Want to liven up your snacks, lunch or just create a special treat? Have you ever thought of drying or dehydrating food at home? Many of us love the taste of a chewy piece of dried fruit, a savory bite of beef jerky, or the added crunch of dried seeds in a salad. Oftentimes, however, these types of goodies are expensive or loaded with added . . . more »

Anyone who spends time looking into popular trends in health and nutrition has probably heard about juicing. From promising to help you lose loads of weight, to cleansing your body to lowering cholesterol, juicing is a craze that often seems to travel into “cure-all” territory. While many of the claims about juicing have not been scientifically proven to be true, there are some benefits to . . . more »

Sometimes cooking something delicious and healthy after a long day of school, work or taking care of the family can be a real hassle. But before you reach for your phone to order pizza, why not plan ahead and make something everyone can enjoy in one of the handiest tools ever created for the kitchen: the slow cooker! Slow cookers (a.k.a. crock pots) are an . . . more »

I think we can all agree that some of the best, most flavorful food in the world originates from the multitude of cuisines found in Asia and its surrounding islands. From Chinese to Japanese to Thai food and more, the list goes on and on of delicious culinary treasures that anyone regardless of their nationality or ethnicity can enjoy. The only problem? Though generally quite . . . more »

Avid gardeners and chefs alike are probably aware that there are a multitude of books that focus on each subject, so many, in fact, that sometimes it's difficult to wade through them. What if there was a book that combined gardening tips and recipes? What a time saver that would be! Well look no further, the Santa Clara County Library District has just what you're . . . more »

There are few things more delicious than freshly grown produce. From incredibly crisp lettuce to tree-ripened apricots to moist, crunchy carrots...enjoying a mouthful of flavor straight from the ground is enchanting! So why is it that so many of us eat produce that has been shipped for weeks from around the world and has lost most of the luster it had when it was freshly . . . more »

Who doesn't remember Olivia Newton-John singing and dancing alongside John Travolta in 1978's Grease? Well now this famous Aussie is raising money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne with proceeds from her new cookbook, Livwise. According to the Centre's website, the book contains recipes created by Olivia in her own kitchen, along with contributions from friends and chefs at her health . . . more »

In her latest book, Easy Sexy Raw, former supermodel, actress and author Carol Alt continues her efforts to improve health and well-being through the raw food diet. In her first book, Eating in the Raw, Alt explained how integrating the raw food diet into her life eased a lot of chronic ailments she had been experiencing, from headaches, to sinusitis to stomach pain. One thing . . . more »

First Lady Michelle Obama might be one of the busiest women in the nation, but she still has time to think about ways to make sure her children eat healthy and nutritious foods. In her new book, American Grown, the First Lady discusses how she and her girls planted the first White House vegetable garden since the time of Eleanor Roosevelt! In an interview with . . . more »

Last week, author and Silicon Valley resident Cheryl Sternman Rule visited the Morgan Hill Libary to discuss her new cookbook Ripe: A Fresh, Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables. The program was wonderful, and for those who weren't able to make it...don't worry! The library owns the cookbook and you can reserve a copy for yourself today! What makes this cookbook so unique is how . . . more »