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Eating well

Homemade popsicle treats

Remember when for a little pocket change, you and your best pal could enjoy icy popsicles from the corner store. Those stores are gone now, replaced by mini-marts, but times haven’t changed all that much. Kids, even grown-up ones, still love frozen treats on a stick, which now come in an array of exciting flavors, especially if they’re homemade. There’s no special equipment required, just a blender for some, your favorite fruits, a bit of fruit juice or some dairy. For adult pops substitute liquor for some of the juice or dairy (I’d like a strawberry margarita pop.) Use ...

Dill pickle flavor emerges as 2025’s new foodie trend

Over the past year, 63% of consumers worldwide have shared positive sentiments about pickles on social media. The bold, tangy flavor of dill pickles has made its way beyond jars into chips, dips, fast food and even cocktails. As consumer preferences shift and interest spreads across platforms, ...

Simple recipe swaps for a healthier you

Family Features — If the idea of overhauling your family’s menu is stopping you from making healthier choices in the kitchen, you might find relief in knowing simple swaps are all it takes. Instead of sweeping changes that require all new recipes, just changing an ingredient or two in ...

A healthier take on dessert

METRO — Being mindful of one’s diet is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Certain foods, and particularly many desserts, are not exactly synonymous with healthy eating. Thankfully, many chefs and home cooks experiment with different ingredients to make sweets a little bit less indulgent. Take for example, chocolate mousse, which can be delicious, but a tad heavy when loaded with dairy. However, “Vegan Chocolate Mousse” is made with avocado at the base. That’s notable because avocado contains heart-healthy fats that make the dessert a little better for you than more ...

Sweet apple flavor in every bite

METRO — Fall means many things: leaves changing color, cool breezes and plenty of apples to pick. When an afternoon spent at the local orchard provides a bounty of apples, people can turn them into flavor-packed treats. This recipe for “Orange-Glazed Apple Tarts” from “Small Sweet Treats” (Gibbs Smith) by Zac Williams is a fall treat that blends apples (or pears) with the bright flavors of orange and cinnamon. Orange-Glazed Apple Tarts Serves 4 1 package (17.3 ounces) puff pastry sheets, thawed 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cream (egg wash) 2 to 3 firm apples ...

Snacking on eggplant

Growing up, I never had eggplant. As an adult, eggplant parmesan, at a local restaurant, turned me into a fan. Since then, I’ve learned some tips to preparing perfect eggplant. Because it contains a lot of moisture it’s a good idea to get rid of the excess by lightly salting your sliced eggplant, stacking it in a colander and weighting it down at least 30 minutes to drain. Rinse quickly under cold water to remove salt and pat dry to use in your favorite recipe. Eggplant also has a sponge-like capacity for absorbing oil and butter so don’t go overboard when frying, sauteing or ...