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A couple of folks I go to church with are trying the Daniel Fast. You can learn more about it at www.UltimateDanielFast.com . As far as I understand it, the goal is to eat fruits and vegetables and seeds and grain like Daniel did when King Nebuchadnezzar wanted his wise men to eat meat. He drank only water and refused wine. He and three others were more healthy than their peers who ate the richer food. For a church potluck, I wanted to make sure there was food everyone could eat -- even if they were following a certain eating plan. We decided to bring salads and fruits. I found these recipes on www.UltimateDanielFast.com. They are so yummy and filling I felt satisfied after eating only servings of these dishes plus some fruits and salad other people brought to share. The Cinnamon-Raisin Carrot Salad is so sweet, I didn't crave a dessert after dinner. And it is light and refreshing ... it's not heavy like the version that has a mayo-based dressing. I will definitely be add...

I have to brag on my child, and maybe myself. It's a good feeling when the almost-8-year-old says, "What's for dinner? Roasted vegetables? Oooh! With hominy?! Yes!" I discovered this recipe when I was pregnant for her in a cookbook titled "Eating For Pregnancy". When she was old enough to eat baby food, I cooked this and pureed it and fed it to her. She has always loved fruits and vegetables, choosing them over other foods sometimes, and I've been grateful we haven't had to struggle to get her to eat them. ROASTED OR GRILLED MARINATED VEGETABLES from "Eating for Pregnancy: An Essential Guide to Nutrition with Recipes for the Whole Family" by Catherine Jones with Rose Ann Hudson Note: You can grill these also; I have yet to try it, but when I do I'll use my Pampered Chef Grill Basket! 1 medium red bell pepper, washed, cored, seeded, and quartered 1 medium (about 8 ounces) purple eggplant, washed and cut into 1/2-inch slices (see Cooking ...

Weekends are the time for farmers markets. Here are some of my finds from recent trips and what I've done with them. I'm lucky to live across the street from my community's farmers market. It's also on Friday mornings so I can go to neighboring towns' markets on Saturdays. To find a farmers market near you, go to www.localharvest.org . Sheesh! Blackberries are expensive! Ads in our local paper range from $15 to $18 a gallon. I paid an indulgent $7 for a quart at the market. Next time I'll just pick them myself. But these made a lovely cobbler with my mom's crust recipe. 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup Crisco 3/4 cup milk Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9-by-9 glass baking dish. If you have enough berries to make a 13-by-9 pan, double the crust recipe. Rinse and pick over berries. Sweeten with sugar as desired (maybe 1/2 cup). Stir in cornstarch or tapioca -- I'm bad at estimating this and my filling is always ru...

This is a tasty way to sneak in a vegetable and stretch a pound of ground meat. BURGERS WITH MUSHROOMS AND ZUCCHINI 1 pound lean ground turkey 1/2 pound mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and finely chopped 1 cup whole-wheat or Italian breadcrumbs (see bonus tip) 1/2 cup grated zucchini 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 heaping tablespoons ketchup 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Nonstick cooking spray 1 tablespoon oil 4 bagels, split and toasted Steak sauce or ketchup for topping Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a food processor to chop the mushrooms and grate the squash. In a large bowl, mix the meat, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, zucchini, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper until well-combined. The mixture will be moist. Form into eight patties. Coat a large nonstick ovenproof (like cast-iron) skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Add the burgers and brown on one side for 4-5 minutes. Turn the burgers, then ...