I had some ground beef to use up the other day, but wanted a light lunch that wouldn’t make us feel stuffed.  I decided to make lettuce cups, a treat my friend’s mother used to make for us when I’d come over.  My friend’s mom is Thai, Filipino, and Chinese, so I wasn’t sure what culture the lettuce cup recipe comes from.  I tried doing some research but found similar recipes for both Thai lettuce cups and Chinese lettuce cups.  I decided that, like most foods in Hawaii, it’s the result of a myriad of cultures living and eating together.  So I’m calling them Asian Lettuce Cups. Read more

Hello, my name is Diana, and I am obsessed with cheese.  I’ve stood for a full 30 minutes in front of a cheese case, not speaking or touching anything, simply staring at the abundance and variety of amazing cheeses.  I’ve taken a plate full of cheese samples to a corner all by myself so I can savor the nuances of each bite completely without distraction.  My current favorite is a lovely orange cheese called Mimolette, which I got hooked on when my friends Todd and Diane brought it on our trip to Mexico.  But I have to tell you, Mimolette has a dirty little secret. Read more

I’ve had kind of an abundance of brown bananas lately, I buy a bunch eat a couple, then forget about them.  When it comes to brown banana recipes , muffins are an easy way to go.  I prefer mini muffins because a whole muffin is often more than I want to eat.  I decided a couple days ago to try making my own banana muffin recipe. Read more

I’m always being asked about healthy snacks for kids, in fact I have a whole class devoted to healthy kid snacks in the curriculum I’m developing.  One of my favorite vegetables for snacking is kale.  Sounds strange right?  Like chomping on leaves for a snack?  But crispy kale chips are a perfect snack.  I like them better than popcorn!  Roasted kale chips are crunchy salty bites of goodness that will disappear fast and make your kids beg for more.  Here’s a step by step photo tutorial for a healthy snack that’s ready in 15 minutes. Read more

Prunes have gotten a bit of a bad rap.  They tend to be associated with old people and remedies for intestinal problems.  But really they’re quite delicious and deserve some respect.  Maybe that’s why they’re being called “dried plums” now.  The first time I heard that I was like, “Wait, isn’t that a prune?”.  Personally, I’ve always liked prunes.  My poor brother had lots of health issues, so had to eat some everyday as a child.  I loved it because there was always a bag of prunes in the cupboard for me to snack on. Read more