VALENTINE’S DAY: Magnum Ruby Ice Cream Bars (Real Pink Chocolate!)

[1] Magnum’s Ruby Mini Ice Cream Bar (photo © Magnum Ice Cream).   A few months ago we wrote about ruby chocolate, the fourth type of chocolate after dark, milk and white. Ruby is the first new chocolate in 80 years. The pink-colored chocolate gets its hue naturally, from a particular type of cacao bean.…
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VALENTINE GIFT: A Peppercorn Plant (Piper Nigrum)

Many people grow herbs at home. How about peppercorns? If your Valentine has a green thumb, a peppercorn plant is a different kind of gift. You can grow one as a houseplant (photo #1); or if you live in a semi-tropical climate, you can grow it outdoors (here’s what you need to know to grow…
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RECIPE: Pommes Aligot, A Very ‘Cheesy Potatoes’ Recipe

[1] Creamy heaven, half mashed potatoes, half melted cheese. The recipe was developed by Cheryl Bennett of Pook’s Pantry (recipe and photos #1 and #2 © Idaho Potato Commission. [2] Pommes Aligot is stretchy, like fondue. [3] Laguiole, the original cheese used for Pommes Aligot. It’s difficult to find in the U.S., but there are…
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COCKTAIL RECIPE: Dirty Martini With Black Pepper & Black Olives

Today, a sonata on the Dirty Martini, offering a different interpretation for its fans. Dirty Martinis are typically made with green olive brine and a green olive garnish. This twist on the Dirty Martini recipe below is black olive brine and black olives. For a touch of heat, it infuses the vodka with black peppercorns…
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RECIPE: Spiralizer Zucchini Linguine, Super Low In Calories

[1] Simple, delicious, low in calories (photo © Pampered Chef). [2] Don’t want to spiralize? Buy zucchini that’s been spiralized for you (photo © Hazel Claire Ivy | Pinterest). Earlier this month we covered all the ways you can use your spiralizer. One of the recipes we’ve been spiralizing a lot is this Zucchini Linguine.…
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