One of my favorite late summer foods is freshly picked, richly flavorful, no-kidding vine ripened tomatoes, which I usually get fresh from the field at Berberian’s Farm Stand in Northborough, MA. And one of my favorite ways to enjoy those tomatoes is in a fantastically flavorful and easy to make salad made with fresh basil (also from Berberian’s), mozzarella cheese, olive oil, a little salt, a good crunch of ground black pepper and, of course, a shot of balsamic vinegar.
August 1st, 2015 
Blog, Salads & Salad Dressings, Vegetables 
Comments Off on Tomato, Fresh Basil & Mozzarella Salad – All in Pictures Tomato, Fresh Basil & Mozzarella Salad – All in Pictures
June 20th, 2015 Blog, Breakfast, Fruit, Kid-Friendly Recipes Comments Off on Kid-Safe To Make Father’s Day Fresh Berries, Yogurt, Jam & Whipped Cream – All In Pictures Kid-Safe To Make Father’s Day Fresh Berries, Yogurt, Jam & Whipped Cream – All In Pictures
Here’s a fully flavorful, completely kid-safe to make recipe kids can put together quickly and easily for Father’s Day – or anytime at all.
All you need are the following ingredients – that don’t require any cutting with a knife – and…
June 14th, 2015 Blog, Breakfast, Fruit, Kid-Friendly Recipes Comments Off on Kid-Friendly Grapes and Banana with Yogurt and Jam – All in Pictures Kid-Friendly Grapes and Banana with Yogurt and Jam – All in Pictures
Last post was about why bananas are GREAT food. This post shows how to put bananas to use with a quick & easy grapes & banana with yogurt and jam recipe that’s fresh, fully flavorful, and kid-safe to make.
The key to kid-safety is that this recipe doesn’t require the use of knife. The grapes can be eaten whole, and the banana can be broken into smaller pieces and sections by hand as shown in the two side-by-side pictures below.
June 3rd, 2015 Blog, Fitness Food, Fruit, Snacks, Special Recipes Comments Off on Avocado and Mango Salsa – All in Pictures Avocado and Mango Salsa – All in Pictures
Last post showed how to cut a mango as easily and mess-free as possible. Here’s a great way to combine the “bite of tropical sunshine” fruit flavor of fresh mango with avocado, fresh cilantro, lime, garlic, red onion, and as much – or little – jalapeño pepper as you’d like to pack together an explosion of summertime flavor. Read more »
How to Ripen and Cut a Mango – All in Pictures
As noted in the article below, mangoes are considered the most consumed fruit in the world – and for good reason. They’re full of tropical flavor and rich in nutrients and fiber. For details, including mango health benefits and recipe ideas, click the picture below for a link to an April 2014 Medical News Today article.
May 18th, 2015 Blog, Fitness Food, One Bowl Meals, Pasta Comments Off on Pasta with Fresh Chicken Sausage Sauce – All in Pictures Pasta with Fresh Chicken Sausage Sauce – All in Pictures
Last post showed how to cook pasta to “al dente” (or, “firm to the teeth”) perfection. Here’s a great way to enjoy that pasta – with fresh chicken sausage sauce.
As the word “fresh” implies, the key to making this recipe turn out full-on flavorfully is using fresh garlic, fresh tomatoes, and a good handful of fresh basil – and, you bet, fresh sausage, if you can find it, sure makes a difference.
Here are the ingredients needed to make this recipe.
Click any picture on this page for a complete, easy to follow step-by-step picture book recipe.
Read more »
Cooking Mistakes Can Taste Great!
It’s all about not giving up, being flexible, and staying calm – and, you bet, that’s sometimes a lot easier said than done. And while some cooking mistakes are better to walk away from; burned chocolate is a great example – here’s an example of a cooking mistake that turned out tasting great.
I’d recently intended to make a mixed berry fruit pancake that was supposed to look like this…
March 19th, 2015 Beans, Blog, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, Snacks, Special Recipes Comments Off on How to Make Hummus – All in Pictures How to Make Hummus – All in Pictures
Like I mentioned in the last post that showed how to cook dried garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), garbanzo beans/chickpeas are nut-like in flavor, versatile, meaning they can be used in all kinds of recipes, and are highly nutritious, especially regarding their protein and fiber content. Read more »
March 12th, 2015 Beans, Blog, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, How To & Tips Comments Off on How to Cook Dried Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) – All in Pictures How to Cook Dried Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) – All in Pictures
If you’re not familiar with garbanzo beans or chickpeas, they are nut-like in flavor, versatile, richly nutritious (especially regarding protein an fiber), and extraordinarily appetite-satisfying. Below is a summary of nutrition facts (164 grams is 1 cup of cooked garbanzo beans), which you can click for a full garbanzo bean nutrition graphic posted by Condé Nast that was derived from USDA information.
NOTE: If you’re not used to eating foods high in fiber, like these beans, you can acclimate your body and minimize uncomfortable bloating by starting with a small amount of beans added to your meal and then steadily increasing that amount. I followed that advice myself, and it worked out great.
Spectacularly Tasteful DIY Travel Through Scotland Made Easy
Just as this site provides practical tools to empower people to make meals for themselves, Marie Cruickshank’s Scotland Made Easy site and service empowers people with personalized guidance to travel the spectacular sites of Scotland – and more – all on their own. Read more »
