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Rediscovering the patio

By Lorie Hutson lorieh@spokesman.com(509) 459-5446

Welcome hot summer weather by rediscovering a favorite local restaurant patio.

Last week, I stopped in for iced tea and a scone at Lindaman’s Gourmet-To-Go. The truth is, I was lured there by a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page promising summer garden ingredients in the scones. I had a delicate and deliciously understated red currant and anise scone, but the lavender and lemon scones sounded equally inviting. The offerings are different each day.

Where is your favorite deck or patio for summer lounging? Weigh in on the Too Many Cooks blog.

Oh, cherry!

Washington cherries have arrived at local farmers markets and stores, but Green Bluff growers are reporting it will be mid-month before the local crop is ready for picking. This recent blast of hot weather should help.

Check in with your favorite grower before you head up to Green Bluff for picking. There is a map and links to individual growers at www.greenbluffgrowers.com, or check out Green Bluff Direct Marketing Association on Facebook for updates.

Look on page C6 for the recipe for No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake from the May/June issue of Eating Well magazine.

Eat this, kids

Authors of the “Eat This, Not That!” empire want to help parents and kids navigate the ever-expanding selection of food at stores and restaurants so they can prevent waistline expansion.

“Eat This, Not That! For Kids” (Rodale Books) has been re-released as part of the Kohl’s Cares program. Profits from the sale of the books at Kohl’s stores will be donated to kids’ health and education initiatives.

The book is a great tool, filled with surprising details on calorie counts and nutrient analysis for name-brand grocery store foods, restaurant entrees and even your favorite home-cooked meals. There’s a candy scorecard. It will help you avoid feeding excessive sugar and saturated fat to kiddos, while picking healthier favorites.

Look on page C7 for the Sloppy Joes recipe from the book. It is one of the 10 kids’ favorites made healthy offered by authors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding.