“This Is It” is an unforgettable documentary showing Michael Jackson in rehearsal for the show he was planning on taking on tour before his untimely death. Whether you are a fan of Michael’s or not, you will get to see the talent, genius, and dedication he had for his fans, his staff, and the talented young people who were chosen to appear with him on stage for a World tour of 50 shows entitled “This Is It”! Their devotion to him as well truly comes across in this film.  Read more...

Would you believe that sauerkraut may be considered the next Chicken Soup for its health benefits? It is packed with vitamins and minerals and because of the phytochemicals that are created during fermentation, it can help boost the immune system. A healthy immune system helps us fight off the common cold, skin problems and even weight gain.

Boy, am I happy to hear that, as I love sauerkraut, even eating it right out of the can or jar!  Read more...

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Who doesn’t enjoy “dressing-up”, receiving tons of candy, and getting the living daylights scared out of you? I’m happy to see the excitement and fun of Halloween has grown more and more popular each year.

A special treat I enjoyed making for kids and adults alike are English Muffin Pizzas. It is a quick, easy and healthy food that is sure to please trick or treaters before they go running out the door. I won’t post the recipe here, but have a look at my “Marinara Sauce Recipe” and “Homemade Pizza Recipe” for reference and also be sure to watch me prepare the pizzas in the video below.  Read more...

It gives me great pleasure to post a film review by my son John:

Films based on children’s books can be a tricky proposition. Often kids’ books don’t contain enough plot to sustain a feature-length film. What works well on the page can translate poorly to the big screen. All the digital effects in Hollywood cannot make up for a thin plot that may otherwise work in short, illustrated book-form. Did we really need a big-budget version of The Cat in the Hat? For a children’s film to stand on its own merits, there has to be a journey that the audience is willing to take.  Read more...

My Mom and Dad always planted a vegetable garden in their backyard where they happily grew produce, which we enjoyed for months. They would grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and basil. Mom was ingenious in planning meals around their crop of vegetables.

Mom and Dad would always have an abundance of zucchini and Mom came up with some delicious ways to prepare zucchini. One I especially enjoyed was her version of Zucchini Crustless Quiche. It is a simple dish to prepare and can be served as an entree or a side dish served warm, or at room temperature. This is an inexpensive and delicious dish to prepare especially when zucchini is in season during the late summer months.  Read more...

Need a special dish to take to a Potluck Supper or for a family reunion or for a special treat for your family? It’s Baked Ziti! This is a delicious casserole that is quick and easy to make. The cooks in my family would make Baked Ziti as often as people would fix Macaroni and Cheese. I always have some Marinara Sauce on hand and with just a few other ingredients, I am ready to prepare Baked Ziti. It can be prepared with whole wheat pasta as well as regular pasta and you can use whole milk ricotta, or part skim milk ricotta or even fat-free ricotta. Whichever you use, you are bound to get compliments. I am sure there will be those who will want second helpings when you serve this recipe for Baked Ziti. Enjoy!  Read more...

Sunday was the main day for a large meal with family members arriving to gather around the dining table and enjoy their one day of leisure. It started out with going to early church services, coming home and preparing a large meal (soup to nuts, as we would say). This chore was left to the women of the family while the men sat and visited, read the newspapers, or played Bocce.  Read more...

ATTENTION ALL COOKS (beginners, intermediates, and experts)! A truly enjoyable movie based on a true story was released this weekend, Julie & Julia, which is well worth seeing, A+. It’s based on the lives of two women, Julia Child a legendary world-renowned chef, author, and television personality and Julie Powell, who wrote the original story.  Read more...

Recently, I was introduced to the Flip Video Camcorder by a friend who videoed me doing a cooking lesson. The Flip was impressive; particularly in its ease of operation and its convenient compact size. I was still a little skeptical about the ease to edit video.  After searching online for all the information about the Flip and reading the reviews, I decided to purchase the Flip Mino HD. I chose this model because it has a rechargeable lithium battery and 60 minutes recording time, which was perfect for recording my cooking videos. I’m limited to a maximum of 10 minutes for videos I upload to YouTube.com, so 60 minutes is more than enough.  Read more...

With summer comes wearing less clothing such as, shorts, sleeveless dresses and yes, a bathing suit. I have been in this predicament more times than I would like to recall. Out come the diet books, out come the magazines that offer the quick fix to dieting and losing ten pounds in a week, and again a gym membership, that I hope to use this time.  Read more...