I ate all the peas in the bowl and they were super sweet. Of course I counted along the way and there were 25 pods in the bowl for a total of 148 peas.

The closest guess was 144 peas by Jackie Kersten.

Congratulations, Jackie! You just won a free cookbook by yours truly. (Jackie sent us her photo and says she’s from Citrus Heights, California and is a Rec Aide at an elementary school.)

Thanks, everyone, for playing… let’s do it again.

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next contest. 🙂

It’s summer! There are so many reasons I like summer, especially for all the healthy fresh fruit that’s available, like peaches and watermelon and strawberries. It’s also a great time to get fresh vegetables, especially green peas, which are super sweet this time of year. Green peas are high in folic acid, iron, vitamin K for bones, and they have anti-inflammatory properties. My favorite way to eat them is raw, right out of the shell. And sometimes I wash them, eat the peas out of the shell and then peel away the inside membrane and then eat the shell! Is that a Polish thing or does anyone else do that? Oh, I almost forgot… my contest. Guess how many little round peas are inside the pods in this 6-inch bowl. Remember, it’s not how many pea-pods, but how many peas are INSIDE the pods (say that five times in a row!). Take a guess and whoever comes closest will win a free copy of my cookbook.

One guess per person ~ Winner will be posted Monday morning. Good luck!!

Pierogi are one of the two best Polish food there are to eat (in my humble opinion) with the other one being cabbage rolls. I used to be anxious about making potato and cheese pierogi but now that I have a simple recipe and a technique that works, I make them all the time. And oh, yes… I eat them all the time. It’s one of the meals I grew up on and I remember helping my dad make Polish pierogi with a potato-cheese filling. That’s my favorite filling, although they are also good with a mushroom-sauerkraut filling, and a lot of people fill them with fruit. Once you make the easy dough, you can fill them with just about anything but I’m telling you, potato-cheese rocks!

Nina asks… Hi Jenny. Have you thought about trying out for Food Network Star??? I think you should. You have a great point of view, and I think we “older folks” with our dietary challenges and weight limits should be represented in their line-up. With your TV experience you’re a shoe-in. What do you think?

My Response…

Thank you for the vote of confidence but I would not enjoy the rigid schedule that I know would be necessary to do this kind of show. I know what it takes to work on TV and I prefer to cook at my own pace, stress-free, and I don’t have to wear spanx!  – Jenny Jones

Bean salad is already good for you but when you add all these stunning colored peppers, you boost the health benefits even more. Beans are a good way to add fiber to your diet and fiber is good for stabilizing blood sugar. Beans are also high in minerals so their calcium is good for bones.

And each of these beautiful colored peppers comes with its own special group of antioxidants that benefit everything from your brain, heart, eyes, joints, lungs, and may protect you against cancer. What’s good to note is that every single ingredient in this easy recipe has health benefits, right down to the heart-healthy olive oil.

It takes just minutes to put together but the health benefits will last a lifetime. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Does anyone really need a video for such a simple recipe? Yes. I think once you see how easy it is to make healthy chocolate brownies, you will ditch your old “melted butter” version and choose a healthier brownie made with oil to add to your dessert recipes. I’m constantly challenging myself to find healthy desserts I can bake without butter and this simple, easy recipe is a winner. It’s a whole grain brownie made with no butter, heart-healthy dark chocolate, lots of toasted nuts, and trust me, it does not taste like health food. What you get is a fudgey, chewy, delicious chocolate brownie… that just happens to be good for you. This is the only chocolate brownie I will ever make.

p.s. This could be a nice healthy treat for your dad on Father’s Day… Click here for a printable recipe.

Nate asks… Hi Jenny! Firstly, thanks for your swift response to my question about creating a clean cooking space; I really appreciate it. I tried out your blueberry pancake recipe this morning, and although I was following along with your YouTube instructional and used the exact measurements you prescribed, my mixture was much more liquid than thick with flour, and even though I subsequently tried adding about 25% more flour, the flour dissolved pretty quickly and the mixture only made about 4 pancakes. Any hints other than more flour to get them as lumpy as you did?

My Response…

I’ve been making this exact recipe for years with the same result every time… a thick lumpy batter and great pancakes. At first I thought maybe the egg you are using is too large but even if you used an extra large egg, it should not make such a dramatic difference as you are experiencing. One thing that might be causing a thin batter would be your choice of buttermilk. You must use store-bought buttermilk, and be sure to shake the container well before pouring. I know a lot of recipes will tell you if you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and let it stand five minutes. Hogwash! That does not make buttermilk, or anything close to buttermilk. I’ve tried it several times and all I got was lemon-flavored milk. If that’s what you’re using, then it’s the reason for the thin batter. Another possibility is your baking powder and/or baking soda are expired. The reaction of those powders with the liquids is what creates the fluffiness in the batter.

You can test your baking powder this way: Drop a teaspoon of the baking powder into a cup of very hot water. If it bubbles heavily, the baking powder is still good. If it doesn’t, it’s time for a new one. To test your baking soda, place a teaspoon of baking soda into a bowl and add 3-4 tablespoons of white vinegar. If the mixture fizzes heavily, the baking soda is still good. If it doesn’t, you need a new box. I hope this helps because these are really great pancakes, with or without blueberries.

If you like trying new recipes like I do, check out my Pinterest page. I’ve been searching for healthy recipes there for some time and so far I have collected over 2,000  recipes that I want to try. It’s crazy! When will I find the time? If you’re not a user I can tell you that a lot of people say it’s addicting. I always thought it was just a collection of favorite photos but it turns out there are thousands of recipes there but you do have to search for the healthy ones. That’s what I’ve been doing so even though I want everyone to try my own healthy recipes, I’m also happy to give other food bloggers the credit for their own healthy foods and meals. But it has to be healthy. If anything starts off with a stick of butter, I pass. Wait ’til you see how many good ones I’ve found! I have 45 different  boards with over 2,000 recipes. Some of my favorite boards are: My Own Healthy Recipes (of course!), Baking Without Butter, Pizza, Spicy Hot Stuff, Polish Food, Great Salads, Healthier Mac & Cheese, Healthy Wraps & Tacos, and there’s even one called “Ten Foot Pole” and you know what that means – stay away! So except for that board, everything else is definitely worth a try. If you find a recipe you like and try it, let me know – my bucket list is too looooong!! – Jenny Jones

Patrizia asks… Made your meringues, them came out fantastic. I make abatch every Saturday. I have one question. My meringues once they are out of the container for about 5 minutes they get sticky on the top, bad for my grandson he gets all his hands sticky. I live in the northern part of Italy and the weather has been super humid, can that make them sticky?

My Response:

Patrizia, your humidity is definitely the problem. It can be a challenge to make meringues in humid weather. In fact, when it’s raining here, I just avoid making them altogether. But there are a couple of things you could try. One is to increase the cream of tartar to 1/2 teaspoon. Another is to beat them even longer for extremely stiff peaks and make sure you’re not beating them next to a pot of boiling water or moisture from a dishwasher as they will absorb moisture from the air. And finally, you could try leaving them in the closed oven after it’s turned off for a longer time. My recipe says one hour but you could try leaving them in there overnight. Also, when serving, you could dry them out in a 200 degree oven for 10 – 15 minutes. I hope that helps.

If you’ve ever baked bread or anything with yeast you know that it helps to have a warm spot to help the dough rise. Some things that work are a warming drawer, placing the dough under a lamp, or heating the oven for a minute and then turning it off (but then you need to preheat the oven). But here’s a way I never thought of… a heating pad. Whaddya think? Good idea? Or do you have something better?