Good Press

When I worked for a newspaper, the employees compiled their favorite recipes into a cookbook that they sold to raise money for the United Way. This recipe was on the same page as two that I contributed. It is flavorful, fast, can be light and elegant enough to serve for a special meal. I serve it with rice and stir-fried mixed vegetables. HONEY LIME CHICKEN 1 20-ounce can pineapple slices 2 whole chicken breasts, split (I get boneless) garlic salt (I use garlic powder) 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons soy sauce 4 tablespoons lime juice 2 teaspoons cornstarch Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons of juice. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt/powder. Broil until cooked. (I sometimes use my grill pan.) Combine pineapple juice, honey, lime juice, soy sauce and cornstarch in saucepan. Cook, stirring until thickened. Add pineapple to sauce. Heat through. Spoon over chicken. Source: Cooking for a Cause, contributed by Marian Fisher

The colder-than-usual temperatures are really brutal to my skin, which normally doesn't have any problems. My creamy cleanser and moisturizer haven't been able to keep up. I tried to drink more water to fight the problem and that didn't completely solve it. I pumped moisture into the air with a humidifier. But for immediate relief for my dry, tight, itchy, flaky face, I whipped up a home remedy with ingredients in the kitchen. I found a few variations of this recipe all over the 'Net. 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon honey a little ground oatmeal (optional) Combine and apply to face (avoiding eyes) for 15 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. This recipe made enough for me to do two applications, which I thought was excessive to do two days in a row. I could halve the recipe but what would I do with half an egg yolk? I think with a little planning -- mixing it on the weekend when I make scrambled eggs or something else I could sneak a little extra egg yolk...

My fabulous foodie friend Katie e-mailed me a recipe for roasted peaches that she concocted. It sounded yummy, but I had no whole vanilla beans and I worried extract just wouldn't do it justice. I made it with a cinnamon stick instead. It was warm and spicy and quite good. Here's my way and her way: Cinnamon Roasted Peaches 6 peaches, sliced in half, stones removed 3-4 tablespoons melted butter 3-4 tablespoons cinnamon-infused honey 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar cinnamon stick vanilla ice cream Whisk together the butter, honey and brown sugar in a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Add the cinnamon stick. Place peach halves in the mixture, turning to coat thoroughly, and resting cut side down. Bake at about 375 degrees for 25 minutes or so, checking for doneness. About every 8-10 minutes or so, remove the peaches from the oven and use a spoon to baste the peaches in the honey mixture. Roast until the peaches yield easily to a knife, but aren’t mushy, and the honey mixture is bubbly ...