Category: Summer Favorites

We eat a lot of kale every summer. We cook it in just about every way possible. Our son even grilled kale leaves recently that were pretty good too. But, there is always a but; every time I clean kale and strip those leaves from the stems I wonder why the stems are always added…

In the past I have added dried cherries to my quick breads, but I have never used fresh, tart, cherries. The result is a flavorful and super-moist quick bread. It is easy to make and so simple but so good.  If you don’t have fresh cherries,  frozen or canned tart cherries will work well too,…

Potato salad is a traditional summer favorite and shows up everywhere. It seems no matter what you do to make your potato salad a bit more unique, it is still potato salad. If you’re looking for something a bit more nutritious and more diet friendly, give Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad a try. The spices are…

Fruit pies are a hit with me any time. If I had to choose between all of the desserts available to me, it would be pie. Pie is not very friendly when it comes to carbohydrates and fat so I knew there had to be a way to improve my favorite dessert and still enjoy…

Rhubarb is one of my favorite fresh foods of spring. Crisps, cakes, breads, muffins, pies, and even sauce are so good. They are also problematic for me because I loose a bit of self-control and eat way too much, which means more calories, more sugary carbohydrates, and then of course the ‘food-guilt’! I was thinking…

This is the best pasta sauce if you like clam sauce. It is so simple and so fast you won’t believe it. It is really low in fat and sodium as well. It is so simple, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before! There are those Italian purists who believe you never,…

My asparagus patch is really producing this year. We have eaten asparagus almost daily. Even though we blanch it, roast it, grill it, and stir-fry it, we are getting tired of it! Asparagus doesn’t freeze well as it turns to mush so we eat it while we have it. I needed a new venue for…

Summer sides almost always include a mayonnaise or oil-based dressing, and usually some type of macaroni. Well that is easy to change and still have a side-dish that is easy, tasty, and a hit with everyone. The nice thing about couscous as a side in warm weather is that it doesn’t need to be refrigerated…

Rhubarb is used in pies, muffins, breads, cakes, and a ton of desserts. Okay, I also use it in salsa. But never, never, have I tried it in cookies. Rhubarb cookies intrigued me as soon as the thought entered my food brain and I played with different ingredients until I had a counter full of…

Barbeque chicken is one of my favorite grilled foods. I don’t have it often, but when I do I like to keep the skin on so it is really crispy and loaded with flavor. I don’t make it too often, as I know every time I do I eat a tad more saturated fat than…