Earthly Edibles

Get the tomatoes while they are still plentiful. This tomato salad includes purple Cherokee, yellow pear, stripey,and rose from our garden with a brandywine, red and green zebra ones from the Asheville City tail gate market. I then added purple and green basil leaves and some local mozzarella cheese! I tossed the salad with a [...]

When I think of Labor Day weekend, two of the things that I think about are the fact that the peaches will become few and far between locally and the apples will become plentiful! Two weeks ago my husband and I headed to the farmer’s market and bought a big basket of peaches and froze [...]

It is wild blueberry season here in Western North Carolina. Be sure to save some for the bears and birds. Blue berries and other berries are rich in vitamin C, fiber and phytochemicals that add benefits to our health. They are also make a low calorie dessert! This year, I froze a few berries and [...]

When thoughts come of summer, we often think of watermelons, picnics and the barbecue grill.  Preparing meals on the grill not only keeps the heat out of the kitchen but also provides an opportunity to eat outside. The foods that we choose can often be started ahead of time so we can spend more time [...]

In these uncertain times many of us would like to eat dessert first and with these fruity dessert ideas you can feel less guilty for doing so because you will get some healthy nutrients along with satisfying your sweet tooth. Cookies, pies, cakes and candy can be the biggest challenge for many of us over [...]

I am helping coordinate a program called 31 Days of Nutrition in honor of National Nutrition Month for our local dietetic association (Western North Carolina Dietetic Association). Together, we are trying to teach a class 31 days to area elementary schools on nutrition and local foods. Appalachian Sustainable Agricultural Project (ASAP) www.asapconnections.org is partnering with [...]

Do you ever wonder why you get such a bad headache when you skip a meal? Have you ever started craving pasta, potatoes and rice when following a low carb diet? Chances are you are in need of a little brain food. In a recent study in Nature’s Genetics it found that humans have more [...]

Tis the time of year to bake and indulge. It is a known fact that weight gain is common during the holiday season, but lesser known is that a large portion of that weight stays on for years afterward. One or two extra pounds over the holidays can add up to a lot over several [...]

I stopped by a local orchard this week and purchased my first bag of apples. My favorite type of apples are tart and crisp. Apples are rich in fiber and low in calories. In addition, they are rich in nutrition with potassium, Vitamin C and antioxidants. Serve one with peanut butter or yogurt as a [...]

As the weather begins to heat up this summer, stay cool with meals that don’t require the stove or oven to prepare. Ideas include smoothies, cold soups and wraps. One of my favorite summer sandwiches uses avocado, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers (from my garden), red onion, and alfalfa sprouts. You can include additional low fat [...]