[1] A carbon dioxide cartridge in the back of the appliance carbonates creates a bottle of sparkling water. There are colors for every decor.

[2] A four-pack of the most popular flavors. First you carbonate the bottle of water (photo above; then you add your flavor.

[3] Fizzy cocktails, anyone? Make a sparkling Bellini, G&T, Margarita or wine spritzer (all photos courtesy SodaStream).

If you drink a fair amount of sparkling water or soda, there’s one item you should have in your kitchen: SodaStream.

We love SodaStream, the at-home sparkling water maker.

It’s the best way to reduce plastic and metal waste by eliminating the need to buy plastic bottles or cans of sparkling water and soda.

It also saves you gas and muscle fatigue from carrying heavy bags of soft drinks, not to mention disposing of the empties, if you do your best to recycle.

It encourages the family to drink more water: sparkling, plain or with flavors.

It requires no electricity, no battery. It’s lightweight and portable (bring it onto the patio, a boat, etc.).

The carbon dioxide cartridge that provides the fizz is returned for a credit when you purchase refills at SodaStream retailers.

In addition to the company website, SodaStream is sold at Bed Bath & Beyond, Staples, Williams-Sonoma and other retailers. Here’s a store locator.
 
 
DRINK WHATEVER YOU WANT

Many people use SodaStream to make sparkling water.

But just add flavor to the bottle, and it’s easy to offer everyone the soda of their choice.

We have six different flavors on in our pantry: cola, diet cola, ginger ale, lemon-lime, root beer and Diet Dr. Pete (like Dr. Pepper).

There are almost 50 flavor choices: something for everyone including cucumber water, energy drinks, coconut water, peach iced tea, cocktail makers (BYOB), even Welch’s grape juice.

We keep three ready-to-drink flavors in the fridge at any time, and can make something a guest requests in a minute.

Just keep extra bottles of cold water in the fridge, and you’re ready to insert one into the SodaStream maker, carbonate in seconds and add flavor.
 
 
SPECIAL SAVINGS

Every family making soft drinks in SodaStream’s reusable bottle can reduce more than 3,700 bottles and cans from the planet.

That’s an impressive statistic—and it’s Earth Month. How can you resist a purchase that helps you save our planet?

In addition to sitewide savings, you can take an EXTRA 15% discount with promo code EARTHDAY, through April 27th.

Head to SodaStream.com.

AND REMEMBER MOTHER’S DAY AND FATHER’S DAY: COMING SOON!

Passover macaroons are a traditional treat for Passover. But what if you don’t like coconut—or simply have a yen for chocolate?

Voilà: a Passover-friendly recipe for brownies, thanks to Melissa’s.

In order to “bulk up” the brownies in the absence of leavening, Melissa’s has added dried cranberries. They’re delicious paired with chocolate, but you can substitute nuts if you prefer.
 
 
RECIPE: PASSOVER BROWNIES

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Grease a 7-1/2 x 11 x 2-inch baking pan.

2. MELT the butter and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside and cool to room temperature.

[1] Passover brownies studded with cranberries (photo courtesy Melissa’s).

[2] Dried cranberries (photo courtesy King Arthur Flour).

4. BEAT the remaining 2 eggs with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, slowly adding the salt and remaining sugar. Add the cranberries and fold into the chocolate batter. Mix thoroughly by hand.

5. POUR into the prepared pan and bake until top is crusty, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then cut into slices as desired.

[1] Enjoy hot cross buns for breakfast on Good Friday, and at tea time or coffee break all Easter weekend (photo courtesy King Arthur Flour).

Hot cross buns are sweet yeast buns made with raisins or currants, and decorated with a cross.

The cross, symbolizing the Crucifixion, was originally made with knife cuts in the dough. Today it’s piped or spooned on with icing.

The buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF HOT CROSS BUNS

The first recorded use of the term “hot cross bun” appears in 1733. However, the buns have much earlier roots.

As with some other Christian traditions, this one is believed to predate Christianity.

 
Hot cross buns are so tasty, we wish they were available year-round.

Here’s a great recipe from King Arthur Flour.

You can make the dough and the icing the day before, and bake them in time to serve them warm for breakfast on the morning of Good Friday.

Potato salad as first course?

Sure, when it’s as elegant and complex as this Stacked Purple Potato & Cucumber Salad recipe, from the Idaho Potato Commission.

The recipe is a fusion of American potato salad and Middle Eastern tabouli (tabbouleh).

Of course, you can still serve the potato salad, unstacked, as a side dish.
 
 
RECIPE: STACKED BLUE POTATO SALAD WITH TABBOULI

Ingredients

 
For The Side Salad

 
Preparation

1. BRING salted water to boil in a medium pan. Add the red wine vinegar and then the diced potatoes. Cook until just al dente, then shock the potatoes in ice bath. Drain well and pat dry.

2. COMBINE the potatoes, parsley, olive oil, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in large bowl.

3. PLACE a 4-inch ring mold in the center of each plate. Pack the potato mixture firmly into each ring mold. Reserve the extra vinaigrette in a bowl.

4. SPREAD the chopped cucumber on atop. Carefully remove the ring molds. Top the tabouli with mini cucumber (optional).
Garnish plate with feta cheese and Asian greens. Drizzle the greens with remaining vinaigrette.
 
 
CHECK OUT MORE POTATO RECIPES
FROM THE IDAHO POTATO COMMISSION.

[1] Purple Potato stacked potato salad (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] Purple Peruvian potatoes (photo © Mona Makela | Istock Photo).

[3] Blue potatoes (photo © Burpee).

*The miniature potatoes used as garnish in photo #1 have their blossoms attached. Unless you grow your own, you won’t find them in stores. Instead, you can substitute miniature gherkins.

April 14th is National Pecan Day.

Since we got our taxes in the day before, we treated ourself by making this layered Butter Pecan Chocolate Fudge yesterday.

The recipe is below, but first…
 
 
THE HISTORY OF PECANS

Pecans are the only major tree nut indigenous to America, native to the southeastern United States. They are not found naturally (i.e. wild, uncultivated) anywhere else in the world. Even though they can be cultivated elsewhere, American growers produce more than 80% of the world’s pecans (source).

The pecan appeared more than 100 million years ago. Flash-forward 100 million years: Wild pecans were a staple in the diets of Native Americans, who called them pecanes—an Algonquian word that refers to any nut requiring a stone to crack, such as pecans, hickory nuts and walnuts.

The nutritious nut kernels were a major food source for Native Americans in the fall and winter, months when there were no crops to harvest. They also created a nut milk called powcohicora, by fermenting powdered pecans into a drink.

After centuries foraging wild pecans, Native Americans began planting pecan trees (photo #2) and trading the nuts (photo #3) to European explorers.

It takes nearly 10 years for a pecan tree to yield a full output of nuts. But it then produces nuts for 100 years or more.

Pecans are one of our favorite nuts. With their rich, buttery texture, sweet taste (no “bite” as with walnuts) and protein and other nutrition*, we give them two thumbs up.
 
 
RECIPE: BUTTER PECAN CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Thanks to Pampered Chef for this yummy layered recipe of chocolate fudge and butterscotch fudge with pecans (photo #1).

Cut into bite-size pieces, you can have a piece without guilt. The fudge keeps well in an airtight tin.

Ingredients For 60 Bite-Size Pieces

 
Preparation

1. LINE the bottom of a 8-1/2 X 10-inch pan with a piece of parchment paper.

[1] This delicious chocolate fudge has a top layer of butterscotch fudge with pecans (photo courtesy The Pampered Chef).

[2] A groove of pecan trees (photo courtesy Perfect Plants Nursery).

[3] Beautiful pecans. Their shell is one of the prettiest among nuts (photo courtesy Home Depot).

3. RESERVE 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the chopped chocolate for a garnish. In the same saucepan, combine the remaining chocolate and the remaining frosting. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth.

4. CAREFULLY POUR the chocolate mixture over the butterscotch layer in the pan, spreading evenly. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes or until set.

5. INVERT the bar pan onto a cutting board. Carefully peel the parchment paper from the fudge.

6. PLACE the reserved chocolate and oil in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

7. SPREAD the chocolate evenly over the top of fudge. Refrigerate 15-30 minutes or until firm. Cut into 60 small squares.
 
 
HOW ABOUT SOME CHOCOLATE PECAN BROWNIES?

Here’s the recipe.

________________

*A one-ounce serving of pecans (approximately 20 halves) contains 196 calories, 20.4 grams total fat (1.8 saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 0 grams sodium, 2.7 grams dietary fiber and over 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and zinc. They are one of the heart-healthy nuts recommended by the USDA: You can have an ounce a day to keep the doctor away.