Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Endive Made Easy

It’s time for us to explore endive–have you ever had it? Endive is extremely leafy with an almost lettuce-like appearance. It has either a light, nearly yellow, green color to their leaves, or a rich ruby red. Its flavor is unique and entirely its own. It’s crisp and light with a sweet, some say nutty, […]

5 Tips for Stress-Free Catering

Dinner Diva 5 Tips on Stress-Free Catering by Leanne Ely, CNC   A few weeks back, I threw a bash for my husband’s birthday and had nearly 50 people in our house. The food was enjoyable, fun and beautifully presented. I had people falling over themselves thinking I had cooked it all from scratch–well hardly! […]

Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Grapefruit

Grapefruits come from a subtropical, and surprisingly evergreen, citrus tree. Grapefruits are famous for their pink exteriors, red flesh, tartness on our taste buds, and low-calorie count. This member of the citrus family is another fruit proud to exhibit high levels of vitamin C. It also contains the important fiber pectin that plays a role […]

Secrets to Preparing Delicious Freezer Meals

A few years ago (quite a few years ago, actually), a new cooking trend was born – Once A Month Cooking – OAMC for short. The whole idea was to spend a day cooking, freeze what you make, they reheat it as needed; sort of DIY Stouffer’s concept. Great idea, soggy delivery. The proponents of […]

Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are delicious and nutritious,  high in B and E vitamins, fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants. Full of healthy fats, low in saturated fats, containing both mono and polyunsaturated fats – you’re getting a whole host of heart-healthy tastiness in this one little hazelnut! Hazelnuts can be eaten raw or roasted, used in sweet or savory […]

Insider Tips on Spring Veggies

Most folks assume that whatever is available in the produce section is what’s in season. This isn’t necessarily the case. Sure, grocery stores offer a wide variety of fruits and veggies year-round, but that doesn’t mean the flavor and freshness are there as it is with produce that is at the peak of its season. Spring […]

Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Celery

Everyone who has ever been on a diet, has at one time or another, crunched a stalk of celery in defiance. I call it the angry veggie, lol. Angry because I ate so many of those crisp stalks when I was “dieting” in my younger years and angry too, because of the loud CRUNCH it […]

Lemons

Tips, Tricks, & a Recipe Lemons By Leanne Ely, C.N.C Lemons are an amazing, multi-purpose fruit. From whiting your laundry, to skin care, to adding its distinct tangy flavor to dishes and drinks, the lovely lemon can multi-task its way around your home. The bonus is this fruit is available year round and provides an […]

Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Noodles

Although the core ingredients for noodles don’t vary much (flour, water, salt) you can enjoy them in a number of dishes from lasagna to chow mein. Noodles, sometimes called pasta depending on the dish, are thought to have originated in China around 4,000 years ago. There are over 350 different types of pasta noodles in […]