Although I am typing this away from home (while waiting during one of my children’s sports activities), my mind is on dinner tonight. We have an abundance of tomatoes that must be addressed. While I enjoy fresh organic tomatoes just sliced with a bit of salt or for fancy, fancy, a bit of mozzarella cheese and oregano then broiled, the fact is that there are too many tomatoes for even me to eat. I could make a tomato pie, but my husband prefers some freshly made sauce for tonight’s dinner. Since he made dinner yesterday, I feel that I should … Continue reading →

Here is a list of the basic staple food items that you should have in your pantry. With these basics, you can create thousands of dishes, many at just a moment’s notice. By stocking staples, you can save money and ensure that you can create those quick nutritious meals. Because I like to be organized in the kitchen, and because so many of you have requested a pantry list, I decided to put one together this morning. This list is based on the minimum basics that I like to keep on hand. Don’t be afraid to add your own favorites … Continue reading →

It is spring and time to clean out your pantry. Whether you are stockpiling food from extreme couponing or storing your food in case of a disaster, even long-life food items have an expiration or best buy date. Some studies show that food can lose its nutrition even before the best buy dates. Here is a guide to how long you should keep some basic food items and when it is a good idea to replace them with fresher food. Flour Whole wheat flour doesn’t last as long as white, refined flour. It spoils about four times as fast. The … Continue reading →

Do you know the difference between sorbet and sherbert? What the heck is ice milk anyway? If you want to know the scoop on all of your favorite summer treats just keep reading. Understanding all of the different types of ice cream can make your head spin. While we my call a lot of summer treats by the name ice cream, in reality, the FDA has a strict labeling for what can and can not be called ice cream. Ice cream must have at least 10 percent milk fat. Premium products contain even more. Reduced fat ice cream is a … Continue reading →

If you really want to get the most health benefits from tea, as well as the best quality flavor, you’ll need to know how to brew and store your tea. First of all, you want to buy good quality tea for the best results. You can buy good tea loose or in a tea bag. Excellent tea comes in both forms, although tea purists tend to prefer loose tea. You can purchase your tea in specialty tea shops, online or yes, even at the grocery store. Experiment with different flavors or brands. Once you have your tea, you’ll want to … Continue reading →

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be one of those bugs in the peanut butter stories, although there are other important things to know about your peanut butter as you will see below. What I want to talk about is food that isn’t exactly what it appears to be. The next time you go grocery shopping, you can be more aware of what you are buying. Changes in regulations and food formulas are happening faster than changes in our perceptions. We might think we know what we are eating, but a closer look at the food labels may reveal a … Continue reading →

I probably shouldn’t say this on the food blog, but sometimes I get sick of thinking about food. Mostly it is what we will eat for dinner that is the problem. Breakfast and lunch are usually much the same. Cereal with yoghurt and fruit, usually dried cranberries for breakfast and lunch is salad with some form of cold meat like corned silverside or roast lamb for lunch. But dinner, that’s another story. It’s often where I get stumped. Sometimes I am just so over thinking about what to cook. A frequent conversation in our house goes like this. ‘What do … Continue reading →