My family has been sick, sick , sick this flu season- and we all had our shots! It just goes to show you how vigilant we have to be to ward off colds and flu. Here are some food that will help build your family’s defense in the war on germs. They can help to prevent illness- and to speed recovery. Eat plenty of foods rich in the following nutrients:

* Vitamin C: citrus fruits, berries, kiwis, peppers, tomatoes

* Vitamin E: wheat germ, nuts, fortified cereals, sweet potatoes

* Beta Carotene (Pro-Vitamin A): yellow and dark green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, orange squash, apricots, cantaloupe [Read more →]

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Anita Benthein talked about how to pick the best fresh cut Christmas tree, plus how to get it into the house, into the stand and looking fresh for the entire holiday season.

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Chef Michael Ollier shared his quick tips to make cooking a prime rib easy every time. Prime rib is a roasted ribeye and Michael likes to  prepare it with simplicity in mind; a little olive oil, salt & pepper and a dry herb blend (oregano, thyme, rosemary & garlic powder) A 5 pound  prime rib will accommodate a family of eight. Look for the Certified Angus Beef ® brand at Meijer.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to prepare Prime Rib for a special holiday dinner:

Classic Prime Rib with Cabernet Shallot Jus with Yorkshire Puddings
Serves 8

Prep time: 20 minutes
Roast time: 1 hour 35 minutes

2 750-ml bottles Cabernet Sauvignon
4 cups beef broth
2 cups ruby Port
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 large shallots, peeled, halved
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons dried thyme, divided
1 5-pound boneless Certified Angus Beef ® brand prime rib beef roast [Read more →]

You know that drink you hear mentioned in old Christmas songs? Wassail?  We’ll there’s a reason it’s been around so long- it’s good! And while you can drink it hot or cold, served as a warm drink it’s comforting to sip on in cold weather and if you’re looking for drink ideas for your holiday party, I suggest you try it. You start by making a wassail mix of apple cider, pomegranate juice, sugar, orange and lemon juice that’s steeped with a cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice.  Set some of the basic mix aside for the kids and then make a batch for the grown ups by stirring in a little rum, bourbon or applejack. If you serve it warm, garnish it with a clove-studded orange slice. If you want to turn it into a cold cocktail, garnish each glass with a slice of Granny Smith apple.

WASSAIL MIX
1 quart apple cider
1 pint unsweetened pomegranate juice
½ cup sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice

Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 1 hour or until all ingredients are well incorporated.

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Hallie Beaune and Christina Perozzi are the authors of The Naked Pint, An Unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer They joined me today to chat about their book and the five foods they feel pair best with beer:

1) Grilled Artichokes – Notoriously difficult to pair with wine, artichokes make most wines taste sweet due to a complex compound (cynarin) that affects our taste buds. Indeed, the flavors of an artichoke are difficult to describe, but a Saison can be a perfect pairing with its citrus and spicy notes that enhance the artichoke’s flavors. Just imagine a squeeze of lemon and a dash of pepper.

2) Spicy Curry – Heat is hard to handle, especially with red wine. Some whites work well enough, but they lack the beer’s bubbles that help ease a fiery tongue. Try a Belgian Golden Ale, or a beer brewed with spices used in Indian foods, like coriander and clove (perhaps a Witbier). Let the beer pick up the sweetness of those spices while maintaining a dry hop backbone for the full flavor and cool, prickly bubbles to help cut the heat. Or go another way and try a Belgian IPA (not to be confused with an American India Pale Ale or IPA), a style known for a dry hop that can slice through big and bold flavors.

3) Burgers - Perhaps this isn’t a revelation. No doubt, most people have washed down many a burger with a nice cold “lite” brewski. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. If [Read more →]

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Barry Boone, CEO of Current Codes.com joined me today to talk about how to save big with shopping codes and discounts. Check out his site before you do any holiday shopping.  Here’s a random sampling of some Current Codes.

Sephora: Buy Marc Jacobs fragrance Daisy and get a free tote

Bloomingdales:$330 Lancome Beauty Box for $52 with $36 purchase

Express: $30 off $120 purchase

When you hear the word ‘roasted” doesn’t is sound good? As in Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary or Roasted Aparagus with Parmesan. It sounds good because it is good- roasting just brings out the best in your favorite foods. Roasting as a method is simple. It’s just oven-cooking food in an uncovered pan to get a browned exterior and a moist interior. Of course you can roast meats, fish and poultry but I love to roast vegetables and fruits, too.

If you’re looking for a little bite of heaven, try Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary. It starts with great potatoes. I like to use redskins, yukon golds or fingerlings. The most important thing is to make sure you cut them into uniform sizes so that they need the same cook time. Get your oven nice and hot- 425 degrees will do it- then toss the potatoes with olive oil, chopped fresh rosemary, garlic and plenty of salt and pepper. Roast them until they are fork tender and golden, about 30 minutes. You’ll love them.

Try roasting asparagus, too. It’s a favorite for me for dinner parties because it quick, easy and fool proof. Again, you need a nice hot oven [Read more →]

Chef Michael Ollier shared great recipes and tips today. I love his slider recipe.

Holiday Sliders

Ingredients
· 1 1/2 pounds Certified Angus Beef ® ground chuck
· 1 head bibb lettuce, washed and separated
· 1 small red onion, sliced in rings
· 1/4 cup whole cranberry jelly
· 12 mini knot rolls or mini burger buns, sliced in half
· Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Form ground chuck into twelve 2-ounce patties. Season lightly with salt and pepper. [Read more →]

Did you get enough Turkey on Thanksgiving? If you’re like me, you found yourself wondering why you don’t cook turkey more often! It’s so good- and so forgotten about for the rest of the year. And yet you can find turkey, turkey breast, turkey sausage and ground turkey at the grocery story year round. In the spirit of keeping a good thing going, I’ve got a Teriyaki Turkey Burger recipe for you. You make them much like you make a regular burger, just shape the ground turkey into burgers, season them with salt and pepper and toss them on the grill. Toss on some pineapple rings, too. While they’re cooking brush them with a little teriyaki glaze. Toss the turkey burgers and the grilled pineapple on a whole wheat bun and top them with turkey bacon. Finish the whole thing off with Dole Butter and Red Leaf Lettuce blend. It’s healthy, delicious, and includes the great taste of turkey – and it’s not even Thanksgiving! For more healthy recipes and tips visit Dole.com

Grilled Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

¼ cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup prepared teriyaki glaze
1 ¼ pounds ground turkey
4 rings DOLE® pineapple [Read more →]

Jon Stiles’ class at EQ, appropriately called “Sweet! Jon’s Sugar Shack” featured some of his all time favorite desserts. It was impossible to pick a winner- the students loved each one- so I thought I’d share the crisp recipe. It would be a really nice addition to your  Thanksgiving dessert selection.

Pear, Apple, and Dried Cherry Crisp

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (about 4)
2 pounds firm Fuji, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples (about 6)
¾ cup dried sweet cherries
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice [Read more →]