This week's blog post is written by Illinois State University student, Jade Umberger. We made it! Finally, winter is coming to an end, and we are getting our first warm days of spring. March 20th was the official first day of spring, and that can only mean one thing: more warm weather...

"I have green beans coming out of my ears!" This is the time of year when the garden is lush that I hear that phrase often. It makes me reminisce back to my childhood days of snapping hundreds of green beans until my tiny fingers hurt. Green beans are actually immature dry beans that taste the...

Beans are a wonderful source of protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, iron, folate and potassium. Choosing dried beans over canned is generally a healthy idea since canned beans tend to be loaded with sodium. However, certain dried beans can be very harmful if not prepared correctly....

Buying seafood can be a confusing task. How do you know which has the lowest amount of contaminants, the highest amount of nutrients, and is labeled correctly? These are good questions to ask before feeding your family. Our seafood is either wild-caught or farm-raised. Both methods include strict...

By this time, we may already be burnt out on sweets. Sugar cookies, pecan pies, caramels, divinity and fudge have been hard to resist. But with the New Year quickly approaching its time to get back on track. So does that mean we have to forgo all the wonderful sweet treats? Desserts don't have to...

Since the grocery store seems to be my home-away-from-home these days, I have no problems telling you the exact layout of all the departments, including where to find the quinoa, hummus and tamari sauce. But I only recently began to notice the bulk bin aisle, an up-and-coming trendy spot to shop....

I'm going to assume that you probably didn't know that during March we celebrate National Frozen Food Day. Yes, there is a day for everything! But thanks to the frozen food industry and modern technology, there's a wide assortment of conveniently packaged and prepared meals, appetizers, desserts...

The cost of celery is cheap, making it a staple in kitchens around the world. But it's not just used for making "ants on a log" (peanut butter spread on celery and topped with raisins.) Celery gives a crunch to a salad, or flavor to soups, pot roasts or stir-fries. But what if your recipe calls for...

Some people believe that they hate to cook, but often find that what they actually hate is the decision process: What should I fix? What will the whole family eat? What's quick? It's much easier to make those decisions when the plan is already in place. In fact, you may decide that you actually...

Fruit juice may be part of your morning breakfast routine, but some argue that even the natural sugar found in 100 percent juice, is partially responsible for the obesity epidemic and the debilitating diseases that may follow. But does the fruits' healthy vitamins and antioxidants trump any...

Unless you're a foodie like me, it's probably unlikely that your Thanksgiving dinner conversation entailed a hot debate of whether or not you were eating sweet potatoes or yams. "Why isn't it called a yam casserole?" asks my aunt. "Because it's made with sweet potatoes, not yams," I answered. "No,...

There's probably not too many school cafeterias that aren't serving the classic, sloppy joes. What kid doesn't like a sandwich that has the name "sloppy" in it? But these beefy rolls aren't just for youngsters. They're perfect when needing a quick meal. It's been suggested that the name, 'sloppy...

There's a cornbread and chili competition coming up in my office and I've been tinkering with many cornbread recipes, making my husband very happy. Cornbread is quick and easy to make and can have many variations to choose from and hundreds of entrees to pair it with. Cornbread may be considered...

Being a "foodie," I have many kitchen tools that I love dearly, and I sometimes wonder how I ever lived without them. The rasp grater is one of those tools that went from being a "nice-to-have" to a "gotta-have-it." A rasp grater wasn't something ever found in home kitchens until the 1990's when...

Snacking is a daily occurrence for American adults. As reported in the Food Surveys Research Group Dietary Data Brief No. 4, the average number of snacks consumed each day by American adults nearly doubled over the last 30 years. Not only are we physically eating more, but these snacks are...

In many households, coloring Easter eggs is a wonderful family tradition, and with the invention of Easter egg dye kits, it's easy to create fun egg art. But have you ever wondered how people colored eggs before packaged dye kits became available? Eggs were dyed with natural ingredients, such as...

Water is pretty straightforward. That is until you realize that you can not only drink tap water, filtered water, spring water or natural mineral water, but you can also buy sparkling water, seltzer water, tonic water or club soda. Are you confused by the differences? You're not the only one!...

Memorial Day weekend is well-known for delicious cookouts. And while many families will be grilling up the usual hotdogs and burgers, others may be looking for something a little different. Throw a foil pack on the grill this year, and marvel at the no-mess meal you just created! Simply put, a...

First of all, there really are no "good" foods and "bad" foods. While certainly, there are many foods that severely lack nutritional value, it doesn't mean that you have to wave goodbye to them forever. Even the worst of foods can still make their way into a healthy diet as long as they are...

When you have a craving for an Asian-inspired meal, consider stir-frying. The pleasant aroma of garlic, ginger and fresh vegetables will send the whole family into the kitchen begging for food. It's not just a winner for the kids, parent's love that it's a quick, easy, veggie-composed meal that can...