Denise Hall, Fit Fare - I have fond memories of the hamburgers my father would cook for me when I was a child in Louisiana. At that time hamburger meat was just called ground beef. One size fits all. Some markets had a choice between ground sirloin or ground chuck. No one knew or cared much about the fat content. Fat adds a lot of flavor and that was a good thing. Walk into any supermarket today and you are offered ground turkey breast, ground turkey, lean ground turkey, ground chicken and ground beef that is marked 75/25, 80/20, 85/15, 87/13, 90/10, 93/7, 95/5, and lately 97/3. So many numbers...

Ever wonder what to serve at a birthday party with various food allergic tots?  Well Sue over at the Living My Dream blog has gone above and beyond to share the answer.  To make her daughter's 3rd birthday special, she juggled not only her daughter's milk allergy, but the allergies of guests as well.  Making a dairy, peanut, chocolate, and strawberry free party look easy, Sue shares her entire menu and some great recipes to boot!  Read on for tons of delicious ideas that are sure to fill your happy little guests tummies and your fridge!

By Curt McAdams, Bucky's Barbecue & The Cooks Kitchen 

I  hate summer in some ways:

• I can’t run around in a swim suit all summer, just waiting for the lake to open each day at noon so I can swim all day long.
• I have to get up by a certain time to go ‘work for the man’.
• It’s hot, and I have to wear long pants! And socks!

But I also love summer in other ways:

• Since I live in the country, I see how the corn and soybeans are doing.
• No school buses are blocking me every morning on my way to work.
• It’s warm enough in the morning to put the top down on the car.
• Most important, though… I can get really fresh veggies and fruit, right from the farmers.

Corn on the cob is so good when it’s fresh, just cooked enough to melt butter. All I do is add some salt, and apply toothpicks after dinner.

Beans, peaches (imported, but still fresh)… All good stuff. But is anything better in the summer than a tomato you picked right from your own tomato plant?

Susan Russo, Fit Fare - It’s August, which means three things: It’s hot. You don’t feel like cooking. And farmers’ markets are in full swing, offering everything from juicy melons to crunchy corn. That’s why it’s the perfect time to make some salsas. They’re fast to prepare, refreshing to eat, and endlessly versatile. Though the queen of all salsas, pico de gallo (tomatoes, white onions, lime, and cilantro), remains an old-time favorite with a basket of warm tortilla chips, why not try something new?