Category Archives: Food
Berry, Berry delicious dishes
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
Almost everybody likes blueberry pie, but this year’s
featured blueberry recipes are less well known.
The breakfast French bread casserole isn’t run of the mill. It is convenient, can be made ahead the day before and popped in the oven to fill up a crowd for breakfast.
The salad with cashews makes a light side dish, the blueberry lattice bars are a great snack and the blueberry lemon trifle satisfies the most persnickety taste buds.
So try something a little different and enjoy.
Do-it-yourself ice creams and sorbet
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
With more time at home, a lot of us are experimenting with new recipes and improving old ones.
This week’s recipes focus on homemade ice creams and sorbets to enjoy during this scorching July
weather. Any left over that isn’t eaten the day it is made can be saved in the freezer, just like “store bought.”
The only difference is the homemade version is far superior.
Families cooking together as they confront COVID-19
Families are spending more time at home than ever before. Stay-at-home guidelines have led many parents to expand their culinary horizons, and time in the kitchen can be made more enjoyable by getting the whole family involved.
As stay-at-home measures continued throughout spring, boredom was a common complaint among people of all ages. Families sticking out social distancing together can confront that boredom by working together to prepare delicious, homecooked meals. The following are some simple ways to get the whole family involved when the time comes to get dinner on the table.
• Include young children. Younger children may not be able to cut, dice or chop, but that does not
Follow these take-out tips when dining at home
Although takeout has long been a convenience enjoyed by people around the world, in recent months takeout became a key way for many restaurants to stay afloat when the novel coronavirus 
COVID-19 forced many to close their facilities to customers.
Restaurants have been allowed to remain open, though they have been forced to change their business models. In a matter of weeks, establishments that were not accustomed to offering takeout quickly reimagined their operations to offer curbside pickup or delivery options. In turn, many communities promoted movements to help keep restaurants afloat, with some encouraging residents to participate in Takeout Thursdays to patronize struggling bars,
Better-for-you family foods
If spending additional time in the comfort of your home has you rethinking the family menu and looking for new ways to enjoy nutritional meals, rest assured you can make better-for-you food choices without losing mouthwatering taste.
Easy, efficient at-home recipes like Thai Coconut Lime Freezer Chicken, Burrito Beef and Cauli Mac and Cheese can all be made in less than an hour while reducing the intake of carbs and unnecessary sugars. All are part of a balanced Atkins low-carb lifestyle, a long-term, healthy eating approach focused on high-fiber carbohydrates, optimal protein and healthy 
fats.
The eating approach, which is a more flexible version of the popular ketogenic diet, offers a balanced mix of foods containing fiber-rich and nutrient-dense carbohydrates while focusing on reduced levels of refined carbohydrates, added sugars and the “hidden sugar effect” – when carbohydrates convert to sugar when digested. You don’t see the sugar, but your body does.
Introducing your family to smarter food choices can also support your immunity. According to research published in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” simply substituting whole grains for refined grains has a modest effect on gut microbiota and immunity. Refined grains have had most of the fiber milled out of them, leaving a refined carbohydrate that impacts your body the way sugar would. Opt for whole grains to get the fiber you need, along with protein and healthy fats.
To learn more and find additional ways to focus family meals on nutritious recipes, visit Atkins.com.
— Family Features
Cool as a cucumber summer salads
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
Take advantage of cucumbers that are really fresh. Buy local if
possible. Did you know that some cucumbers lie around in the grocery store for days and days before going home with consumers? So, when you buy them, get the freshest ones you can find.
Right from the garden is best. If a drought is going on, cut the stem end off about a half an inch, as dry weather will make that end of the cucumber bitter.
They say now that it is safe to eat cucumber peel. And that may be, but I always peel mine, because anything a hog won’t consume can’t be that good. It is a matter of personal preference.
These recipes are easy, cool and refreshing. I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine does.
Add seafood to your summer meals
Grilled meals provide a summer escape for many families by offering opportunities to spend moments together while enjoying flavorful dishes. As Americans face uncertainty in many aspects of life, one place they should be able to turn to for normalcy is food.
One option that checks boxes including comfort, fun, taste and
variety: seafood. As a nutritious protein available across the country, it is versatile and can be paired with a variety of cuisines and flavors. Options range from salmon and shrimp to crab, tuna and more.
To encourage hungry Americans to enjoy the many benefits of eating seafood, the “Eat Seafood America” campaign offers these reasons to add fish, shrimp and
Asparagus can pack a flavor punch
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
Asparagus are not just good, they’re good for you. They have vitamin E, K and folic acid and are credited with helping as a conductor of insulin in the body.
They’re a fibrous vegetable, and a serving can fill you up. These are all good reasons to eat asparagus for your health.
But isn’t it nice that something so good for you is delicious.
None of these dishes are really complicated, but they can be served up quickly and pack some punch into an everyday meal.
I hope you’ll enjoy this delicious vegetable.
New potatoes are a different tater
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
For a few short weeks in late May and June we have
access to new potatoes. These are potatoes just rolled from the dirt with skins so thin they easily wash away 
when cleaned.
They have a unique flavor. And though there are hundreds of ways to cook
potatoes, sometimes simplest is best. My favorite is to just have them cooked in water that’s been salted and eaten with a little melted butter.
But variety is the spice of life, so this week a few other options are available. Enjoy.
Salute the tropics with pineapples
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
During the early part of the year, sometimes it seems like
spring will never get here and summer is a thing of the past, but even on those long winter days, you can always consider making dishes that feature a fruit that brings warmer weather to mind.
Fresh or canned, pineapple, is good and versatile.
My favorite way to eat it is fresh without baking, grilling or roasting. But these dishes change it up a little bit.
I wouldn’t recommend preparing them all for one meal. That might be overkill.
Still, they make a tasty addition to any table.
