Is it worth it to grow your own vegetables?

January 9, 2013 by
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Some time ago we read an excellent book by William Alexander called The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost HIs Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden. The subtitle describes the book well, and the $64 refers to the cost of his perfect heirloom tomato after calculating the money he… read more

Literary cookbooks for kids

January 8, 2013 by
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The other day, I had a rare spare moment in the afternoon, after practicing piano with my 6-year-old.  She'd been especially coöperative, and I didn't have to start dinner yet.  So I cast my eyes about for a book and my eyes fell on Fairy Tale Feasts. We'd received the book years ago, before she was born and when my… read more

Green smoothies are the newest fad

January 8, 2013 by
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This post is written for two very diverse audiences. First, and most importantly, we wanted to extend our best wishes to our Australian members who are suffering under an extreme and dangerous heat wave. We're sending cold thoughts your way. And second, we thought this was a timely issue for everyone who is dealing with the excesses of the holiday.… read more

Don’t throw out that food

January 7, 2013 by
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We're going to be a little contrarian today. There's been a lot of good, sound advice on the web about starting the new year on a strong foot, and some consistent recommendations are to clean out your pantry, refresh your spices, and organize your refrigerator. But in the midst of these suggestions we found this interesting note from NPR on… read more

3 not-so-ordinary ways to create a comfy kitchen

January 6, 2013 by
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  Over at the Kitchn, Dana Velden has a very thoughtful post, 10 Simple Things to Make You Happier in Your Kitchen. Overall, these are relatively easy to do and, in our view, right on. Several are well-known (keep a stocked pantry, avoid clutter), but she also has some unique ideas. Here are a few that struck a definite chord… read more

Serve your hot chocolate in an orange cup for maximum flavor

January 4, 2013 by
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In December, we published a blog, Ten rules for the best-ever hot chocolate. Well it turns out there's an eleventh rule - serve it in an orange or cream-colored cup. According to an interesting scientific factoid going around the web this morning (we found it in numerous websites, from South Africa to England to the United States to Australia), and… read more

Debunking healthy food myths

January 3, 2013 by
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At the new year, some blog subjects appear frequently, with writers getting more and more outlandish. In particularly, postings wrap up the year just past, prognosticate for the future,  and/or encourage dieting and healthy eating. These can be fun topics, but in the latter area,  we prefer practical approaches (as Susie writes about in her latest posting, Resolution time again).… read more

Why drinking tea was once considered to be sinful

January 2, 2013 by
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Now that the egg nog, champagne cocktails, wassail cups, and other holiday potables are being put aside for awhile, we thought it only appropriate to note that this is national hot tea month. At least it is in the United States - we imagine that in other English-speaking countries they have the intelligence to realize that every month is hot… read more

Resolution time again

January 2, 2013 by
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Today, with a lot of groaning and creaking, I got back on the treadmill for the first time since Christmas.  It had been a rough stretch - first the slow cooker broke,, then the mixer bowl, then the sewing machine, and then some well-intentioned kitchen renovation work led to 3 days of lead decontamination.  Better stay off the treadmill! I… read more
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