During my days of baking for the farmers market, one of the most popular items was muffins. Blueberry ones were the favorite. I had acquired a pan that made the big muffins you see at certain warehouse megamarts these day. I found that scratch muffins were just as tasty as …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
I usually have some food left over from Thanksgiving. That evening, the poor refrigerator is bulging with tasty morsels, tucked into any space not already taken up by the usual residents.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
In this modern age, grocery stores are stuffed with all sorts of soup stock. These pre-packaged items have made it quite easy to whip up a quick soup. They are also usually loaded with salt.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
I love Rice Krispies treats, though I've learned to eat them in moderation. Long before you could buy ready-made ones in the store, making your own was very popular, though you would occasionally find a batch made with less than the freshest ingredients. Sometimes there was the batch with not …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
It doesn't seem like all that long ago our garden was doing its thing. But then as the temperatures changed and we had a chance of a frost, we decided to not pick any of the tomatoes. We figured the frost would not be that bad and we could get …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Back during my high school days, there was a rotating menu of foods available in the cafeteria. The ones that stick in my mind the most all these years later is that Tuesdays were hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes and Thursdays were turkey gravy over mashed potatoes. As I recall, …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
There are several different kinds of winter squash and many of them have a very distinctive taste. Pumpkin is probably the most popular squash and easiest to find. Butternut, blue hubbard, acorn, and spaghetti squash are also found in most stores. You might have found others at the farmers market.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Molasses traces its American history back to 1493 when Columbus introduced it to the West Indies. It was the major sweetener used in America until after World War I because it was less expensive than sugar.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
I thought I would try to find even more ways to enjoy the fresh pears we've had this season. While there is a certain amount of joy of biting into a fully ripe and juicy pear, sometimes you want to try something a little different.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Watermelon season is upon us. If you don't have some lurking in your garden, maybe your neighbor does. If neither of these are true, watermelons are available at the farmers market and the megamarts likely have a supply from the Hermiston area.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
I'm going to say something controversial. Some may stop reading this piece as soon as I mention what it is. Some will wonder why it has taken me so long to get to it. Maybe I need help.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
A few years back some friends introduced my wife and me to a saltine cracker seasoning mix they had made up. The crackers had a bit of an oily feel, but that was overshadowed by the savory/spicy flavor we were tasting. The cracker retained its crispy crunch, but had a …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Lettuce is a fine late spring item in our area. If started early enough, you could have been enjoying fresh lettuce for the last month or so. We started and have kept ours in a greenhouse.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
I decided to do a grilling event at our church recently. Call it something like a tailgate party, though I really just grilled a bunch of food for eating inside.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
I’ve got a love/hate relationship with boxed cake mixes. I suspect they are getting smaller over the years and they have a particular kind of taste not matched by scratch-made cakes, but the ease of making a cake with them is hard to beat. I don’t have a lot of …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
This is that time of year where you should think about finishing those outdoor projects before it gets really cold. You need a good hearty soup or stew to warm you up and get you ready for another round of outside activity. Or just stay indoors!
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
I got hold of some really nice salmon fillets the other day. These were about 16 ounces each. They still had the pin bones in them, so I broke out my pair of pliers I keep for kitchen use and carefully felt out each bone. I grabbed each with the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Quick breads have the advantage of being easily made in almost unlimited varieties, though certain flavors predominate. They can be made with whole wheat flour, rye flour, cornmeal, bran, oatmeal, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and spices.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Chicken wings are a big item these days. You see them on just about any menu and they are served at just about every bar. Usually with some sort of hot and spicy seasoning. Orders of the wings are served with a creamy dip, such as ranch, to help tame …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
In botany, corn is the name given to the leading cereal crop of any major region. In England, corn means wheat; in Scotland and Ireland, oats. In America, corn is the grain called maize, or Indian corn, a grass that was domesticated and cultivated long before Europeans reached the New …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Many of you know about the lettuce shortage currently going on. Wet weather in California has affected the production cycle, causing stores to either be out of lettuce, or have it at a much higher price, even if the quality of what is available has dropped. Affected the most is …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
I've been thinking about pizza lately. I've got a favorite pizza place in the Basin, and I'm sure many others do too. But what do you do if you can't get there, or would rather make your own?
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Home food preservation has always been a big deal in our house, with both of our families having long histories of putting up foods. My wife has kept a list of all the things we put away last year, and it came to an impressive number of nearly 1,000 jars …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
I have some leftover chicken in the house. I had baked two whole chickens, but didn't get very far through the second one, so I put it in the fridge for later use. Yes, I like to eat cold chicken, but that doesn't leave much to write about. My go-to …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
