Souped up Canned Chicken Noodle

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

It never fails that whenever you add the word, “holiday,” on top of your usual activities, a cold or worse seems to be lurking around the corner. I've heard that the flu season is well under way and that this is a very virulent strain…oh great, just what we need!

Some of us think we are super human and can juggle everything without any reckoning. But when your body starts to talk to you, listen. It’s saying, slow down. And if that doesn't work, your body will just take control and put on the brakes… possibly rendering you bedridden with an ailment.

Click to read more ...

Quick Fix Dinner

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

Tomorrow, 11 people will be showing up on my doorstep to stay for four days and many meals. One of the meals is the big turkey day; the rest involves several breakfasts and lunches. So tonight, I am a cookin’ fool.

Right now I have a stock simmering away, cornbread cooling and am in dire need to get my pie dough made, as it is 6:30 p.m. and I have to get some early shuteye. The house is relatively clean, at least for now. Dishwasher is full with a sink full of dishes yet to load. I could use a kitchen fairy about right now to cook me up some rocket fuel to make it through the night.

Click to read more ...

Inside Special Fork – and Beyond

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

If you’ve followed us for a while, you know our mission: Trying to make the weekday dinner hour a little easier by sharing 30-minute prep recipes, a daily blog, and cooking tips and tricks.

You can follow Special Fork optimized for your mobile phone, or on your computer by visiting our conventional website. Both are reached at www.specialfork.com.

We work with a stellar team of top food experts who have held or who currently hold senior food editorial positions at major national magazines, or who work as professional chefs or culinary educators.

Click to read more ...

Long Day, Short Night

By Lori Powell

Lately I have been working into the evening Monday through Friday and then at least one day on the weekend. So I’m trying to get better at meal planning.

I love leftovers so that’s not the problem. I just don’t love the same dish for three nights in a row.

So I am trying to make things that I can transform easily into something else. One of my tricks is roasting a ton of vegetables -- roasted vegetables are one of fall and winter’s delights. All you need is a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and any fresh or dried herbs that you have kicking around, and you have a meal starter for a week’s worth of dinners.

Click to read more ...

My “Every Meal Solution” Recipe

By Lori Powell

Apples are everywhere at this time of the year, but is it me or is there a whole new crop of varieties out there?

One of my all-time favorites is the Honeycrisp (breeding is still not clearly determined). It’s large enough so you can make a meal out of it.

I’m not sure how it is in your neck of the woods but in mine, Honeycrisps are the size of softballs. They are the perfect combination of sweet, crunchy and refreshingly juicy. It’s a modern apple variety developed by the University of Minnesota to withstand cold climates.

Click to read more ...