Growing vegetables is so popular and one of the easiest things to grow are peppers. There are more than 200 varieties from nearly a foot long to a tiny 1/4-inch peewee. Their heat varies, too. From barely warm to scorching hot, it’s the capsaicin that makes chiles fiery. A general rule is the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is. Removing the seeds and veins is the only way to reduce the heat.
Scotch Bonnet are the hottest.
Serrano peppers may be tiny but they pack big heat.
Jalapenos range from barely warm to very hot, depending on the age and time of year they’re harvested. Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked Jalapenos.
Poblanos have medium heat. Ancho chiles are dried Poblanos.
Sweet Bell Peppers are much more mild mannered and usually start out bright green. Red bell peppers are simply vine-ripened green bell peppers that have been allowed to ripen longer. They’re very sweet.
Whether hot or mild, choose peppers that are firm, with shiny skin. Here’s some bell pepper inspiration. You can find these recipes and lots more cooking tips at Crisco.com

Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers [Read more →]

February is Heart Health Month and I care about yours so I want to encourage you to eat the superfoods that help protect your heart. Studiies have shown that superfoods for your heart contain fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin B6, magnesium, vitamin C and plenty of antioxidants. How do these nutrients work? High fiber foods help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Folate decreases an amino acid which can lead to artery damage. Potassium helps maintain normal blood pressure levels and antioxidants can help prevent “bad” cholesterol. Put all these nutrients into one food and you can see it deserves the title super food. And when those food taste great, too, well now we’re talking! Eating foods that contain several of these nutrients is a great thing to do for your heart- and your palate.

A handful of fresh raspberries and some sliced almonds sprinkled over a bowl of crisp Dole Hearts of Romaine tastes great and feels great, too, because you know you’re protecting your heart. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for not just for heart health month but year round. You can find lots more information on superfoods and plenty of salad inspiration at Dole.com

I had so much fun with Nancy James on Northern Kentucky Magazine yesterday! And I even got to hear her sing…but only because she wanted a Klondike bar!

Here’s a link to the chili and the spinach con queso recipes I made for Nancy. And here’s a link for information on where to buy my new favorite slider buns.

Pictured above are the little veggie and dip cups I showed how to make. You can use shot glasses or get the little plastic cups I used. The Party Source sells them- and lots of other variations. I like to use a pastry bag (or a ziploc with the corner snipped) to fill the cups with dip so that the sides of the little cups stay clean. Cut your veggies into small enough pieces that they look right  in the little cup, but tall enough for some “drama”.

I used veggies and dip, but you could just as easily use pretzel rods and dip, shrimp and cocktails sauce, ice cream and hot fudge, chocolate mousse and whipped cream. What makes them charming visually is repetition (line them up on a tray). Your guests will love them because everybody loves “their own” of anything!

Nancy and I talked about how to plan to make sure you have enough food- and drink- to last through overtime. Here’ a link to the Drink Planner I mentioned.