Prunes Peanuts Banana Smoothie

This is another smoothie variation that I really like. I put lots of prunes in it, which give it a great color and consistency. if you like it even thicker then use ice cubes and frozen bananas.

parfait on the go

Parfait can mean different things to different people in different places. In France parfait is a desert made from sugar, egg, cream and flavorings frozen together and served in a tall glass. It's also the name of a smooth meat paste made with liver and liqueur.

In the US parfait can be two different things. They both require layering of ingredients. Here is what they can be:

beef bourguignon college style

Beef Bourguignon is a traditional French recipe. It's a stew made with meat cooked slowly in red wine. It was originated in the Burgundy region in France and is as popular as coq-au-vin (chicken cooked in wine). It's  rare to find someone who doesn't like Beef Bourguignon and my college style recipe is the easiest version you can find. Actually if you are not very experienced in the kitchen it may be a good first recipe to make this delicious French dish.

information junk food - what google and facebook don't tell us

We all know that junk food is bad for us and we put a lot of effort to educate ourselves about that and to eat healthy, despite the massive marketing and engineering of junk food. 

But how about information junk food? Have you heard about it? I have never heard or thought about information junk food until I saw this TED talk. Because it's junk food of a sort I decided to post it in my cooking blog. 

mango and cucumber salad

Mango and Cucumber salads are delicious and a great way to say goodbye to summer. Words to describe this salad are crunchy, zesty, sweet, salty, and refreshing. There are many variations of Mango and Cucumber salads. Some are very complicated and others only use lemon as the dressing. My recipe is a simple and healthy one and very tasty. Below I give you suggestions of other ingredients you can add.

apples and honey! shanah tovah to all!

This post is dedicated to all my Jewish friends, because today is 'Rosh Hashanah' the Jewish New Year. To all of you "Shanah Tovah!" (Have a Good Year).

When I lived in Tanzania my lovely student Amy brought 'apples and honey' for the whole class to celebrate 'Rosh Hashanah' with her. It was a total hit! There was not a single piece of apple left.

Apples and Honey are one of the symbolic foods eaten during Rosh Hashanah. They symbolize a 'sweet new year'. Isn't it just wonderful?

Every time I eat apples with honey I remember my student Amy. But how could I ever forget her? She was and still is absolutely adorable!!!

So what do you need to do?
Just cut the apples in slices/wedges and dip them in honey.  Like in the picture above. Yum!

how to cut a mango

Mangoes are delicious, sweet and have a wonderful texture. They are great in smoothies, salads, parfaits, salsa and many other recipes. Mangoes have lots of minerals and vitamins. If you are curious about mango nutritional values click HERE.

Choosing a ripe mango is the key for many recipes. So we'll start with that and we'll finish with 'how to peel and cut a mango'.

caramelized brussels sprouts with pine nuts

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts

This is the best Brussels sprouts recipe you'll ever taste. I promise. It's not because I've tried a million recipes and nothing worked and I had to come up with one by myself, but it has been approved by my husband, my daughter and my son. It's not the healthiest recipe but who eats Brussels sprouts every day anyway?