Whether celebrating winter holidays is your tradition or not, there is something in general about the year ending up that makes life incredibly hectic. My dog Bella tries to help with all of the wrapping. In addition to the usual Christmas shopping and parties we have this time of year, my daughter’s dream of having a [...]

(Polenta cakes served with goat cheese, roasted veggies and hot sauce.) Polenta, which originated in Europe, is similar to grits as both are made from stoneground corn. The type of corn for each varies as does the coarser texture of the cornmeal used to make polenta. I consider polenta to be a great vessel for [...]

There was a time when extra overripe bananas meant the pleasure or pressure to bake. Once I made the banana ice scream recipe from the Vitamix cookbook, I realized that bananas were just as useful frozen as any other frozen fruit. This is an easy way to preserve those spare bananas without them sticking together! [...]