What it takes for food to earn that organic label
By Stephanie Wood, Babytalk
Parenting.com
1) Before a food can be labeled “organic,” it must meet certain standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
2) It must be produced without the use of any of the following: conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.
3) Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products must come from animals that are not given antibiotics or growth hormones.
4) Government-approved certifiers must inspect the farm where the products are grown or raised to …

Here’s a twist on crushing garlic, and it doesn’t involve using a knife or a garlic press.  From Tipnut.com:

Tipnut here’s a tip for crushing garlic that once you try it, you’ll never go back to the method you are now using (I guarantee it). It was taught to me by my mother who was from Hungary and I always assumed this was a common thing there, but the few Hungarian friends I have never knew about this.

Find a rock that is smooth and is about the size of your palm. …

Well, you did your research and you bought your knives.  Believe it or not, all that research and shopping around you did was the easy part!
It’s now all about keeping them in prime condition for many years to come.  After all, since you’ve dropped a couple hundred dollars or more into a set of great knives, wouldn’t you want to protect your investment?
High quality knives will lose their durability, longevity, and sharpness rather quickly if they are not properly cared for.  I have put together a list of Do’s and …

Dun dun dun!  The kitchen can be a bathhouse for germs and bacteria.  As a matter of fact, improper cleaning or cross contamination can cause some serious health issues.  As a prior salmonella victim, I take all precautions to make sure my kitchen sink, stove, and counter top are wiped clean after every meal I prepare (and sometimes before I prepare just to be safe).  Here are some tips from silive.com in protecting you and your family from falling ill.

Sponges
It’s best not to buy them. Unless you plan on …

An educated consumer is a smart consumer.  With so many foods labeled as free-range, high-fiber, sugar-free, multigrain, and many others, do we really know what the underlying definition means?  Look no further, the folks at Divine Caroline has explained 16 common supermarket buzzwords that we are sure to come across when we go out to buy groceries:
1. Whole Grain
The FDA dictates that any product labeled thusly must have all parts of the grain kernel—the bran, germ, and endosperm—intact. Traditional examples include rolled oats, whole-wheat flour, and brown rice. Trix can …

Every home cook, newbie or seasoned, ought to own a set of high quality kitchen knives.  A great set of knives can make the difference of transforming a good dish into a great dish.
High quality knives will last a lifetime, that is, if they are properly maintained, and used for what they are intended for.  My belief is that, the more familiar you are with a knife, it will eventually become an extension of your arm.  That’s right, imagine having knife hands!  So think about using the same set of …

Did you know that the common belief of searing meat on all sides on high heat to seal in the juices before putting it in the oven to cook doesn’t hold true?  Or that adding oil to a pot of cooking pasta won’t keep the pasta from sticking after it’s cooked?
Well, until I watched an episode of Good Eats last year, I really thought that searing the meat on high heat would help hold in the juices.  In fact, all the high heat does is push the water out of …

Get smarter about grocery shopping. These tips could change your family eating habits.
By Adam Bluestein and Lauren Gniazdowski
From Reader’s Digest

1. If you hate crowds and lines, shop at dinnertime (5 to 9 p.m.) or even later. Only 4 percent of shoppers hit the aisles between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. Least-crowded day of the week? Wednesday.
2. Go ahead and reach way back for the fresh milk. Everybody does.
3. Coupons with a bar code are easy to scan. The other ones take an eternity. But if you’re willing to wait …
4. …

This is one of my favorite dishes.  I tested it on my friends some weeks ago and we cleaned out the entire pot of pasta.  It’s not difficult to make, but it’s sort of heavy on ingredients.  The best way is to make lots of sauce in advance and freeze it.  The inspiration comes from the Pasta Da Vinci dish from Cheesecake Factory.

Ingredients

4-6 cloves or garlic – finely diced (not minced)
1/2 of a medium sized shallot – diced
6-8 baby Portobello mushrooms – cleaned and sliced
6-8 medium-sized shitake mushrooms – cleaned …

One meal that has stood the test of time is the mighty sandwich.  Invented in 1762 by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, while he was playing poker, the sandwich is versatile, convenient, and complete.  With the right ingredients, it can be the ultimate snack, or a meal in itself.
Sadly, I’ve put the sandwich on the back burner as of late.  The last time I made a sandwich?  I can’t recall.  The only time I eat sandwiches is when there are leftovers in the conference room after an …