The Sneaky Chef Simple Strategies For Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' (and adults) Favorite Meals copyright 2007 by Missy Chase Lapine. You need this book. Now. Packed to the brim with brilliant strategies to increase a meal's nutrient density, the former publisher of Eating Well Magazine uses homemade purees and juices of varying colors… purple, orange,…

There sits a permanent structure on the grounds where the Albany (Minnesota) Pioneer Days is held every year in mid-September. A one-room schoolhouse. It could be the one that I attended in first grade fifty-five years ago. But it's not. It looks the same. They all do. The warm September afternoon breeze drifting through the…

Fall and farm shows. One is not complete without the other. Dick and I had attended the Rollag (Minnesota) Farm Show near Fargo over Labor Day Weekend. Two weeks later and we were off to Albany (Minnesota) near St. Cloud for one called Albany Pioneer Days that was held September 13, 14 and 15, 2013.…

When Kim Boyce's book, Good to the Grain Baking with Whole-Grain Flours debuted in 2010, it found a special place in my recipe book collection. I have made her Beet and Quinoa Pancakes countless times and the Figgy Buckwheat Scones are a major reason I buy dried figs in bulk. The book is divided into sections by types of flours including whole wheat, amaranth, barley, buckwheat,…

It looks like a grasshopper pie, but it doesn't have even a hint of mint. So, no, not a grasshopper pie; this is an avocado lemon pie recipe from the California Avocado Commission.   With a ready-made Heartland Graham Cracker or Granola Crust, in fifteen minutes, it's in the fridge chilling. The granola crust's slight hint of coconut complements…

Color abounds. It's there all 'round. We need but notice.  I opened my fridge and there they were. Lime green and white leeks, buff-colored butternut squash, and purple and orange sweet potatoes. Not purple potatoes but purple sweet potatoes. I sliced the leek vertically leaving the root intact to prevent the layers from completely separating. A…

I looked in my fridge and what did I see? Boiled eggs, red peppers, avocado, and a tomato ripe as can be. So, I sliced the red pepper in half, filled it with egg salad (prepared with grape seed oil Vegenaise), and topped it with diced tomatoes and avocado. A little sprinkle of salt (I…

A watermelon radish. It resembles a turnip and a mini watermelon. It grows 3-4" in diameter. I've never had one until today. Maybe because I am not a fan of the "fire" typically associated with radishes. However, the flesh of this heirloom radish is milder and sweeter. According to my Internet research, the watermelon radish loses its pungency as it…

Fish en papillote. French for fish "wrapped in foil." Or in this application… parchment paper. A little parcel of fish and veggies in the oven. Steaming in their own juices. A complete meal in a tidy little package… parcel.  Last night, I finished reading Dinner a Love Story It all begins at the family table by Jenny Rosenstrach…

I have gleaned recipes from many sources that have found a place in my keeper file, but when I have no time or patience for a dud, I go straight to Food Network's Ina Garten (aka Barefoot Contessa) and Alton Brown. This time, I landed in Ina's kitchen for a meatloaf recipe. If you desire a large quantity, go to foodnetwork.com and…