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Every now and then good old mashed potatoes sound so good, especially if one is not eating much starch in their diet.  The recipe for Parsnip Mashed Potatoes is one that slashes calories by using approximately half parsnips and half potatoes.  This new texture and combination of flavors is a mouthwatering experience.  This truly is a comfort food especially when... Full story »

A few weeks ago, I told you about my fiancée’s predilection for word jumble games and her insistence that I develop a similar addiction, that we might solve them together. Thousands of readers sent me emails about that column. Maybe not thousands, but hundreds. Dozens. OK, three. The point is I got a lot of mail on that one. Most... Full story »

I pulled into the driveway a while ago and pushed the garage door opener button. The door raised to reveal the snow blower blocking the entrance. I chuckled. I thought, oh, yes, Snow Blower, you’re king for now, but not for long. Spring is coming. The reason you’re out here in the middle of the garage floor is because you’re... Full story »

I’ve been meeting many people who are experiencing winter burnout (or freeze out).  Even the south has had a winter to remember, featuring killer storms that have just kept coming.  Now it’s time to look past wintry blasts to sweet spring, the season of new life; the gentle time of the year, the season of love, Good Friday and Easter.... Full story »

Did you draw a spring turkey license? It’s that time of year again. Unless you opted for the late “everyone gets a permit” hunt, you should know by now if you’ve been picked for a hunt. And, with the spring gobbler season now about a month away, it’s time to think turkey. Last week’s warm spell actually had the toms... Full story »

When I was 17, I rode my bicycle from Grand Rapids to Quebec. I no longer remember how far that ride was, but it was a long way. By the time I got to where the road signs were in French, I had calluses on my butt that rivaled any bicep Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his “Terminator” days, could have boasted.... Full story »

Downhill skiing, speed skating and luge runs are fine for those 20-somethings who have nothing much to do except train all day, but I’m not worried—or jealous. Fitness is largely in the definition, as I explained recently to my doctor. “How about those exercise goals?” he asked. “You promised you would try to incorporate more physical activity into your lifestyle.”... Full story »

Nothing makes news like crucial court cases.  Consider the media coverage given to high profile trials that garner millions of dollars worth of television time and print space. Everybody loves a mystery. And there are few arenas of intrigue that compare to courtroom drama.  An attorney friend of mine once told me he would like to write a book about... Full story »

As I sit here looking out my window at the snow blowing and drifting across my yard, I can’t help but dream of warmer weather and picturesque trout streams. Guess you could say I’m coming down with a slight case of cabin fever. Is it just me, or has this been an especially long winter? Anyhow, I’ve got spring fishing... Full story »

Almost everyone knows someone who has transformed the traditional ‘PB and J’ into a peanut butter and pickle or peanut butter and banana sandwich.  And it will likely surprise few that an extra ingredient or two can transform a simple grilled cheese into a spectacular lunch. To tempt your taste buds, I photographed one of my favorites – Swiss... Full story »

Is there anything you can’t get online these days? That’s a rhetorical question; there’s isn’t. Anything you can’t get, I mean. You can buy everything from cars to shoes to surgical procedures online. I met my fiancée online. I took my cat to get “fixed” yesterday, at a veterinary office I discovered—you got it—online. When I want to talk with... Full story »

I put on my gray jacket the other day and surveyed myself in the mirror. It’s a great jacket and it looks good on me but I don’t wear it as often as I would like to because it isn’t quite as comfortable as it might be. The lining in the sleeves needs to be adjusted, that’s all. That would... Full story »

When Lee Zamperini carried the Olympic torch near the end of its Japanese journey, he was only a short distance from the place where he had suffered indescribable torture as a prisoner during World War Two.  The winter Olympics stretched the participants to their limits during the days that followed his run but none of them were put to tests... Full story »

Weather-wise February is a month of extremes here in Michigan. We get a warm tease of sunshine, then the frigid Upper Peninsular winds come swooping down on us. Here are recipes taking in both extremes. From Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a popular main entrée is pasties, a delicious but somewhat time-consuming, individual pastry pocket-filled meal. The Meat and Tater Pie can... Full story »