Category Archives: Just fun

Go healthy: Five (OK, six) ways to trim the fat

pizza, half slice of pizza

Half a slice of pizza is better than none. (And you can also ask that half the cheese be used on it!)

Sorry for the hiatus! Been settling down to my new job. … :<)

So the doctor just told you it’s time to adjust the food intake: Cut the fat and cholesterol, tone down the salt, increase the fiber. But if you love burgers and pizza and ice cream, what’s a person to do?
Well, let’s face it — we know what we must do. But we can make adjustments to help the “medicine go down” a little more easily — and still keep eating (some of) the foods we love.
For most of us, changing our diets isn’t “all or nothing.” Being diagnosed with Continue reading →

Fair time, and it’s free with food

It’s Fair Time in San Diego County! Did you know that if you take part in some of the one-day contests offered at the fair, you can get free entry that day? These contests are especially for amateurs, and several of them involve FOOD! Here’s a rundown of what’s going on and when. You will need to download an entry form, plus a form on which to write your original recipe, at Continue reading →

For moms, and the other mothers, too

Mother's Day, mothers, aunts

Not everyone who mothers you is a mom, but they deserve saluting today too. Pictured: Mom, me and my godmother/aunt Rita.

 

Happy Mother’s Day: Mom, me and my godmother/aunt Rita.

Yes, today is Mother’s Day. You all know what to do about that, I hope. ;<) I’d like to also salute those women who were stand-ins or surrogates or subs or whatever to us. We’ve all had them in our lives: aunts, sisters, cousins, godmothers, neighbors, co-workers, neighbors, friends’ moms, teachers, etc. Not all of them are mothers, but they each serve that role in a small or large way. Give them a thought, a prayer, or if they’re still with you, a call or email. If they’ve been like moms to you, please include them in this day, too. And to all of you reading, I wish you a Happy Mother’s Day.

 

(c) copyright Laura Groch 2014

Lots of causes this weekend, and Mother’s Day too!

letter carriers food drive

Don’t forget the food drive this Saturday! (Courtesy http://www.nalc.org)

Some fun happenings in our area and beyond for Mother’s Day weekend:

— Food for the needy will be collected by mail carriers around the country on Saturday, May 10, during the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Just place nonperishable or canned goods in a bag and leave it near or in your mailbox. The letter carriers will pick them up and deliver them to local food banks and other organizations that help battle hunger. So please, reach into that pantry and fill a bag. (It’s a nice way to do some nurturing on  Mother’s Day weekend!)

Continue reading →

Winners and winners

gluten-free breakfasts, gluten-free cooking, cookbooks, Linda J. Amendt

Murrieta, CA, author Linda J. Amendt’s book on gluten-free breakfasts recently won two awards.

The winners of the CLIF Bar giveaway held in March 2014 were Pam W. of Escondido, Karen B. of New Albany, IN, and Leah S. of Minneapolis. Each one received a box of CLIF bars for posting a comment at the contest page on my blog, http://www.beyondbites.com. Keep watching for the next giveaway, as you might be a winner!

Another winner was Murrieta author Linda J. Amendt, author of “Gluten-Free Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond” (Taunton Press, $19.95, 2013), who was featured in the blog in September 2013. (Read the interview at

https://beyondbites.com/2013/09/16/gluten-free-at-breakfast-cookbook-author-can-tell-you-how/).) Her cookbook recently won two honors: a Gold Award in Continue reading →

Soft-boiled eggs and Winnipeg: Thank you, Mrs. Carsted

soft-boiled egg, egg cup

The simple egg took on a whole new dimension for us when we dove into the soft-boiled version. (c) Photo by Laura Groch 2014

 

One of my favorite leisure-morning breakfasts is the soft-boiled egg. I love eggs anyway, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but the soft-boiled egg is special to me for several reasons. I enjoy the ritual of timing the eggs, of fishing them out of the hot water and centering them in the little blue-flowered egg cups my Continue reading →

Make it milk: Fun snacks for kids

Tiramisu, calcium, milk, dessert, snack, National Nutrition Month

This Tiramisu Parfait is easy enough for children to put together, and it packs lots of nutritious calcium from milk. (Photos courtesy California Milk Processor Board)

Chef Gino Campagna, snacks, zucchini dip, tiramisu parfait, National Nutrition Month, California Milk Processors Board

Chef Gino Campagna offers these recipes for kid-friendly snacks and more at http://www.gotmilk.com.

March is National Nutrition Month, and the California Milk Processor Board is partnering with former Disney Chef Gino Campagna to create kid-friendly — and healthful — snack ideas that youngsters can put together themselves. Kids love snacks, but not all snacks are created equal, especially in terms of nutrition. These recipes were developed to give kids plenty of calcium in each serving. The National Institutes of Child Health report that almost 90 percent of girls and more than 80 percent of boys ages 9-13 aren’t getting enough calcium, needed for strong bones.

“We need to engage our kids in grocery shopping and cooking at a young age so that healthy habits stick with them through life,” says Chef Gino, Master Chef at Piccolo Chef, an award-winning Continue reading →

Pesto for St. Patrick’s Day

cilantro pesto, pesto, meatless, vegetarian, St. Patrick's Day, St. Joseph's Day

Nothing says green like a pesto sauce! The brilliant emerald color comes from cilantro leaves instead of basil. (Photos by Laura Groch 2014)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! You won’t find a recipe for corned beef or Irish soda bread here today, but I do have a recipe that’s very green. And it’s also kind of Italian, which checks off St. Joseph’s Day (March 19), and it’s meatless, so it works for Lenten Friday meals too.

But I have to warn you, it’s not for everyone. This recipe is for a flavorful pesto Continue reading →

Don’t forget the CLIF drawing! Get your comments in

Reminder: If you’d like to enter the drawing for free CLIF bars, the deadline is end of day Saturday, March 15. The CLIF folks are publicizing their new Sierra Trail Mix bars by offering gift packs to three lucky winners. To enter,

CLIF bars, contest, giveaway

Don’t forget to add a comment on the blog for a chance to win free CLIF bars!

just leave a comment on the original blogpost at https://beyondbites.com/2014/02/14/a-winner-and-another-giveaway/ to be entered in the drawing for a free pack of CLIF energy bars! Three winners will be chosen. Good luck!

A winner, and another giveaway!

I’m happy to announce that Barbara Croonquist of Riverside won the free copy of Murrieta author Linda Amendt’s “Gluten-Free Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond” (Taunton Press, 2013), which I wrote about in September 2013.

Now I’ve got another giveaway for you, this one from CLIF Bars.  (Photo courtesy CLIF Bars)

Image

Not to be left out of the chocolate frenzy for Valentine’s Day, the company’s  newest bar, Sierra Trail Mix, is the first CLIF Bar flavor to be made with sustainably grown cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. (Yes, it carries the frog seal on the package.) I’m not saying it’s equivalent to a morsel from See’s or Jer’s — but on the other hand, it’s a lot easier to bring along on a romantic stroll than a two-pound box. ;<)

Each 2.4-ounce energy bar also contains peanuts, organic rolled oats and raisins, among other goodies, and weighs in at 250 calories, 70 from fat. Suggested price is $1.39 per bar.

The CLIF Bar folks are offering three giveaways to readers who post a comment on this beyondbites.blog entry. Add your comment below by March 15, and I’ll choose three at random for a free gift pack of CLIF Bars!

(c) copyright Laura Groch 2014

This post was corrected on Feb. 17, 2014 from its original writing.