I was surprised to read today that The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a research report that found organic produce not significantly better for us than conventionally grown veggies and fruits. As someone who tries to buy organic whenever possible, I just found it hard to believe. How could pesticides and other chemicals used by conventional produce growers not be found to be harmful? It only seems logical that they would be inherent in the food and how could that be a healthy choice for us? You can read the summary here if you’re interested.

I’ve been reading a lot lately about microwaving and how it negatively affects your foods. According to some recent research, microwaving actually alters the composition of your food, not only making it less nutritious but also making it harder for your body to digest it.  If that’s the case, it makes me wonder how much we should be microwaving our foods? I find it very convenient for quickly heating up left-overs, but maybe when it comes to cooking my vegetables and other foods it might be better to use something like this Oster Mechanical Food Steamer.

It’s the kind of small kitchen appliance that I know I’d get a lot of use out of. This two tier steamer is perfect for steaming so many healthy dishes plus it has a large bowl that you can cook up to ten cups of rice in it, and another tray that you can make hard or soft-boiled eggs in. It’s super easy to take apart and clean when you’re done too.

Somehow it’s been over a month since I’ve been on the blog. I honestly don’t know where  the time has gone, but then I think most of us feel that way. One day you’re planning a small vacation or a special gathering and the next it’s a month later and the vacation has come and gone, the event has passed. And now that summer is full upon us now, the kids are home from school for vacation and the temperatures are sizzling. For me, the tricky part of this season can be figuring out what to make for dinner that won’t make the kitchen hotter than necessary.

So what to cook? Well of course, like many people, we do a lot of bbq. Most times it’s simple like hotdogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob. Other times we mix it up and bake fish, like tuna fillets or flounder, or we make variations of kebobs like chicken and pepper kebobs or vegetarian versions. Another convenient cooking method for summer cooking is the slow cooker. While many of us use it during the winter for stews and soups, this great kitchen appliance is perfect for the hot seasons as well. I confess that I still use the oven now and again during the heat,  but usually it’s easy to find work arounds with a little bit of creativity and flexiblity. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with some delivery pizza now and again!