The most recent batch of homemade bread had dwindled to one large bun and the chunky end of the last loaf, not enough of either to serve as a side for a salad lunch. Turning them into hefty croutons didn’t make the resulting dish a “bread salad,” but it did add body and savory flavor…

With barbecue season upon us, here is a recipe for a generally healthy barbecue sauce that goes well with many different meats, whether grilled or prepared in the kitchen. So many of the barbecue sauces on the market include high fructose corn syrup, and none include the dose of vitamin A and other nutrients contributed…

Looking for some vegetarian sandwich fillings? Here is a Yankee version of Pimento Cheese Spread along with a classic Egg Salad, both without any mayonnaise. I rarely have either mayo or “Miracle Whip” style dressings around the house anymore, finding plain yogurt and a few other ingredients a much better substitute in most recipes. Pimento…

In the interest of trying to add a little fiber and moisture into a plain old cake mix, this recipe uses UNSWEETENED applesauce in place of the liquid and about half the fat. The topping goes together quickly and removes any need for frosting. Cupcakes seem to work best for this, as the topping can…

The weather has warmed (at least warmer to us northerners!) but not too much for a comforting meal of soup and fresh baked bread, with fresh fruit for dessert for a light spring finish. Mediterranean Lentil Soup–Vegetarian canola oil (about a tablespoon)1 large onion, chopped–1 to 1 1/2 c total2 to 3 small carrots, diced–about…

The fragrance of the lilacs in the vase on top of the refrigerator, the cinnamon-y smells from the oven, the thrill of actually having a little asparagus from the garden big enough to harvest-spring is again giving us a sensory overload, even in the house. Not enough asparagus yet for any real recipe, but I…

If you are one of those people who find cilantro an herb to be avoided at all costs, you will probably want to move along. However, for the rest of us, this will be a refreshing spring vegetarian feast. With lovely big bunches of cilantro on sale at a local chain, 3 for 99 cents,…

“Slightly Used Bananas” The manager of the little IGA store in our community back in the 50s and 60s always marked down overripe bananas with the sign, “slightly used bananas.” That silly term stuck in my childish mind and I still find myself using it for the brown speckled fruits like these in the picture….

Rhubarb and lilac and tree buds and all those other harbingers of spring are late here in Minnesota this year, so my three plants still had only a few still short stalks ready when I wanted to pick some for a coffee dessert today. No strawberries in the house to fall back on the many…