More people get a skin cancer diagnosis than all of the other types of cancer combined
Several years ago, I had a couple of program assistants who loved to enter radio contests. One day they walked into my office to discuss the day’s activities. I was a little surprised when I looked up, but I think I maintained a poker face. “How are you doing today?” I asked. “Well, we won […] Read more
Spring cleaning, especially in the kitchen, can have multiple health benefits
As I looked around my office, the inspiration for this weekly column was right in front of me. Spring cleaning needs to be on my to-do list. Fortunately, my office isn’t dusty, and the carpet was vacuumed recently. However, piles of paper accumulated on my desk and table during the winter, just like the deep […] Read more
Peanuts are among the foods most associated with allergic reactions and the symptoms can range from mild to severe
We have someone with a severe peanut allergy on board, so peanut-containing snacks will not be served,” the flight attendant announced. “Please refrain from eating any of your own snack foods with peanuts as an ingredient for the duration of the trip,” he continued. I had packs of peanut butter crackers and peanuts in my […] Read more
Though nutrition recommendations have changed over the years, moderation is still key
Where were you in 1979? I know some of my readers were adults at the time. Others were teens or children. Still others weren’t born yet. I was recently at the 40th anniversary meeting of a nutrition group that featured a keynote speaker who walked us through decades of changes in nutrition recommendations. Trust me: […] Read more
Even the ripeness of bananas is a valuable resource in the kitchen
Does the sight of brown spots on bananas make you uneasy or do you enjoy that intense, sweet flavour that comes from brown bananas? If eating freckled bananas right out of the fruit basket isn’t your thing, perhaps some tasty recipes using overripe bananas might pique your interest. Let’s put any fear to rest; brown […] Read more
Fresh produce is among the foods consumers waste the most
“This would be a good followup article,” my husband said with a grin. I pondered his suggestion as I grabbed a grocery cart. A while back, I wrote about a grocery shopping trip I took with our son. I was providing a “kitchen warming” gift for him after he moved into his own place. I […] Read more
Now is a good time to think about what we put on our plate and perhaps growing some of the food we eat
The woman looked in my cart, glanced up at me and smiled. “I know how you feel,” she said. I didn’t look sad or dejected, by the way. I laughed and kept adding more items to my cart. What was I loading in my cart? I’ll give you a hint: I was in a hardware […] Read more
If you don’t have this essential piece of kitchen equipment, you need to get one
Hi, I’m Julie. What’s your name?” I asked the woman sitting at the table at a food safety conference. She responded with her name and place of work, and asked me where I work. “I work at North Dakota State University,” I replied. “I went to college there,” she said enthusiastically. “What was your major?” […] Read more
Spring can be a busy time so try these quick and nutritious food ideas
Spring break marks the home stretch for school and the start of spring farm work. For us home cooks, this means making more lunches and snacks to go. Keeping your kids and farmers fuelled with good food will help them function at their best and prevent fatigue, constipation, energy crashes and dehydration. For the best […] Read more
Prairie Fare: Recent evidence shows that having a small bedtime snack might be good for us
I glanced at my alarm clock one morning. I was expecting the alarm would be going off any minute. I usually get up at 6 a.m. The clock said 7:24 a.m. I blinked hard and looked again. The time hadn’t changed. We had overslept. I jumped out of bed and knocked on my school-age daughter’s […] Read more
