Food Blog Posts

Do you need some quick and healthy snack ideas for the office or to pack the pantry and fridge for the kids this summer?

Lemon Velvet Supreme is very low in fat and relies on fruit as a primary ingredient. Be sure to choose fresh fruit, such as blueberries, or canned fruit packed in natural juices, not in heavy syrup! To keep the graham crackers crispy, put this together right before you’re going to serve it. The original recipe serves six and calls for assembling the ingredients in a serving dish. If you go this route, I’d use an 8”x8” square pan.

For fun, we decided to make individual servings in pretty dishes! Note: we used 8 whole graham crackers, and that was quite a bit for our individual dishes, but would make a good bottom layer in a serving dish. Also, the graham crackers do not form a crust, so this is not a dessert you cut into squares. You just spoon it into small bowls and enjoy!

Do you ever get tired of eating the same old healthy salad? I do! That’s why I was excited to find this recipe for Spicy Tuna that can be used three different ways: as a dip with baked tortilla chips, as a wrap with lettuce leaves or tortillas, or as a topping for a green salad made with lettuce, mixed greens or fresh spinach.

If you are cooking for just one or two, this recipe is for you! It features one of our favorite ingredients – Mississippi-grown sweet potatoes. You can expand this recipe as needed for a larger crowd.

You’ll want to save this recipe for a weeknight when you have a little extra time or cook it on the weekend, as it requires browning the pork chops first, then baking them.

I love the combination of tangy, sweet, and savory flavors! While the recipe doesn’t specify an order, The Food Factor crew put the sweet potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, then we topped the potatoes with the chops. Sprinkle the meat with a bit of salt and pepper before the orange slices.

My husband and I cook dinner at home 99 percent of the time. Now that we are practicing social distancing under the governor’s safer-at-home order, our kitchen is really getting a workout.

Blueberries are a nutrient- and antioxidant-rich food. Harvesting them at the peak of ripeness ensures you get the greatest health benefits and the best taste.

Traditionally, French toast recipes include white bread, eggs, butter and/or oil, and maple syrup. This French toast makeover substitutes whole wheat bread for white bread, mashed banana for the egg, and cooking spray for the oil. As long as you top it with fruit instead of butter and maple syrup, this French toast has a fraction of the calories compared to the traditional option.

The current COVID-19 pandemic may have you feeling more stressed than usual. With the amount of time spent at home, all of the food in your kitchen is at your fingertips at any time of the day.

If your income has been affected by the new coronavirus situation, you may be looking at ways to stretch your budget. 

Cooking at home can help.

As cases of COVID-19 increase around the country, many families are practicing social distancing to protect themselves and others. This likely means you are cooking at home more and are trying to limit your trips to the grocery store. 

So, if you are cooking with more frozen items, check out these tasty recipes that have been featured on the Extension for Real Life blog!

Looking for a fun recipe that you can make with your kids? These no-bake treats are loaded with fiber, use ingredients you probably have on hand in your pantry, and are a terrific homemade snack.  

The Food Factor crew loves quick and easy weeknight recipes, especially if they have a little kick. This Quick Taco-Mac is a one-skillet meal that you can adjust to suit your own taste preferences.

Meal planning and prepping is all the craze these days. It’s one of the easiest ways to be intentional about what you eat and helps you stick to a healthy diet. It’s also a great way for you to save time and moneyMeal planning and prepping is all the craze these days. It’s one of the easiest ways to be intentional about what you eat and helps you stick to a healthy diet. 

Who says soup takes a long time to cook? When it’s cold outside and you want a quick, satisfying soup for supper, try this Ten-Minute Corn Chowder. I love the combination of sweet and savory flavors, and it features ingredients I usually have on hand. I like to stock up on frozen corn kernels when they’re on sale and toss them in a variety of wintery stews and soups.

Most of us think of using the slow cooker for soups, stews, or budget-friendly cuts of meat, but the slow cooker can also make desserts!

Fruit-based desserts help keep your sweet treats on the healthier side through fiber, vitamins, and natural sugars. This recipe comes together very quickly and if you buy berries on sale, you’ll typically have the ingredients on hand for last-minute get-togethers. And it makes your house smell wonderful!

Has anyone heard about the ‘freshman fifteen’? During my first semester of college, I gained more than fifteen pounds. The main culprit was added sugar in soda drinks and desserts

Freezer meals are all the rage as everyone looks for ways to save time in the kitchen. This recipe is a simple, marinated chicken recipe that you could easily double or triple.

Video by Jonathan Parrish

You may not know that our “set” for The Food Factor is a real kitchen in the home of one of our team members. Her husband loves to hunt and share food, so while we are working on the show we often get to sample a variety of venison dishes.

We found this flavorful recipe for Spicy Venison Burgers in a venison recipe booklet from Cornell University Cooperative Extension and thought it would be perfect for The Food Factor!

Kale is a healthy leafy green vegetable that you’ll find year-round in the grocery store but grows abundantly in winter. While it’s great chopped up in soups and stews, it can also be delicious as the base of a tasty salad.

I've discovered two tricks that help make kale better as a salad green. Let’s be honest: kale can be tough to chew and bitter in taste. The first trick is to remove the kale leaves from the stems and massage them. The stems are typically stringy and crunchy, so that helps with the chewiness. Massaging the kale leaves gives them a softer, more silky texture and also reduces the bitter flavor.

The holiday season is finally over and life is slowing down a bit.  Everyone has made their New Year’s resolutions to be the best versions of themselves for 2020.