Lassens

Creamy and Delicious! I found this recipe in the Williams-Sonoma catalog, and the combo of a sage-ie white sauce, butternut squash, and sausage had me intrigued.  I first made it as directed, and then adapted it to make it more healthy!  Here is my adaptation. Butternut Squash Skillet Lasagne You’ll Need 1 TBSP olive oil 1 […]

Take Advantage of Them with a Little Caramel Sauce Apples, apples, apples! They take me back to my childhood in Central Washington’s apple orchards!  And September is the perfect time to try a new recipe with this versatile fruit.  I love caramel with apples, but wanted to keep this recipe dairy free, so I played

Organic is Important I recently heard a report about how many people are cynical about the word organic–they feel that it is just an excuse to charge more for essentially the same thing. They are skeptical that “organic”even means anything, or that the farmers claiming that their products are organic are lying.  And there is

Healthy and Happy Apple Slice Cookies, That Is! “Go have a piece of fruit” was my general go-to answer for the after school hungries, but here’s a way to make that fruit more fun, too!  The peanut (or other nut) butter adds needed protein for energy and will hold hunger at bay! You’ll Need: Apples

And Some Like Them Hot! You know I love me some roasted sweet potatoes.  (English teacher mother is rolling in her grave right now.) Anyway.  I had some fun goofing off in the kitchen today with a couple of nice firm sweet potatoes, an avocado,  spices….  Well, let’s just get to it! Roasted Sweet Potato

Get Creative With Red Onion Marmalade & Lemon-Caper Aioli! I know the stores are full on with the back-to-school, but I’m choosing to fire up the grill!  (Denial, much?) And a burger just tastes like summer.  Add some gourmet to your burger with these two recipes! Red Onion Marmalade and Lemon-Caper Aioli You’ll Need: 2

One Word: Maaaannnnggggoooo! Since moving to California (35+ years ago…) I have become a mango fiend.  I don’t think I’d ever even tasted a fresh one back in the day.  But if I could have a mango every day, I would.  And they are gorgeous right now!   I love to add mango to lots

Supporting Children and Families at Risk Recently Lassen’s was once again part of the wonderful Casa Pacifica Wine, Food & Brew Festival.  Our team set up a display of crackers, cheeses, iced herbal tea, on-the-tap kombucha, and more.  Supporters of Casa Pacifica could taste as much as they would like, and our team had a

Forty-Four Years and Going Strong! Look!  Lassen’s was big on samples even way back in the beginning! After working at a local Health Food store, Oda Lassen thought she cold do a better job so she decided–in her fifties!–to open her own.  It was 1971 in the small town of Camarillo, California.  Her husband, Hilmar,

I Made Bonbons.  And Ate Them. Coconut covered in dark chocolate were my bonbons today.  Simple.  Beautiful. Tasty. And fairly healthy, since I made them myself.  Small indulgences like this sometimes are all it takes to make a blah day better! This recipe makes about 12 coconut bites. You’ll Need: 2 cups unsweetened finely shredded

Is That Even Possible? Sarah grew up watching her dad crabbing and clamming on Cape Cod.  She was more of a catch-and-release kind of girl, but nevertheless benefitted from the healthy fresh seafood of her childhood.  She grew to love the sea and everything about it.  She earned degrees in Marine Biology, and started to

There’s Nothing Like Them! Many years ago we came upon a fruit stand on a rural road.  We stopped and got a box–probably close to 20 pounds–of peaches.  They were the sweetest I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve had a few peaches in my day!  We planned to bottle some of them, but ended up eating