It's a big holiday weekend in the U.S. and everywhere you look you see red, white, and blue, even in the kitchen. If you're planning a holiday party or family dinner, why not put some red, white, and blue food on the menu? Since it's a holiday, I'm starting with desserts, but if you'd like some other options for Fourth of July Food, check the list after the photos!

Granola is such a common food to grab on the cereal aisle at the grocery store, many people probably haven't ever thought of making it at home. There are good reasons to try it though. Not only is homemade granola much cheaper than store-bought varieties, but when you make your own, you can control what goes in and make sure the granola you're eating doesn't have extra sugar, trans-fats, or high-fructose-corn-syrup.

'Kids these days,' as the lament goes, 'don't even know milk comes from a cow.' Well, the jig is up and thanks to our friend, the Internet, kids not only know where milk comes from, but they are discovering where cheeseburgers come from - LOLcats not included. The result? A rise in the number of young vegetarians and vegans. 

“You’re such a fun mom!” This was the reaction to the oh-so-impressive Rainbow Cake made by Cate from Sweetnicks when she mixed food coloring into six layers of a cake-mix cake. It's a special way to celebrate occasions large and small. Take a look, you'll think that Cate's a really fun mom, too! Click the headline for a quick look and a link to the recipe.

The school year has ended or is ending soon all over the U.S., and for many families making ice cream goes hand-in-hand with the arrival of summer. Making ice cream with your kids is one sure way to get them to eat your cooking, and there aren't many adults who'd turn down homemade ice cream either. Every year at this time I'm amazed at the creative ice cream recipes that start showing up from food bloggers, so here are a few new ideas for Ice Cream Summer 2009.

There seems to be evidence that the poor economy is taking its toll on American families and their ability to make healthy food choices. For some it may be that stress is contributing to an increase in emotional eating, and for others it may be the cost of eating healthy. For what ever reason, the recession appears to be having a negative affect on obesity in America.

Do you have children that suffer with food allergies? It seems like food allergies are becoming more and more prevalent. Why is that? My personal opinion, is that it has something to do with how germ and bacteria free we've become as a society. Last week was food allergy awareness week, so I thought I would use this post to look at food allergies and how some parents are coping. What are food allergies? From The Mayo Clinic...

If you asked me what traditional Easter Foods I remember from childhood, I'd say jelly beans or hard-boiled Easter Eggs. Now that I'm older, mention Easter Foods and I'd probably think of something featuring the springtime food trinity of Asparagus, Ham, and Lamb. Some kids might be willing to eat those foods too, but I'm here to share Easter menu ideas that are specifically geared towards the small people at the Easter table.

How much soda does your child drink? What about water? For many kids, drinking water is about as common as a vegetable platter for an after school snack. It's just not happening. So...Is an easy remedy for overweight kids water? A recent study suggests that it might be... Want to help your kids keep the weight off? Just give them water instead of soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks, researchers advised on Monday.

I used to think I was an excellent parent because my kids would eat turnips.  Then they stopped eating turnips and a whole bunch of other vegetables, and I had to wipe that smug expression off my face.  I guess it wasn’t so much that they had liked the turnips as they hadn’t formed an opinion about them, yet.  And when they finally did, forget it.  Many years and many vegetables later, it’s been like a never-ending game of Sorry.  We take 7 steps forward, 4 steps back, and just when you think you’re in the safety zone, you get bumped back to Start.  

Some days, I say to myself: do not open the Internet today. DON'T. DO IT. Because, seriously, it seems like every time that I flip open the computer and log on and start reading e-mail or scanning RSS feeds, I find the same thing: some new hazard has been identified! Some new toxin or poison or just generally bad thing has been discovered in the food that I feed my kids or the toys that they play with or the shampoo that I use on their hair and it's all just UGH. Is nothing safe anymore?