Nibble on these crumbs
Guess who’s listening? This time, it was me. Overheard at the youth league baseball park (where I’m earning a VIP pass in the bleacher seats), a couple of parents–undoubtedly the primary food managers for their families–moaned over struggles to keep the pantry stocked with worthy food. When I heard that they were running to the store every day for […]
Ready, Set, Scout
My youngest son, a new Cub Scout, is working on the Bobcat Trail. This week, our Cubs are reviewing a unit on food and healthy choices. With a school holiday yesterday, the boys packed a picnic lunch and we ate outdoors on a blanket. The picnic basket (otherwise known as a small insulated cooler) included fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy, protein–and […]
A walk through the garden
Curry Plant Thanks to a class field trip, this week’s exploration in Austin took me to John Dromgoole’s Natural Gardener. The students loved learning about organic gardening. A walk through the herb garden will even calm a lively group of third graders. At 8648 Old Bee Caves Road, this organic gardening headquarters turns a visit into […]
Recipe recycled: pumpkin bread
Feeling festive but tired of Aunt Bea’s old recipe? Try my variation for a sweet fix on pumpkin bread. Candied Pumpkin Bread For an intense pumpkin flavor, use half fresh and half canned pumpkin. 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour 1 ½ cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 […]
Fully loaded
Environmental Working Group is offering consumers a Shopper’s Guide. Their list reminds us which fruits and vegetables are fully loaded with pesticides. Browse a sample of the guide and find out how to choose healthier options. http://foodnews.org/
Temperatures rise over grilling dispute-one hot dish
New town, new tastes, new challenges. That’s part of the fun of moving to Austin and prepping meals together around this cookery. It all started with the bargain purchase of “Cooking from the Hip,” by Cat Cora. I couldn’t resist adding this cookbook to the cookery collection. It was marked down last week to $3.99 at Borders. […]
Mini-Portion Control
Portion control works. Serve goat cheese in mini-portions without breaking the bank or the scales. When the craving hits, lay out goat cheese on pear slices. Dip sliced goat cheese in olive oil. Dust goat cheese slices with bread crumbs and fresh herbs. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve on sliced pears.
A-p-p-l-e
Slice this: the Honeycrisp organic apple. The taste measures up to the size. This was a cookery indulgence at $2.99/pound at Austin HEB this week. It’s not easy to justify a bushel, but a pound of the Honeycrisp organic apple stretches all the way across a table.
Fall Flavor . . . Pumpkin Torte
Pumpkin bread rings in autumn, but this Pumpkin Torte will tempt you to skip the meal and focus exclusively on dessert. If you love your pumpkin and don’t mind leaving the bread and pie on the shelf, try this pumpkin torte family favorite. 12 whole graham crackers crushed 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup margarine 2 eggs, beaten 1 (8oz.) pkg. […]
Lookin’ for love . . . love in a lunch box
Food shopping is not a spectator sport. It’s a challenge to keep the love flowing around the table when we need to practice defensive grocery shopping. But shoppers at my Southwest Austin neighborhood grocery added a little love to their carts yesterday. We were five-deep waiting our turn to select fresh produce. The line looked like love on its way […]