Category Archives: Food
Serve your peppers – hot or not
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
There are many different varieties of peppers on the market, and different levels of heat for each variety.
This week, we feature recipes with very mild to hotter peppers. The jalapeno poppers are the hottest dish featured, then the stuffed Poblano, the baked banana pepper poppers and the mildest sweetest recipe, the stuffed pimento peppers.
We are very fortunate in having access to many varieties of peppers brought to America from other countries, and we enjoy them prepared many different ways.
Cream pie has many variations
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
If given a choice between pie or cake as dessert, pie is usually picked around our house.
Our crowd claims that all but a few cakes dry out too quickly.
They like the moist richness of cream pies. Favorites include 
chocolate, vanilla, banana and butterscotch.
This is fortunate for the cook, as all are variations of a basic cream filling.
This week we are featuring a basic cream filling with meringue topping and a chocolate, banana and butterscotch version of this pie.
Think light and mellow with pears
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
The most important thing to remember about pears is to allow them to
ripen before using.
Most of the pears in grocery stores are not ripe, but if left out of the refrigerator for a couple of days at home, they will ripen beautifully.
If you have access to a pear tree, you’ll know to pick the pears just before they’re ready and then let them ripen on the counter.
There’s nothing quite like a ripe pear. It’s mild in flavor, sweet and juicy. Please enjoy this week’s recipes.
Celery: not just a snack
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
Celery is a vegetable that is overlooked and often taken for granted. We’re used to seeing it in salads 
and paired with carrots as a vegetable to dip in various and sundry substances, but it’s time to regroup.
Don’t neglect celery as more than just a tired old snack food.
It has the advantage of being nutritious and a real plus as far as diets go, and it’s considered a negative-rated source of calories.
String it before eating, a task easily done with a
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Peppers bring flavor and color to meals
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
Bell peppers are a great source of nutrition and come in a number of beautiful bright colors.
Since we eat with our eyes as well as our taste buds, peppers can transform a dull, predictable meal into something to remember.
The recipes included this week are but a small sampling of the power of peppers.
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
