipe on her blog recently. I hadn't made stew in quite a…

The search is over… When I was shopping in our local health food store last week, a lone box containing a yolife yogurt maker sat on the shelf. I figured it was a sign so I could cease pondering over what brand I should purchase. A Bon Jovi song began circulating in my brain triggered…

Maybe you've never made an omelet, so you are unable to appreciate the skills required, or you've attempted one and said, "Never again!" I've had my share of disasters that looked very much like my daughter Lisa's attempt…   Making an omelet is on my "bucket list"… things I want to accomplish before I "kick…

On eatingwell.com, you can sign up for "health e-savers coupons" and you will receive coupons in your inbox to print. Presently, there are three that excite me. One is "Buy any 2 Organic Valley Products. Get $2.00 off." The other two coupons really really excite me.  They are both for Endangered Species Chocolate… $1.00 off 2-3 oz.…

My tax prep is behind me and I can officially express, "Good riddens until your return visit next year!" To celebrate this annual milestone, Dick and I always eat lunch out. We especially enjoy a swiss steak dinner at our nearby Reececliff's Restaurant. The tender Swiss steak and mashed potatoes, smothered in a tomato gravy, is served once each week. I can never…

I used the red lentils and orange cauliflower, that I highlighted in yesterday's post, to make a pot of red lentil curry soup using ingredients from two soup versions found on epicurious.com and in a Washington Post Newspaper. Red lentils, which are actually bright orange rather than red, lose their orange color in the cooking process, so display…