Articles

Prairie Fare: Pets’ weight gain provides lesson

As I admired a dog on a leash at the pet store, her owner said, “She just had a haircut. I thought she had gotten fluffier over the winter. You can see she’s a little too chubby.”

Prairie Fare: How to decode symbols on packaged food

“This food is rated ‘R,’ so it’s not for me!” my 8-year-old daughter exclaimed. I think I nearly sprained my neck as I spun my head in her direction. I wanted to see what she was examining. “What are you talking about?” I asked in surprise.

Prairie Fare: Gardening has many health benefits

In areas with limited space, consider container gardening, growing a salsa garden

Prairie Fare: True or false: Wine has health benefits

In earlier times, wine was used as a beverage and also as a medicine for a variety of ailments. A couple of years ago, my husband and I decided to learn how to make wine at home using the apples from the tree in our backyard. Soon we had a chemistry experiment going on in our basement. Whenever we went downstairs, we could smell the distinctive aroma of fermentation as the sugar was converted to alcohol.

Prairie Fare: Sitting too much, too long linked to disease

“You can help us clean the house by dusting all the chairs,” I said to my 8-year-old daughter. I thought the lilt in my voice made the task sound fun and exciting.

Keep safety in mind for grilling season

Get a clean plate to retrieve food from the grill. Check. Bring a thermometer to measure internal temperature. Check. Retrieve grill brush from storage to clean the grill. Wait a second!

Prairie Fare: Make memories with favorite family recipes

The other day I prepared a macaroni and fruit recipe that I had heard about for more than a year. My friend had helped his mother prepare the family recipe at her house. “My mom hovers when I help, but she knows how to make this salad without looking. She told me I stir like a girl,” he told me. “That’s a compliment,” I said.

Prairie Fare: Try some ‘eggscellent’ food to help eyes

“Do you need any eggs today?” the local farmer would ask my mother when he stopped by every week or two when I was a child. She would buy at least a couple dozen eggs. I would scramble to the kitchen and open the egg cartons to see if there were any eggs with brown shells. I was convinced that brown eggs had better flavor.

Prairie Fare: Use microwave correctly for safe cooking

“Whose lunch is in the microwave?” “Whose cup of water was left in the microwave?” “Who heated chili in the microwave and didn’t clean up the mess?” Chances are, you have run into one of these scenarios at some point in your life.

Prairie Fare: Supplement like nutrition insurance

“She’s the only one who took her vitamin all week,” my husband noted. He was referring to our 8-year-old daughter.

Columns

Does eating comfort food reduce stress?

“I hadn’t heard of ‘hot dish’ until I moved here! We called it casserole,” one of the college students remarked.

Pasta an economical, easy meal base

Boil. Drain. Serve. Even after a long day, most of us can manage the cooking directions for pasta.

Try to moderate salt intake in your diet

“If I don’t get a glass of water, will I survive until morning?” I asked myself sleepily. Despite being incredibly thirsty, I took my chances. Besides, I was too tired to crawl out of a warm bed at 2:30 a.m.