In the kitchen, I have lately found myself stuck in a box, a Jean in the Box, if you will.  The lid is tightly closed and I wait for someone to turn the crank so I can spring out and be freed from my limited views on dinner.  I have been serving conventional dinner items–soup, salad, rice, fish, chicken, pasta–one or two of them served at a time, the combinations varying from one meal to ...

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We are left with only a few days before we ring in the new year.  Was it a good year for you or is it one better left behind?  Good or bad, what’s great about opening up that first page of the calendar is that it is a marker for new beginnings.  On the health/lifestyle front–for most of us–ambitious plans for a fitter, healthier 2012 will be in place by the time the last drop ...

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My husband thinks I’m extremely picky when it comes to food.  I disagree.  I don’t pull When Harry Met Sally-type behavior when we’re in restaurants, customizing menu items so that what is ultimately served to me is a mere whisper of what the chef originally intended.  I just know what I like; I think there’s a difference.
Take this smoked salmon dip, for instance. Inspired by a locally-prepared smoked trout dip our friends have served during ...

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Today marked the end of my nephews’ and nieces’ visit.  To say that I’m exhausted is a severe understatement but I had so much fun; I hope they did, too.  It was an activity-packed last few days, ending with a barbecue/pool party with the rest of my family.  I already miss the kids, though.
We had so much food–filets, hamburgers (Mom’s way), grilled corn, Mom’s chicken adobo, and my sister, Gail’s, pico de gallo, just to ...

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I used to make hummus quite a bit, but in the last few years, it has somehow slipped off my normal recipe rotation.  It’s easy to prepare, it’s healthy and it tastes good–what’s not to like?
I found my hummus recipe on the good old web many years ago and after making it for the first time, I never gave the original recipe a second thought.  What I remembered most–and have stuck to–from the original instructions ...

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