'Summer'

Those of you who have been following Circle of Food for a while know that each year I have “Camp Aunt Mary” where my nieces and nephew, whose busy schedules allow, come to stay with me for a week of fun.  My 11-year old niece, Hannah, was the only one who came this year –  so she got a lot …

What a lovely berry, the gooseberry!  When was the last time you saw or heard of a gooseberry?  Well, my opportunity was a few weeks ago when I went with my garden club to tour a lovely country garden in Clifton, a small town near Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Two women run a business called “Herbs and Lace” where they make …

This fat-free potato salad recipe is my own concoction. It is a little different with its 1 cup of parsley and some banana peppers. I served it warm and thought it tasted great. My husband went back for seconds — actions speak louder than words.

Mary’s Fat-Free Potato Salad

• 6 redskin potatoes, boiled and cubed
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
•  6

…

Originally uploaded by Child of the 60′s

I recently learned of a new product called Grill Charms™ that I think would make a great unique gift for the holidays. They are similar in concept to wine charms for wine glasses, but with a twist. — they are used to tag food.

Grill Charms™ are dime-sized, solid, stainless steel charms …

Originally uploaded by tiarafoto

Sometimes you don’t know you are in a rut until something new comes along.  I’m talking about the lemon garnish that everyone is serving with their water.  Boring!

Even beer producers are more creative.  Blue Moon serves an orange slice and Corona has a lime wedge.

If you are ready to be a little creative, try …

Everyone loves themed cupcakes for special events and holidays….atleast I do but I have a few simple ideas to make cupcakes even more festive and cute for any occasion.

1. Instead of baking cupcakes like any other individual, you can put the batter in cake cones and bake them on a cookie sheet. These cupcakes are perfect for a birthday …

A walk down through the county fair is not for the faint of heart or weight watcher. Everything is battered and deep-friend — Oreos, Ho-Ho’s, Snickers, Milky Way, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups…even Pepsi.

But this year at the Great Indiana State Fair, all those deep-fried goodies are also free of trans fat.

This is practically unheard of. They’re still deep-fried …

Summer without barbeque is unthinkable. Summer without wine is boring. Mix wine pairing and barbecue together, add some friends, and you’ve got the ideal all-American get-together.

While cooking meat, poultry or fish over an open pit fire is prevalent in cultures around the world, America has made its own finger-lickin’ contribution to the gastronomical world with numerous styles of barbeque, …