Seasoned Cooking: 4 January 2013 Announcements

When Mother Nature gives you a giant pile of snow, there's something to be said for firing up the oven and making your home smell sweet. There's also something to be said for taking a bit of time to brave the elements and make snowmen, snow dogs, and snow bridges! Welcome, winter!

As Christmas Eve dawns, let's take a bit of time to see how foodies the world over celebrate it and contemplate our own special traditions, celebrations, and festive gatherings that are about to commence. However you celebrate, have a joyous holiday season. Seasoned Greetings to you all!

With kids all over home for the holidays, now is a fantastic time to make a big batch of caramel popcorn. Making it can be a project and it's fantastic for settling down and enjoying while you watch a movie as a family, play board games that made their way under the tree, or gather together with friends and loved ones you haven't seen much over the year. What a sweet treat!

As the year draws to a close, a pause to reflect upon the cooking that took place in the last year seems appropriate. What's even more appropriate is taking some time to think about the people that cooking has been shared with throughout the year. It only takes a little bit of time to realize just how precious those events are, whether they are routine family dinners or one-in-a-lifetime festive events. They are definitely something to celebrate, in the old year and also in the New Year!

Eating vegetarian meals, or simply increasing the amount of vegetables and legumes while also decreasing the amount of meat in your diet can be a great choice for your overall health. However, if you think your wallet cannot handle such a decision, you simply need to consider what vegetarian cooking means to you and how you can approach this diet without adding a lot of expensive, fad foods to your grocery cart.

As the holiday season wanes, people think about finding healthier foods for their tables. But you need not do so at the expense of flavor. In a fun recipe featuring roasted vegetables and tahini, a side dish come salad option shows off versatility, health value, and incredible taste. What's more, the dressing for it is so addictive, I've taken to drizzling it over everything from bread to omelets!