Tip, Trick & a Recipe: All About Allspice!
Contrary to popular belief, allspice is not actually a blend of different spices. Allspice is actually a berry that comes from the “Pimenta dioica” tree, native to Jamaica and other areas of the West Indies as well as Southern and Central America. You can find allspice in the dried berry form, or as a ground […]
Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Tea or smoothies? (special herb for both)
Fresh mint is a common sight in the summertime and today you’re going to get a tip, a trick, and a recipe featuring this pretty little leaf! I have mint growing in my garden and let me tell you when you plant mint, you have mint for life! Really. Mint can take over so you […]
Tip, Trick & a Recipe: High Fives for Fresh Chives
Chives belong to the allium family, making them close relatives to scallions, onions, leeks, and garlic. Chives have a mild oniony flavor with a slight hint of garlic, and a little goes a very long way. There are some great nutritional benefits to chives. They have antioxidant properties, can aid in digestion and they contain […]
Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Quinoa
– Gluten-free “grain” or is it a seed?
Quinoa is a seed that’s been around forever, though with the popularity it’s gained in recent years, you’d think it was a new invention. Quinoa has an amazing nutritional profile. This seed is gluten free, high in protein and rich in health-supportive fats. Quinoa is full of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. It can lower your […]
Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Reach for a Lychee Fruit
Today’s Focus is on LYCHEE Lychee (pronounced lie-chee or lee-chee) fruits have been cultivated by the Chinese since 1700 BC (or thereabouts). They were actually quite revered back in those days. Poems have been written about these little fruits! Let’s see why. Generally round in shape, lychees are about the size of a walnut shell […]
Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Dragon Fruit
Have you ever looked at the vibrant pink dragon fruit in the produce aisle and wondered what in the world you would do with it? Dragon fruit is the fruit of a night-blooming cactus. It is grown in Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and South America. Aside from that bright pinkish-red color, dragon fruit can also be […]
Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Keen on vanilla bean!
How often do you twist open the cover on a bottle of vanilla extract? Oh, it smells so good! If you’re a fan of the flavor and/or scent of vanilla, I highly recommend you get your hands on some vanilla beans and see how much more intense your love can be. You may be surprised […]
Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Kale Chips
There is a topic that keeps coming across my radar, both on Facebook, my email inbox, and even at the market when my fellow shoppers wonder what I’m doing with all of that kale (when my own crop has been harvested for the season, of course!): kale chips. And, today, we’re going to talk kale […]
Tip, Trick & a Recipe: (Un)Sinful cinnamon!
Oh, cinnamon. How recognizable is this spice, seriously? I would expect that every kitchen in North America has a tin of cinnamon in the cupboard. But how well do we really know it? Once upon a time, cinnamon was very, very valuable. In Roman times, you would have paid 15 times more for cinnamon than […]