If you love those soft-and-crunchy half-popped kernels in the popcorn bowl, you’ll love Halfpops.

We are very fond of those special kernels, so it’s no surprise that Halfpops, new in the marketplace, has become one of our favorite snacks.

Not only are these crunchy kernels great with a beverage—beer and wine are our beverages of choice here—but they are terrific garnishes for salads, soups and other foods.

And Halfpops are a guilt-free snack: Popcorn is a whole grain.

Read the full review.

Find more of our favorite crunchy snacks.

Crunchy nuggets with a cinnamon blush.
Photo courtesy Kashi Company.

When we left for college, Shredded Wheat became a go-to comfort food, standing in for many a dinner as well as breakfast.

Today we know that Shredded Wheat and similar boxed cereals are whole grain powerhouses. When we saw that Kashi Company’s Autumn Wheat contained 50g of whole grains—even more than the recommended daily value—we switched brands and started each day with a bowl of Kashi. (The flavor is better, too.)

Now the Kashi Company, known for its tasty organic cereals, has launched Cinnamon Harvest: crunchy, bite-size whole wheat biscuits splashed with ground cinnamon and organic evaporated cane juice crystals.

It’s a great snacking cereal, too, and is also available in Island Vanilla, made with finely-ground vanilla beans.

Why Is Whole Grain So Important?

Our article on whole grain cereals explains all.

FAVORITE NEW USE

 
Snacks

 
Other favorite uses? Tell us!

TYPES OF HONEY

 
One of the nicest features of the portabella is its thick cap, the thickest in the mushroom world. This feature provides a unique meatiness—both in texture and flavor—and grilled portabellas are often enjoyed as a stand-in for meat in vegetarian dishes.

Due to the popularity of the species, smaller strains of Agaricus bisporus with darker flesh were bred and are sold as baby portobello, baby bella, crimini, mini bella and portabellini mushrooms.

Now for the spelling:

Is it portabella, portobella or portobello?

All three spellings are correct, with portobello being the most common. Call them whatever you want: Just call them for dinner!

This recipe, by chef and restaurateur James Boyce, makes a beautiful presentation as a first course or a light lunch entrée.

The grilled portabella is filled with herbed salad and rests on a bed of baked goat cheese.

How many types of mushrooms have you tried? See our Mushroom Glossary.

Like most foodstuffs, honey does best in a location that is cool and dry. Store honey at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

Never put honey in the fridge; it accelerates the crystallization.* When honey crystallizes, the texture becomes “crunchy”—not a pleasant state for most people, but still safe to eat.

Crystallization is a natural process that occurs when glucose, one of three main sugars in honey (along with fructose and sucrose), spontaneously precipitates out of the supersaturated† honey solution and takes the form of crystals.

All honey will ultimately turn to sugar crystals—some in months, some not for years.

* Other terms for crystallization include sugared, granulated, solidified and crystallized. The crystals may be large or small, grainy/sandy or smooth.

†The supersaturated state occurs because there is so much sugar in honey (more than 70%) relative to the water content (often less than 20%).

Simply place the honey jar in a microwave-safe container with the lid off, and microwave it for 30 seconds. Plastic containers may not be microwaveable, so transfer the honey to a microwave-safe receptacle (we use a Pyrex measuring cup with an easy-pour lip) and then return the honey to the container. Another tip: spray the measuring cup or dish with cooking spray so the honey will flow back into its container more easily.

If you don’t have a microwave, you can place the jar in hot water and stir occasionally until the crystals dissolve, about 10 to 15 minutes.

How To Keep Honey From Crystallizing

‡ Processing removes grains of pollen and extraneous solids. The process typically heats honey to 150°F to 170°F.
MORE HONEY TIPS here.