Apple juice without sugar guilt. Photo
by River Soma | THE NIBBLE.

And when we see fresh-from-the-farm apple juice, we can’t help but take home a jug.

Unfortunately, that half gallon of sweet apple juice, our version of Proust’s madeleines, disappears all too quickly—at about 120 calories per eight-ounce glass. It’s refreshing, but so is Trop50 Farmstand Apple juice drink, a better choice for people who like to drink tall glasses of juice.

Thanks to Tropicana, apple juice lovers can have an eight-ounce glass of crisp-tasting apple juice beverage for fewer than half the calories of conventional juice. Trop50 Farmstand Apple has 50% less sugar and calories, and no artificial sweeteners. (It uses Pure Via stevia, an added sweetener that comes from a South American herb and is totally natural.)

At 50 calories per eight-ounce glass, Trop50 Farmstand Apple “squeezes in” a full day’s supply of vitamin C and is a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E. In addition to pleasing adult calorie-counters, it’s a great product for kids.

The 59-ounce bottle has a suggested retail price of $3.59 and can be found in the chilled juice section of the supermarket.

The redesigned, curvy plastic bottle is so sleek, we’ve repurposed the empties in the fridge as water bottles.

• Find more of our favorite beverages plus recipes.

We feel that way about risotto. Chocolate pudding. Macaroni and cheese.

One way to avoid taking a second slice or scoop is to serve the food in ramekins for portion control. There’s no large dish brought to the table to tempt: just one ramekin per person and that’s it.

Ramekins are available in a range of sizes, from four ounces to eight ounces. For the smallest portion, use four-ounce ramekins.

Ramekins are a good investment. They’re very versatile, and can be used to bake soufflés, custards and other foods. We use them to serve:

• Garnishes like olives and pickles (they’re also great for holding discarded olive pits)

Rich and creamy lobster risotto from
Hancock lobster arrives portion-controlled.
Photo courtesy Hancock Gourmet Lobster.

• Sides like apple sauce, sour cream, dipping sauces and salad dressings
• Snacks and nibbles like nuts and dips
• Toppings for ice cream, pancakes, yogurt, etc.

While most ramekins are white, you can find them in different colors. Le Creuset has handsome 7-ounce ramekins in 6 colors.

Einkorn is nutty, chewy, flavorful and
healthier pasta. Photo courtesy Jovial Foods.

Over time, hybridization created the more prolific double-kernel wheat varieties, and einkorn ceased to be cultivated except in a few remote regions. But when the preserved remains of a Bronze Age man were found in Italy in 1991, scientists became interested in the einkorn he had eaten.

Following research, some farmers began growing this relict crop. Einkorn berries (kernels), einkorn flour and einkorn pasta are now available to consumers.

Why should you boil up a batch of einkorn pasta? Read the full review.

• Don’t know rigatoni from radiatore? The difference between linguine and spaghetti? See our Pasta Glossary.

If you’re like most Americans, the answer is: once, on Thanksgiving.

But now, you can enjoy that turkey dinner any day via a Turkey Dinner Burger and Pumpkin Pie milkshake!

It’s currently being served all month at Jake’s Wayback Burgers, through the end of the month. If there’s no Jake’s Wayback near you, you can easily make the Turkey Dinner Burger and Pumpkin Milkshake at home:

• Turkey Dinner Burger: On a toasted burger bun, layer a turkey burger, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Put mayo on the top half of the bun. A garnish of chopped fresh sage and parsley adds real Thanksgiving flavor.

All the flavors of Thanksgiving in a burger.
Photo courtesy Jack’s Wayback Burgers.

• Pumpkin Milkshake:

Combine in blender 3 scoops pumpkin ice cream, 1-1/2 cups milk and 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Blend until smooth.

Tips For Making Better Burgers

Burger Recipes For Every Day Of The Month

Set out different bowls of:

• Sliced bananas and other fruits
• Berries
• Chocolate chips
• Toffee bits
• Sliced almonds
• Syrups and/or dessert sauces (chocolate, caramel, berry)
• Whipped cream
• Ice cream
• Anything else that adds to the fun (M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces)

Treat your guests to a waffle bar.
Photo courtesy Screme Gelato.

Another better-for-you dessert sauce is low-glycemic agave nectar, available at natural food stores. Flavored agave dessert syrups are available from OrganicNectars.com.

• See our favorite whole grain pancake and waffle mixes.