Food & Dining

You can order a free Jiffy Mix recipe book which will be mailed to your home. The book is full of great recipe ideas using the many Jiffy Mix products. The recipes are perfect for any time of the year. On the website

Check out this list of 101 quick and fun appetizers by Mark Bittman. There are some good ideas for feeding all of those holiday guests that you’re expecting.  Many of the recipes don't even require

My husband's doctor told him to eat a few almonds or cashews each day for the good cholesterol and good fat. Unfortunately, it's hard to each just a handful. They're too yummy, and they're very fattening

Did you know you can ask Dunkin Donuts or any coffee shop to make you a half-coffee, half-hot chocolate and they won't get annoyed? Did you know that it tastes like heaven, with only half the calories of hot

It's very easy to make spectacular cocoa.  Just dump a package of cocoa mix in a cup and add 2 heaping teaspoons of coffee mate.  The chocolate flavor is good but any kind will work.  Fill the

The Preschool Rockin' Recipe newsletter from PreschoolRock.com will be available starting Jan 2008. Each week, you will receive a preschool recipe of the week using healthy and seasonal ingredients plus

I have fallen in love with PhillySwirls Italian Ice cups and sticks, and when I looked on the website, I found they were gluten-free and celiac disease-friendly.  I don't have those issues, so I just know

I'm always on the look out for simple and delicious. My friend recently brought a batch of this beautiful stuff to a girls-night-in and it's sure to be a holiday classic! Super easy, and pretty too, this

Are you not sure what food to make for the holidays when the family comes over? This is a great guide with tons of recipe ideas. It will give you more time to concentrate on shopping, cleaning the house, etc., and

Jazz Up Your Christmas Cookies with Chocolate I love to bake easy cookies and then decorate them with chocolate. It’s quick and easy to dip a cookie in chocolate and then make it a fun gift. For a neat gift

This guide from Real Simple tells how long you can keep 77 different food items, household chemicals and beauty items. You probably knew that you can keep honey forever, but did you know that tea bags should be

This is a great quick and easy main dish recipe. Ingredients: 1 lb hamburger meat 1 box deluxe mac n cheese 1/2-3/4 cup Salsa Brown the hamburger meat and drain.  While the hamburger meat

Quick, easy, and delish!  Here's dinner in twenty minutes: What you need: 1 T butter                                  

This great resource provides a Month of Menu's for heathly living.  It is a great resource for new cooks as well as experienced cooks.  An appendix is also included featuring information about:

Everyone loves brownies but they can tend to get boring.  The ones that are a little different usually involve extra steps and cost more.  I want quick, easy, and cheap.  Once your brownies are baked

So, your children have moved out and you're wondering what to get them for the holidays.  Get yourself a simple notebook, or an elaborate one, style is up to you.  Write down the recipes they loved

Do you want to make children's lunches for preschool or elementary school a little more fun!! Save leftover valentine's from Valentine's Day, and on special occasions, such as birthday, first

    A really good source of protein often overlooked is beans.  The protein in beans is not a complete protein itself,  so add grains to the meal where you serve beans to make a complete

You may have seen Silpat mats on cooking shows or in the baking section of a kitchen store, but if you’ve never given them a try, you should. They are silicone mats that sit at the bottom of your baking sheet

If your kids have made their gingerbread house and are ready for the next challenge, try this great gingerbread train. It takes a lot of work, but you’ll really impress your guests.  It takes two batches

We bought this cookie press from Williams-Sonoma a few years ago, before it came with decorating tubes, and it’s a real time-saver for me, especially during the holidays. You can easily whip out dozens of

Starving College Students?  Not with this delicious and easy Mediterranean Menu that can be made safely in a dorm room! This article contains suggested tools for dorm-room cooking as well as some amazing recipes

Give Your Sprice Rack an Upgrade with the Salt of the Earth. Sprinkle on an exotic salt the next time you cook up your favorite recipe for a new twist on a kitchen staple. Check out a salt guide at GourmetSleuth.com

Pillsbury makes a pie crust that rolls out and is found in the dairy section. The recipe is on the box and the crust is delicious. I've made this pie several times and it comes out perfect each time. 6 Medium

This is so obvious, you'd think we'd all have one already, but since I didn't have one until recently, I guess some of you don't either! I'm talking about a take-out menu binder. I've seen

Authentic Pumpkin Pie Filling Last year, I made a pumpkin pie filling from scratch and it was really easy to make and delicious. In fact, my pie tasted better than when I used a canned pumpkin puree. Check

I think food gifts are great for the holidays. Who doesn’t appreciate a treat? Here are some recipes for items that will make a great gift for a teacher or friend. Also, good resource for packaging homemade

Serving a turkey, pork roast, chicken, etc?  Here's a simple way to make an ordinary dish look dazzling.  Garnish the plate with long (plate-sized) pieces of curly leafed kale, small bunches of concord

Got guests to impress this holiday season?  This yummy make-ahead breakfast casserole will certainly do the trick. 4 oz. dry french bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (4 cups) 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

If you are looking for something new and delicious to try as a side dish this Thanksgiving, give this root vegetable mash a whirl.  I enjoyed this at a recent dinner party and was not only eagar

Are you looking forward to dining out but don't want the guilt of feeding your family an unhealthy meal?  Check out the Healthy Dining Finder . This site allows you to search for healthy dining choices

Butterball has lots of great info to help with cooking your turkey.  They have a cooking time calculator, discuss thawing methods, list roasting and grilling instructions, and have instructional videos. 

I just discovered these frozen meatballs at Trader Joe's (of course).  They carry two types, turkey & beef.  The turkey ones are healthier for you and they are really delicious!  (I haven't

Stock your cupboard with Panko! These Japanese-style bread crumbs are great for breading all kinds of food. Not only do they add an extra crispy coating to fried chicken, pork chops and shrimp, but they hold-up

I thought this “Thanksgiving Survival Guide” had helpful tips on cooking dinner next week.  One of the best tips is about shopping - do not go shopping on Wednesday.  In fact, Monday and Tuesday

This short article tells secrets to making the best sandwich ever. From the article: Want to impress the spouse and kids with a sandwich to end all sandwiches, the one they'll beg for every time you walk in

I find so many cool things at Trader Joe's.  My latest must-have find is their black and red insulated grocery bag.  For just $4.99 this thing will keep frozen items frozen for hours - which is super! 

One year I forgot to buy Advent Calendars - and then they were all gone. (Or they were way too fancy and $20...) Then one year I found out about Trader Joe's Chocolate Advent Calendars. They are perfect for young

So it turns out that a lot of restaurants and fast-food joints have special things you can order that aren't on their menu. This website breaks down these secret menu items, based on reader suggestions. 

If you want great chicken, try Empire.  I’ve been buying Empire chicken for the past few years, and I’m amazed at how consistently good it is.  It’s never dry and never has any funny

Here's a good salsa recipe to accompany chips or even use as a side dish for a Mexican dinner...I made it up, so just eyeballed the measurements. 1/4 can black beans, 1 handful corn, 1/2 handful edamame beans

Waist Watchers brand Chocolate Soda is absolutely yummy, and tastes like a rich, fattening treat when you are dieting (or not), but it has zero calories, zero fat. If you really want a treat, drop in some low fat

If you like oreo cookies but don't approve of the crappy stuff that is in it like hydrogenated oils, try the Traders Joes version called "Joe Joes - Vanilla Bean and chocolate"  They are made

Knorr's Parma Rosa sauce comes in a powder in a little paper envelope. It is absolutely delicious. I've been using it for years, I wonder why I never posted it before! It is very versatile-I have added various

If you are looking for some new recipe ideas this is a great website. They have all kinds of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, snack, etc. Or if you are looking for special occasion recipes they

Need to find some gluten-free eateries?  Check out this database of gluten-free restaurants, pizzerias, bakeries & hotels.  The directory covers over 3500 eateries in the US, Canada, France

Here's a new way to look at the book, 'Deceptively Delicious'... Perhaps, if you're one of those few people who may not like vegetables, or you don't get all the vegetable servings that are

With the price of quality honey rising, you want to get every last drop from your jars of "liquid gold." If adding honey to your tea, pour some of the hot water into the honey jar and then stream it into

Some of you may know this, but I didn't until my mother-in-law shared it with me while making a turkey dinner for us...if you cook a turkey or chicken upside down for the first half of the time, it will turn

Epicurious has a terrific website with generous recipes for all styles, and a signup option for a virtual recipe box, allowing you to save your favorites.  The attached link opens to a page of articles with