Be a superhero by trimming food waste

On a recent flight, I was pleasantly surprised by the built-in video screens with free movies in the seat backs. I settled in and decided on entertainment for my 2-1/2-hour flight. I tuned into an animated movie, “The Incredibles 2,” which tells the story of a superhero family. The supermom (Elastigirl) has the ability to[...]

Put pumpkin on your fall menu

What’s your favourite dessert?” I asked my daughter. She was a preschooler at the time. “Pumpkin pie!” she exclaimed. Her answer surprised me. I was expecting to hear brownies or chocolate ice cream. “Really, pumpkin pie?” I asked. “Yes, but we can’t have pumpkin pie now,” she said. “It’s only for Thanksgiving.” I guess our[...]


I'm keeping my day job

"Zucchini are easier to slice if you cut them from top to bottom,” the student chef said to me. I cut the zucchini as described. I was enjoying a culinary workshop on Spanish and Mediterranean-inspired foods one afternoon at a conference out of state. “You were supposed to cut the zucchini on the bias,” the[...]

Do you include pulse foods on your menu?

Mom, I made lentil soup and it’s pretty good,” read the text message from my son. I smiled as I read the message from my formerly finicky 23-year-old son. “I made a ton by accident, though,” he added. I chuckled as I visualized my tall son stirring a giant pot of soup with a huge[...]


Spilling the beans

Have you ever been to a food festival? Every state has at least one food festival, and they often showcase the foods grown or caught in the region. Sometimes festivals also highlight the ethnic heritage of people in the area. Supporting your community and everything that makes it unique is a memorable way to connect.[...]

What is a healthful diet?

Do you know anyone on a diet? Have you ever been on a diet? The answer to both of those questions for everyone is “yes.” Technically, we all are “on a diet.” According to the first definition in most dictionaries, a “diet” consists of the “kinds of food that a person, animal or community eats.”[...]


Tomato time

What does Jake have in his mouth?” my husband asked. I looked out the window to see the latest thing our dog had found. He was shaking something bright red. Oh, no! I hope he doesn’t have Carl the Cardinal, I thought to myself. A vividly coloured bird and his mate have been singing songs[...]

Avoid falling to the heat

I can’t handle hot weather. While some people are basking in the heat, my face turns bright red almost immediately. My kids pretend they don’t know me. Then I wilt in the shade and retreat indoors. Recently, we had a heat wave that sent temperatures soaring near or above 100 F (38 C) in some[...]


Make some food memories with corn on the cob

I remember going out to our friend’s farm to help pick corn every summer when I was a child. I had fun harvesting the plump ears of corn in the cool temperatures of an early summer morning. After some training, I learned how to hang on to the stalk and then twist the ear toward[...]

Create family meal memories with picnics

I always looked forward to picnics when I was a child. We would visit friends who lived on lakes or, sometimes, we went to a park. Getting ready for our picnic was quite a production because we had salads, fruit, meat, fresh buns, potatoes and dessert. Homemade lemonade was in a gallon-sized thermos container. We[...]