Now that the weather is turning colder, it’s time for me to pull my slow cooker out of the back of the cupboard and stock my pantry with ingredients for soup. Soup, or stew, is my comfort food in the colder months. There is nothing better than returning home after being gone all day to the aroma of a delicious stew in the slow cooker. The following is one of my favorite stews and is full of vegetables for the kids:
As the resident foodie at the Riverside Branch, I’ve come to really enjoy all of the cooking programs and the wonderful assortment of new cookbooks we have. Just this week, I presented my first cooking program, Italian Night at the Library. I prepared one of my favorite Italian entrees, and I think everyone attending had a good time.
It’s that time of year again. It is time to start thinking about your holiday cooking. I don’t know how it got here so fast. If you need any help finding good recipes, try looking for holiday cooking in the catalog.
You can also go to MCPL’s Web Resources. There are a lot of good websites listed here.
My grocery bill seems to just keep going up. To help lower the cost, I’m looking for alternative meal options. One way that has helped me is to buy less meat. Although my family and I are big meat-eaters, I have found some recipes that have protein substitutes and are still delicious. Here are three of my family’s favorites:
The holiday cooking is done, the tree has been taken down, and all of the decorations put away in the attic. I am ready to get out some of my favorite recipe books and cook a meal that does not include turkey or ham!
Heard of a new kitchen fad, lately? An new trick that you’ve recently started trying for the first time? An old trick that you’ve been doing for a LONG time? I’ve been coming across lots of trends in Kitchenland that seem intriguing. Some of them are tried-and-true (Sunday cooking to get you through the week), and some are new – to me, at least (is it just me, or is almond milk everywhere in recipes lately?!).
Thinking about making the switch? If you are, MCPL can assist you with your change in lifestyle. Vegan Teens, a web resource we offer on our website, offers helpful advice for teens who want to go vegan. Once on the site, you can find articles on how to make the switch, vitamin supplements to keep you healthy with your lifestyle change, and even how to talk to friends and family who are not vegan-friendly.
The shelves of our Library are filled with a variety of cookbooks that are checked out constantly. They’re big. They’re small. They have beautiful photos. My favorite cook is Ree Drummond, "The Pioneer Woman." She and I have something in common. We’re both from Oklahoma.
I started watching her show on the Food Channel on Saturday mornings. Her style is down to earth and practical. She uses things that aren’t out of the ordinary, things I normally purchase.
Who doesn’t like pancakes? There is a lot you can do with pancakes besides the traditional butter and syrup. February 10th through 16th is National Pancake Week, and MCPL is prepared to help you fill your week with a variety of pancake cookbooks. These cookbooks have a wide range of pancake options, from hearty breakfast choices to light snacks to delicious desserts. Another creative option is to make heart-shaped pancakes for Valentine’s Day, which falls right in the middle of pancake week.
If more of us ate like diabetics, maybe it would reduce the rate at which diabetes is developing. I know eating like a diabetic doesn’t sound too appetizing, but I found some very good recipes in the January/February 2013 issue of Diabetic Cooking magazine.
